The Value of the Ruble and Money Exchange Rates of 1895-1905
Courtesy of Mark Grekin

In the period 1895 to 1905 the average worker's wages were as follows:

Foundry worker (steel)  44-48 rubles
Coal miner  38-41 rubles
Stone-mason  32-35 rubles
Lathe operator (steel cutting)  31 rubles
Tannery worker  27-30 rubles
Chemical worker  23-26 rubles
Hat/Bonnet maker  17-19 rubles
Textile worker  15-16 rubles
Tobacco worker  12.5-13 rubles

In the same time period the buying power of the ruble was as follows:
(1 ruble has 100 kopecks, like 1 dollar has 100 cents)
 
Butter -  74 kopecks
 Eggs, 1 dozen - 18 kopecks/dozen
Cabbage heads, 1 dozen - 72 kopecks/dozen
Cucumbers, 1 dozen - 3 kopecks/dozen
Sunflower oil, 1 quart - 25 kopecks/quart
Honey - 1 ruble 22 kopecks - 55 kopecks
One chicken - 50 kopecks
One duck - 90 kopecks
One ship(?) - 4 rubles
One cow - 45 rubles
Wheat, 1 bushel - 1 ruble 51 kopecks
Rye, 1 bushel - 1 ruble 18 kopecks
Barley, 1 bushel - 64 kopecks
Letter with stamp (up to 15 gr.) - 7 kopecks
Postcard with stamp - 3 kopecks

Exchange rates in 1899 and 1903 were the same. It is likely that between 1899 and 1903 the rates did not change.

Here are the exchange rates for 5 main currencies:  Russian ruble, US dollar, UK pound, German mark, French franc. 

Other currency to the Ruble:

1 pound = 6.28 rubles
1 dollar = 1.29 rubles
1 mark = 0.308 rubles
1 franc = 0.25 rubles

Russian Ruble to other currencies:
1 ruble = 0.16 pounds
1 ruble = 0.7752 dollars
1 ruble = 3.2467 marks
1 ruble = 4.0 franc

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