by Many who still lived in the USSR remember how much cars cost during the stagnation era. Even in general, you can find articles on the Internet indicating the prices of cars in the Soviet Union. 
However, does the sum of, say, 5000 rubles mean anything to a modern person? Unlikely. Therefore, Obozrevatel decided to calculate how much the “automobile achievements” of the Soviet Union would cost in today’s money.
Let’s immediately note that determining exact figures is difficult, if not possible. However, it’s quite feasible to estimate approximate costs.
How do we calculate?
There are two ways to “convert” Soviet car prices to modern ones. The first is the approximate exchange rate of the hryvnia to the Soviet ruble in the 60s to the first half of the 80s. We based it on the average salary in modern Ukraine (11000–13000 UAH/$500) and the Soviet Union during the stagnation period (120-140 rubles), as well as the prices for basic foodstuffs and necessities then and now.
For instance, a kilogram of boiled sausage costs/cost 180-220 UAH and 2.2 rubles (in the USSR), respectively, a loaf of bread – 12-18 UAH and 0.16 rubles (in the USSR), respectively. As a result, the ratio of the hryvnia to the Soviet ruble turned out to be about 100:1. Thus, to get the (approximate!) average cost of a Soviet car as of today, you need to multiply its cost in rubles by one hundred. Soviet rubles and hryvnias
Soviet rubles and hryvnias
The second way (based on the purchasing power of the population) is by calculating the number of average salaries in Ukraine that would need to be spent to purchase a particular car today, based on its cost in Soviet rubles. Here the calculation uses this formula: the number of average Soviet salaries that needed to be saved to purchase a specific car multiplied by the average Ukrainian salary today (which is, recall, about $500).
And, in this way, we obtain the modern price of a Soviet car. In addition to the hryvnia, further in the article, the cost of cars will also be provided in dollars (at a rate of 25). As for the cars themselves, we took the most popular models as examples: ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets, Moskvich-412, VAZ-21011, VAZ-2103, and GAZ-24 Volga.
So how much do they cost?
ZAZ-968
In the mid-1970s, the ZAZ cost 3500 rubles, and from 1979 – 5000 rubles. If we take the average sum of 4000 rubles, then a Soviet person would need to set aside almost 31 salaries to purchase this car.
Thus, at present, the 968 would cost:
400,000 UAH ($16,000), based on the 100:1 formula;
387,500 UAH ($15,500), based on the number of necessary average salaries.
Moskvich-412
The Moskvich cost 5000 rubles, meaning it required 38 salaries. Thus, today its cost would amount to:
500,000 UAH ($20,000) according to the first formula;
475,000 UAH ($19,000) according to the second formula.
VAZ-21011
The “Kopeika” cost 6000 rubles in the USSR, which was equivalent to 46 average salaries. The output is:
600,000 UAH ($24,000) according to the first formula;
575,000 UAH ($23,000) according to the second;
VAZ-2103
The “Troyka” was sold for 7500 rubles – equivalent to 57 salaries.
This means that today it would have to be bought for:
750,000 UAH ($30,000) by the first calculation;
712,500 UAH ($28,500) by the second.
GAZ-24 Volga
Finally, we move on to the dream car of a Soviet citizen – the GAZ-24 Volga. The prices for this car often “jumped,” but on average it cost 10,000 rubles, leading to the conclusion that it required 77 salaries to purchase it. Today it would cost:
1,000,000 UAH ($40,000), according to the first calculation method;
962,500 UAH ($38,500) according to the second methodology.
Conclusion
Overall, it can be concluded that Soviet cars, despite their simplicity (even by the standards of that time), were expensive.
Today, the “Zaporozhets” would cost as much as a new Renault Duster, and the GAZ-24 “Volga” – like a fully equipped Toyota Camry. But no less striking is the fact of how much money had to be set aside in the USSR to purchase a car…
