Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chernihiv and Kyiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Chernihiv: $628 a month against $998 in Kyiv, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Chernihiv
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Chernihiv Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
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Kyiv Living Index

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Chernihiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$628

/mo nomad

Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chernihiv and in Kyiv

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chernihiv and in Kyiv actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $628 per month in Chernihiv vs $998 in Kyiv, rent included.

Chernihiv $628
Kyiv $998

A couple spends around $951 per month in Chernihiv vs $1,570 in Kyiv, rent included.

Chernihiv $951
Kyiv $1,570

A family of three spends $1,274 per month in Chernihiv vs $2,141 in Kyiv, rent included.

Chernihiv $1,274
Kyiv $2,141

Chernihiv is about 37% cheaper than Kyiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chernihiv and Kyiv are more affordable than the global median – Chernihiv 53% lower, Kyiv 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 ₴349

$10.97 ₴493

-29.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.22 ₴953

$33.87 ₴1,520

-37.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₴215

$7.60 ₴341

-37.11%

Cappuccino

$1.09 ₴48.90

$1.67 ₴74.9

-34.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₴22.30

$0.79 ₴35.25

-36.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₴14.07

$0.56 ₴25.02

-44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.75 ₴33.44

$1.31 ₴58.7

-42.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₴60.7

$1.99 ₴89.2

-32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 ₴50.6

$1.31 ₴58.7

-13.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 ₴29.47

$0.90 ₴40.60

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₴65.7

$1.48 ₴66.6

-1.35%

Eggs

$1.58 ₴70.7

$2.06 ₴92.7

-23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.88 ₴219

$10.07 ₴452

-51.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ₴185

$5.16 ₴232

-19.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 ₴333

$8.81 ₴395

-15.89%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 ₴40.04

$1.19 ₴53.6

-25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₴55.8

$1.51 ₴67.9

-17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₴58.5

$1.80 ₴80.9

-27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ₴70.0

$2.71 ₴122

-42.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₴39.07

$0.60 ₴26.91

45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₴30.77

$0.45 ₴20.24

53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₴40.57

$1.46 ₴65.4

-38.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.66

$0.62 ₴27.82

-4.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 ₴117

$3.52 ₴158

-25.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.05 ₴182

$5.61 ₴252

-27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₴37.61

$0.88 ₴39.57

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₴56.6

$1.44 ₴64.5

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₴18.13

$0.59 ₴26.33

-32.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.48 ₴650

$11.32 ₴508

27.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ₴55.7

$2.18 ₴98.1

-43.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₴7.72

$0.42 ₴18.77

-59.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 ₴235

$4.35 ₴195

20.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₴63.2

$1.73 ₴77.6

-18.50%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.7K ₴1.2M

$29.5K ₴1.3M

-12.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K ₴1.2M

$26.4K ₴1.2M

-2.56%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$60.4 ₴2,710

$98.3 ₴4,411

-38.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.92 ₴266

$6.97 ₴313

-15.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.29 ₴192

$6.77 ₴304

-36.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.17 ₴1,175

$36.79 ₴1,651

-28.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 ₴297

$18.38 ₴825

-63.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 ₴188

$5.45 ₴245

-23.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$226 ₴10.2K

$403 ₴18.1K

-43.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ₴671.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 ₴1,890

$75.4 ₴3,383

-44.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.38 ₴1,229

$40.07 ₴1,798

-31.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ₴3,109

$95.5 ₴4,286

-27.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ₴3,555

$119 ₴5,347

-33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₴10.0K

$621 ₴27.9K

-64.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₴7,438

$337 ₴15.1K

-50.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₴13.5K

$1,252 ₴56.2K

-75.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₴10.0K

$630 ₴28.3K

-64.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$889 ₴39.9K

$2,648 ₴118.9K

-66.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$637 ₴28.6K

$1,131 ₴50.8K

-43.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$417 ₴18.7K

$813 ₴36.5K

-48.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.25

17.88

-14.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chernihiv: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chernihiv

$166 26.4%

Kyiv

$337 33.7% 103% $171

Groceries & Markets

Chernihiv

$142 22.6%

Kyiv

$189 18.9% 33.1% $47

Eating Out

Chernihiv

$99 15.8%

Kyiv

$146 14.7% 47.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chernihiv

$98 15.6%

Kyiv

$149 14.9% 51.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chernihiv

$71 11.2%

Kyiv

$112 11.2% 58.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chernihiv

$35 5.5%

Kyiv

$48 4.8% 38.1% $13

Getting Around

Chernihiv

$18 2.9%

Kyiv

$18 1.8% 1.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $224 in Chernihiv versus $621 in Kyiv. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Kyiv, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Chernihiv versus $34.00 in Kyiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $189 – making Chernihiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Chernihiv

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

Same time as Chernihiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

293,969

2,908,249 Capital

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chernihiv vs Kyiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $628 in Chernihiv, $998 in Kyiv – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $943 per month in Chernihiv and $1,498 in Kyiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chernihiv, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Chernihiv and $34.00 in Kyiv. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $628 in Chernihiv and $998 in Kyiv. That's a gap of about 59%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chernihiv, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Kyiv at $998. In Chernihiv it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kyiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kyiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $628 in Chernihiv to $998 in Kyiv. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chernihiv. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kyiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.