Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Kaluga

For one person, living costs are similar in Kyiv and in Kaluga: $996 and $1,021 a month, rent and utilities included.

Kyiv, Ukraine
Kaluga, Russia
Kyiv
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$996
/mo nomad
Kaluga
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,021
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyiv and in Kaluga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Kyiv versus $1,021 in Kaluga.

  • Kyiv $996
  • Kaluga $1,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Kyiv versus $1,594 in Kaluga.

  • Kyiv $1,599
  • Kaluga $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,203 in Kyiv versus $2,168 in Kaluga.

  • Kyiv $2,203
  • Kaluga $2,168

Monthly costs are close between Kyiv and Kaluga; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 26% lower, Kaluga 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.03 ₴504
$10.25 ₽838
7.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.43 ₴1,527
$37.27 ₽3,050
-10.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.86 ₴359
$4.96 ₽406
58.47%
Cappuccino
$1.79 ₴81.8
$2.62 ₽214
-31.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 ₴34.14
$0.92 ₽75.2
-18.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₴26.86
$0.58 ₽47.77
1.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.28 ₴58.4
$1.44 ₽118
-11.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 ₴92.6
$1.82 ₽149
11.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 ₴60.6
$1.26 ₽103
5.56%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₴39.97
$0.99 ₽81.4
-11.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.46 ₴66.7
$2.42 ₽198
-39.67%
Eggs
$1.94 ₴88.7
$2.05 ₽168
-5.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.52 ₴435
$13.66 ₽1,118
-30.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.21 ₴238
$6.81 ₽557
-23.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.78 ₴401
$14.45 ₽1,183
-39.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.16 ₴52.9
$1.83 ₽150
-36.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 ₴69.3
$1.72 ₽141
-11.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 ₴83.5
$1.71 ₽140
7.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.84 ₴130
$2.86 ₽234
-0.70%
Potato (1kg)
$0.62 ₴28.53
$0.54 ₽44.54
14.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.44 ₴19.92
$0.56 ₽45.53
-21.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 ₴67.1
$1.49 ₽122
-1.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 ₴29.87
$0.82 ₽67.0
-20.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.42 ₴156
$3.18 ₽260
7.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 ₴257
$8.61 ₽704
-34.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 ₴42.82
$1.21 ₽99.2
-22.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 ₴65.9
$2.73 ₽224
-47.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 ₴31.16
$0.45 ₽36.47
51.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$13.56 ₴619
$18.83 ₽1,541
-27.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₴102
$0.95 ₽77.4
135.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.50 ₴22.72
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.84 ₴221
$6.71 ₽549
-27.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 ₴79.3
$0.86 ₽70.2
102.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K ₴1.4M
$53.1K ₽4.3M
-41.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K ₴1.2M
$41.8K ₽3.4M
-39.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.7 ₴4,552
$126 ₽10.3K
-21.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.76 ₴309
$6.13 ₽502
10.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.31 ₴288
$9.38 ₽768
-32.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.47 ₴1,666
$49.75 ₽4,071
-26.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.63 ₴851
$24.64 ₽2,016
-24.39%
Cinema Ticket
$5.59 ₴255
$3.65 ₽298
53.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$428 ₴19.5K
$341 ₽27.9K
25.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.1K ₴691.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.0 ₴3,334
$97.7 ₽7,991
-25.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.34 ₴1,796
$37.38 ₽3,059
5.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.7 ₴4,326
$184 ₽15.0K
-48.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 ₴5,380
$94.5 ₽7,732
24.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$640 ₴29.2K
$302 ₽24.7K
112.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$331 ₴15.1K
$223 ₽18.2K
48.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,362 ₴62.2K
$627 ₽51.3K
117.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$689 ₴31.5K
$367 ₽30.1K
87.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,614 ₴119.4K
$1,541 ₽126.1K
69.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,245 ₴56.9K
$1,302 ₽106.5K
-4.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kyiv
Kaluga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$806 ₴36.8K
$662 ₽54.2K
21.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
17.83
23.12
-22.88%

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

Last update for Kyiv: October 31, 2026

Last update for Kaluga: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kyiv
$331
Kaluga
$223 32.7% $108
Groceries & Markets
Kyiv
$188
Kaluga
$247 31% $58
Eating Out
Kyiv
$149
Kaluga
$145 2.7% $4
Clothing & Footwear
Kyiv
$146
Kaluga
$186 27.1% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kyiv
$113
Kaluga
$142 25.7% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Kyiv
$48
Kaluga
$57 19.7% $9.4
Getting Around
Kyiv
$21
Kaluga
$22 * 2.6% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Kyiv and $302 in Kaluga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 22% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33 in Kyiv vs $37 in Kaluga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $247 per month, with Kyiv cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇦 Kyiv
🇷🇺 Kaluga
🕒 Local time
05:50 5:50 AM
06:50 6:50 AM
1 h ahead of Kyiv
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,908,249 Capital
331,842
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 45.67 UAH (100 UAH = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 51.41 UAH (100 UAH = 1.95 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.13 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kyiv Kaluga 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kyiv
  • Kaluga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Kyiv vs Kaluga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Kyiv or Kaluga?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Kyiv, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Kyiv and in Kaluga?
Rent for a central apartment: $640 in Kyiv versus $302 in Kaluga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kyiv and Kaluga?
Childcare runs $428 in Kyiv versus $341 in Kaluga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kyiv – a meal for two runs $33 versus $37 in Kaluga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Kyiv and Kaluga?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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