Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Mykolaiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Mykolaiv: $709 a month against $996 in Kyiv, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kyiv, Ukraine
Mykolaiv, Ukraine
Kyiv
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$996
/mo nomad
Mykolaiv
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$709
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyiv and in Mykolaiv

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 Mykolaiv actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Kyiv versus $709 in Mykolaiv.

  • Kyiv $996
  • Mykolaiv $709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,575 in Kyiv versus $1,092 in Mykolaiv.

  • Kyiv $1,575
  • Mykolaiv $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,153 in Kyiv versus $1,475 in Mykolaiv.

  • Kyiv $2,153
  • Mykolaiv $1,475

Living in Kyiv is roughly 40% more expensive than in Mykolaiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 27% lower, Mykolaiv 48% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.78 ₴492
$8.89 ₴405
21.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.91 ₴1,501
$21.50 ₴981
53.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₴344
$5.45 ₴248
38.35%
Cappuccino
$1.81 ₴82.4
$1.13 ₴51.8
60.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 ₴34.87
$0.54 ₴24.73
40.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₴26.73
$0.40 ₴18.16
47.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.34 ₴61.0
$0.81 ₴36.86
65.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ₴90.8
$1.50 ₴68.3
32.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 ₴60.9
$1.18 ₴53.9
13.56%
White Bread (500g)
$0.83 ₴37.76
$0.77 ₴35.18
7.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.49 ₴67.9
$1.41 ₴64.4
5.67%
Eggs
$2.03 ₴92.8
$1.70 ₴77.7
19.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.09 ₴460
$9.66 ₴441
4.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.11 ₴233
$4.48 ₴204
14.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.65 ₴394
$7.76 ₴354
11.47%
Apples (1kg)
$1.21 ₴55.3
$1.06 ₴48.32
14.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 ₴71.3
$1.48 ₴67.3
5.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 ₴84.0
$1.44 ₴65.5
27.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 ₴123
$2.06 ₴94.1
30.58%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 ₴26.26
$0.81 ₴36.76
-28.40%
Onion (1kg)
$0.45 ₴20.48
$0.48 ₴21.77
-6.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 ₴67.6
$1.01 ₴45.86
46.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₴29.30
$0.47 ₴21.48
36.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.35 ₴153
$2.65 ₴121
26.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.42 ₴247
$3.52 ₴160
53.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ₴41.57
$0.60 ₴27.23
51.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₴61.6
$1.17 ₴53.3
15.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 ₴31.29
$0.31 ₴14.33
122.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.38 ₴565
$11.07 ₴505
11.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.21 ₴101
$1.55 ₴70.7
42.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.45 ₴20.72
$0.34 ₴15.71
32.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.70 ₴214
$4.32 ₴197
8.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 ₴82.8
$1.58 ₴72.2
15.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K ₴1.4M
$31.1K ₴1.4M
-0.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K ₴1.1M
$23.6K ₴1.1M
6.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.8 ₴4,416
$151 ₴6,889
-35.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.86 ₴313
$6.08 ₴277
12.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.30 ₴287
$6.76 ₴308
-6.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.13 ₴1,693
$22.28 ₴1,016
66.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.04 ₴823
$7.93 ₴362
127.49%
Cinema Ticket
$5.60 ₴255
$3.21 ₴146
74.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$424 ₴19.4K
$242 ₴11.0K
75.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.1K ₴689.0K
$3,877 ₴176.8K
289.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.2 ₴3,338
$41.28 ₴1,882
77.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.13 ₴1,784
$24.01 ₴1,095
62.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.9 ₴4,328
$60.7 ₴2,769
56.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 ₴5,387
$99.0 ₴4,513
19.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$647 ₴29.5K
$195 ₴8,913
231.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$337 ₴15.4K
$126 ₴5,734
167.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,386 ₴63.2K
$349 ₴15.9K
297.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$651 ₴29.7K
$261 ₴11.9K
149.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,590 ₴118.1K
$746 ₴34.0K
247.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,160 ₴52.9K
$516 ₴23.5K
124.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kyiv
Mykolaiv
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$820 ₴37.4K
$408 ₴18.6K
100.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
17.88
16
11.75%

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

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mykolaiv: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kyiv
$337
Mykolaiv
$126 62.7% $211
Groceries & Markets
Kyiv
$188
Mykolaiv
$162 13.7% $26
Eating Out
Kyiv
$147
Mykolaiv
$112 23.7% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Kyiv
$146
Mykolaiv
$101 30.9% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kyiv
$110
Mykolaiv
$164 49% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Kyiv
$48
Mykolaiv
$29 40.6% $20
Getting Around
Kyiv
$20
Mykolaiv
$16 20.4% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Kyiv and $195 in Mykolaiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33 in Kyiv vs $22 in Mykolaiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $162 per month, with Mykolaiv cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇦 Kyiv
🇺🇦 Mykolaiv
🕒 Local time
04:51 4:51 AM
04:51 4:51 AM
Same time as Kyiv
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,908,249 Capital
480,080
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 45.6 UAH (100 UAH = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 50.76 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
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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
Kyiv vs Mykolaiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mykolaiv cheaper than Kyiv?
Mykolaiv is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Kyiv or Mykolaiv?
Average pay in Kyiv is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Kyiv and Mykolaiv?
Rent for a central apartment: $647 in Kyiv versus $195 in Mykolaiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Kyiv and in Mykolaiv?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Kyiv. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Kyiv or in Mykolaiv?
Dining out is cheaper in Mykolaiv – a meal for two runs $22 versus $33 in Kyiv. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Kyiv or in Mykolaiv?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Mykolaiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Kyiv. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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