Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Saransk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyiv: $996 a month against $1,151 in Saransk, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
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Kyiv Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Saransk
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Saransk Living Index

Jump to prices

Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$996

/mo nomad

Saransk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyiv and in Saransk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Kyiv versus $1,151 in Saransk.

Kyiv $996
Saransk $1,151

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,575 in Kyiv versus $1,838 in Saransk.

Kyiv $1,575
Saransk $1,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,153 in Kyiv versus $2,524 in Saransk.

Kyiv $2,153
Saransk $2,524

Living in Kyiv costs roughly 13% less than in Saransk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 27% lower, Saransk 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 ₴491

$14.34 ₽1,155

-24.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.91 ₴1,499

$55.7 ₽4,488

-40.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₴343

$7.60 ₽612

-0.79%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₴82.3

$3.38 ₽272

-46.45%

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

$0.76 ₴34.82

$1.81 ₽146

-58.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.69

$0.78 ₽63.1

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₴60.9

$1.97 ₽158

-31.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₴90.7

$3.92 ₽316

-49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₴60.9

$1.19 ₽95.9

12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₴37.70

$0.81 ₽65.6

2.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ₴67.8

$1.42 ₽115

4.93%

Eggs

$2.03 ₴92.6

$1.55 ₽125

30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ₴460

$12.00 ₽966

-15.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ₴233

$5.17 ₽416

-1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 ₴394

$13.67 ₽1,101

-36.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₴55.2

$1.77 ₽143

-31.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₴71.1

$1.75 ₽141

-10.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₴83.9

$1.73 ₽139

6.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 ₴123

$3.51 ₽283

-23.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₴26.22

$0.68 ₽54.9

-14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₴20.45

$0.65 ₽52.4

-30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₴67.5

$1.37 ₽110

8.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₴29.25

$0.68 ₽54.5

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₴153

$3.42 ₽275

-2.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 ₴247

$8.80 ₽708

-38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₴41.50

$1.16 ₽93.6

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₴61.5

$2.55 ₽205

-47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₴31.24

$0.57 ₽46.10

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 ₴564

$30.06 ₽2,421

-58.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₴100

$2.18 ₽176

1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₴20.69

$0.41 ₽33.36

9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 ₴214

$7.31 ₽589

-35.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 ₴82.7

$0.90 ₽72.2

102.22%

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

$30.9K ₴1.4M

$54.0K ₽4.4M

-42.72%

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

$25.2K ₴1.1M

$40.3K ₽3.2M

-37.58%

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

$96.8 ₴4,409

$141 ₽11.3K

-31.18%

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

$6.86 ₴312

$7.16 ₽577

-4.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.30 ₴287

$8.49 ₽684

-25.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 ₴1,691

$32.17 ₽2,591

15.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 ₴821

$22.39 ₽1,803

-19.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 ₴255

$7.21 ₽581

-22.33%

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

$424 ₴19.3K

$316 ₽25.4K

34.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₴688.0K

$7,190 ₽579.0K

110.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 ₴3,333

$78.4 ₽6,315

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.13 ₴1,781

$55.5 ₽4,472

-29.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 ₴4,322

$138 ₽11.1K

-31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₴5,378

$85.0 ₽6,847

38.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₴29.5K

$487 ₽39.2K

32.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₴15.3K

$321 ₽25.8K

5.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₴63.1K

$935 ₽75.3K

48.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ₴29.7K

$592 ₽47.7K

9.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,590 ₴117.9K

$2,279 ₽183.5K

13.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 ₴52.8K

$1,499 ₽120.7K

-22.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ₴37.3K

$680 ₽54.7K

20.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.88

20.29

-11.88%

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

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Last update for Saransk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyiv

$337 33.8%

Saransk

$321 27.9% 4.8% $16

Groceries & Markets

Kyiv

$188 18.9%

Saransk

$224 19.5% 19.1% $36

Eating Out

Kyiv

$147 14.7%

Saransk

$206 17.9% 40.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Kyiv

$146 14.7%

Saransk

$160 13.9% 9.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyiv

$110 11%

Saransk

$156 13.6% 42.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Kyiv

$48 4.9%

Saransk

$47 4.1% 3.6% $1.7

Getting Around

Kyiv

$20 2%

Saransk

$37 3.2% 86.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Kyiv and $487 in Saransk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Kyiv vs $56 in Saransk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $224 per month, with Kyiv cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🇷🇺 Saransk

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

14:55 2:55 PM

1 h ahead of Kyiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,908,249 Capital

320,612

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 45.53 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 50.84 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to UAH in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kyiv Saransk 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kyiv
Saransk

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 Saransk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyiv is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Kyiv, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $647 in Kyiv versus $487 in Saransk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Saransk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kyiv – a meal for two runs $33 versus $56 in Saransk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.