Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Saransk Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Saransk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Kyiv versus $883 in Saransk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,494 in Kyiv versus $1,382 in Saransk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,998 in Kyiv versus $1,881 in Saransk.

Living in Kyiv is roughly 12% more expensive than Saransk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 26% lower, Saransk 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 ₴380

$11.29 ₽824

-24.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.03 ₴1,375

$37.56 ₽2,741

-17.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.14 ₴272

$5.61 ₽409

9.45%

Cappuccino

$1.56 ₴69.2

$2.71 ₽198

-42.44%

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

$0.68 ₴30.07

$1.31 ₽95.7

-48.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₴18.52

$0.46 ₽33.22

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₴47.71

$1.00 ₽72.7

8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₴84.9

$3.23 ₽235

-40.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₴54.9

$1.04 ₽76.2

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₴36.71

$0.61 ₽44.27

36.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ₴81.0

$1.31 ₽95.3

39.69%

Eggs

$2.05 ₴90.6

$1.54 ₽113

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ₴437

$10.48 ₽765

-5.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 ₴192

$4.77 ₽348

-9.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 ₴350

$8.93 ₽651

-11.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 ₴45.44

$1.31 ₽95.3

-21.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₴68.9

$1.68 ₽123

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₴79.5

$0.94 ₽68.5

90.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₴100

$2.53 ₽185

-10.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₴38.18

$0.70 ₽51.4

22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₴24.80

$0.67 ₽49.19

-16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 ₴63.3

$1.23 ₽89.8

16.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₴25.33

$0.56 ₽40.67

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₴132

$2.48 ₽181

20.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 ₴257

$8.09 ₽591

-28.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₴36.90

$1.03 ₽75.3

-19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₴69.5

$1.55 ₽113

1.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₴7.21

$0.49 ₽35.53

-67.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.60 ₴425

$25.52 ₽1,862

-62.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ₴88.7

$1.87 ₽136

6.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₴15.50

$0.54 ₽39.75

-35.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ₴193

$7.61 ₽555

-42.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₴62.8

$0.76 ₽55.6

86.84%

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

$30.7K ₴1.4M

$23.5K ₽1.7M

30.44%

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

$24.7K ₴1.1M

$27.9K ₽2.0M

-11.40%

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

$112 ₴4,941

$111 ₽8,107

0.42%

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

$5.59 ₴248

$3.19 ₽233

75.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.16 ₴317

$7.26 ₽530

-1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.24 ₴1,650

$36.13 ₽2,637

3.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 ₴724

$3.80 ₽277

330.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 ₴213

$6.48 ₽473

-25.93%

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

$389 ₴17.2K

$341 ₽24.9K

14.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,847 ₴347.6K

$3,918 ₽285.9K

100.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 ₴3,039

$44.53 ₽3,250

54.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 ₴1,608

$31.64 ₽2,310

14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₴4,560

$63.6 ₽4,644

61.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₴4,960

$37.55 ₽2,741

198.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 ₴26.5K

$513 ₽37.5K

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₴15.8K

$251 ₽18.3K

42.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₴57.3K

$773 ₽56.5K

67.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 ₴27.4K

$499 ₽36.4K

23.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,609 ₴115.6K

$1,689 ₽123.3K

54.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,119 ₴49.6K

$1,094 ₽79.9K

2.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$770 ₴34.1K

$485 ₽35.4K

58.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.34

16.33

18.43%

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

Last update for Kyiv: May 31, 2026

Last update for Saransk: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Kyiv and $513 in Saransk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kyiv vs $38.00 in Saransk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $183 per month, with Kyiv cheaper across the board.

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

Saransk is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kyiv pays 59% more on average, 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: $599 in Kyiv versus $513 in Saransk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kyiv pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Saransk – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $31.00 in Kyiv. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $883 in Saransk versus $990 in Kyiv, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saransk but tight or insufficient in Kyiv. The gap between the two cities makes Saransk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saransk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kyiv, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Saransk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Kyiv. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.