Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Ulyanovsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Ulyanovsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Kyiv versus $894 in Ulyanovsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,562 in Kyiv versus $1,368 in Ulyanovsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,111 in Kyiv versus $1,843 in Ulyanovsk.

Living in Kyiv is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 26% lower, Ulyanovsk 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 ₴497

$11.85 ₽1,002

-6.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.91 ₴1,514

$29.44 ₽2,487

15.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 ₴297

$6.27 ₽530

6.22%

Cappuccino

$1.65 ₴73.6

$2.50 ₽211

-34.00%

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

$0.78 ₴35.04

$0.90 ₽76.2

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₴24.69

$0.37 ₽31.46

48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₴61.0

$1.74 ₽147

-21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₴91.0

$1.93 ₽163

5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ₴60.5

$1.02 ₽86.4

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₴39.88

$0.57 ₽47.78

56.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 ₴66.2

$1.05 ₽88.9

40.95%

Eggs

$1.99 ₴88.8

$1.40 ₽118

42.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 ₴459

$10.90 ₽921

-5.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₴237

$4.45 ₽376

19.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 ₴401

$9.71 ₽821

-7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₴53.4

$1.51 ₽128

-20.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₴68.6

$1.56 ₽132

-1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 ₴81.1

$1.90 ₽161

-4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 ₴114

$3.03 ₽256

-15.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 ₴26.83

$0.84 ₽70.9

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₴20.21

$0.55 ₽46.50

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₴63.3

$1.44 ₽122

-1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₴26.88

$0.69 ₽58.0

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 ₴153

$2.92 ₽247

17.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ₴244

$7.75 ₽655

-29.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₴42.67

$1.01 ₽85.3

-4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₴64.1

$1.85 ₽156

-22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₴25.52

$0.43 ₽36.06

32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.00 ₴491

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 ₴99.2

$2.31 ₽196

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ₴19.47

$0.51 ₽43.20

-13.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 ₴200

$7.02 ₽593

-36.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 ₴74.8

$0.76 ₽64.4

119.74%

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

$30.1K ₴1.3M

$36.1K ₽3.1M

-16.71%

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

$26.3K ₴1.2M

$41.9K ₽3.5M

-37.34%

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

$93.2 ₴4,161

$126 ₽10.6K

-25.89%

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

$6.76 ₴302

$5.98 ₽505

13.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.59 ₴294

$7.07 ₽598

-6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 ₴1,534

$34.97 ₽2,955

-1.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.54 ₴783

$24.82 ₽2,097

-29.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 ₴244

$6.59 ₽557

-17.00%

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

$398 ₴17.8K

$285 ₽24.1K

39.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ₴652.7K

$6,488 ₽548.2K

125.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₴3,129

$29.05 ₽2,454

141.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 ₴1,803

$36.02 ₽3,043

12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 ₴4,152

$94.6 ₽7,989

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₴5,200

$59.4 ₽5,015

96.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 ₴28.5K

$353 ₽29.9K

80.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₴16.1K

$238 ₽20.1K

51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 ₴59.8K

$469 ₽39.7K

185.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₴28.9K

$410 ₽34.6K

57.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,711 ₴121.0K

$2,612 ₽220.7K

3.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 ₴51.6K

$1,500 ₽126.7K

-22.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$794 ₴35.5K

$502 ₽42.4K

58.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.8

-13.46%

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

Last update for Kyiv: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $639 in Kyiv and $353 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 58% 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: $34.00 in Kyiv vs $29.00 in Ulyanovsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $191, with Kyiv cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulyanovsk is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $639 in Kyiv versus $353 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $398 in Kyiv versus $285 in Ulyanovsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $34.00 in Kyiv. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $894 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,013 in Kyiv, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Kyiv. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Kyiv. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.