Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mykolaiv and Kyiv

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.

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

How much you'll spend in Mykolaiv and in Kyiv

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

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

  • Mykolaiv $709
  • Kyiv $996

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

  • Mykolaiv $1,092
  • Kyiv $1,575

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

  • Mykolaiv $1,475
  • Kyiv $2,153

Living in Mykolaiv costs roughly 29% less than in Kyiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.89 ₴405
$10.78 ₴491
-17.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.50 ₴979
$32.91 ₴1,499
-34.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ₴248
$7.54 ₴343
-27.72%
Cappuccino
$1.13 ₴51.7
$1.81 ₴82.3
-37.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₴24.70
$0.76 ₴34.82
-28.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 ₴18.14
$0.59 ₴26.70
-32.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.81 ₴36.81
$1.34 ₴60.9
-39.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 ₴68.2
$1.99 ₴90.7
-24.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 ₴53.9
$1.34 ₴60.9
-11.94%
White Bread (500g)
$0.77 ₴35.14
$0.83 ₴37.71
-7.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 ₴64.3
$1.49 ₴67.8
-5.37%
Eggs
$1.70 ₴77.6
$2.03 ₴92.6
-16.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.66 ₴440
$10.09 ₴460
-4.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.48 ₴204
$5.11 ₴233
-12.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.76 ₴353
$8.65 ₴394
-10.29%
Apples (1kg)
$1.06 ₴48.26
$1.21 ₴55.2
-12.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 ₴67.2
$1.56 ₴71.2
-5.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.44 ₴65.4
$1.84 ₴83.9
-21.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 ₴94.0
$2.69 ₴123
-23.42%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ₴36.71
$0.58 ₴26.23
39.66%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 ₴21.74
$0.45 ₴20.45
6.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₴45.79
$1.48 ₴67.5
-31.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₴21.45
$0.64 ₴29.26
-26.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.65 ₴121
$3.35 ₴153
-20.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.52 ₴160
$5.42 ₴247
-35.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₴27.19
$0.91 ₴41.51
-34.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 ₴53.2
$1.35 ₴61.5
-13.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ₴14.31
$0.69 ₴31.24
-55.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.07 ₴504
$12.38 ₴564
-10.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.55 ₴70.6
$2.21 ₴100
-29.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ₴15.69
$0.45 ₴20.69
-24.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.32 ₴197
$4.70 ₴214
-8.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 ₴72.1
$1.82 ₴82.7
-13.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K ₴1.4M
$30.9K ₴1.4M
0.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K ₴1.1M
$25.2K ₴1.1M
-6.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 ₴6,879
$96.8 ₴4,410
56.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.08 ₴277
$6.86 ₴312
-11.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.76 ₴308
$6.30 ₴287
7.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.28 ₴1,015
$37.13 ₴1,691
-39.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.93 ₴361
$18.04 ₴822
-56.04%
Cinema Ticket
$3.21 ₴146
$5.60 ₴255
-42.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$242 ₴11.0K
$424 ₴19.3K
-42.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,877 ₴176.5K
$15.1K ₴688.1K
-74.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.28 ₴1,880
$73.2 ₴3,334
-43.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.01 ₴1,093
$39.13 ₴1,782
-38.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.7 ₴2,765
$94.9 ₴4,322
-36.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.0 ₴4,507
$118 ₴5,379
-16.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$195 ₴8,901
$647 ₴29.5K
-69.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$126 ₴5,726
$337 ₴15.3K
-62.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$349 ₴15.9K
$1,386 ₴63.1K
-74.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$261 ₴11.9K
$651 ₴29.7K
-59.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$746 ₴34.0K
$2,590 ₴117.9K
-71.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$516 ₴23.5K
$1,160 ₴52.8K
-55.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mykolaiv
Kyiv
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$408 ₴18.6K
$820 ₴37.3K
-50.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16
17.88
-10.51%

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

Last update for Mykolaiv: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mykolaiv
$164
Kyiv
$110 32.9% $54
Groceries & Markets
Mykolaiv
$162
Kyiv
$188 15.9% $26
Accommodation & Living
Mykolaiv
$126
Kyiv
$337 168% $211
Eating Out
Mykolaiv
$112
Kyiv
$147 31.1% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Mykolaiv
$101
Kyiv
$146 44.6% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Mykolaiv
$29
Kyiv
$48 68.4% $20
Getting Around
Mykolaiv
$16
Kyiv
$20 25.6% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Mykolaiv and $647 in Kyiv. 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: $22 in Mykolaiv vs $33 in Kyiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $188 per month, with Mykolaiv cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇦 Mykolaiv
🇺🇦 Kyiv
🕒 Local time
03:03 3:03 AM
03:03 3:03 AM
Same time as Mykolaiv
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
480,080
2,908,249 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 50.69 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mykolaiv Kyiv 400 km
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  • Mykolaiv
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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
Mykolaiv vs Kyiv: 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: Mykolaiv or Kyiv?
On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Mykolaiv. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Mykolaiv and Kyiv?
Rent for a central apartment: $195 in Mykolaiv versus $647 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Mykolaiv and in Kyiv?
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 Mykolaiv or in Kyiv?
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 Mykolaiv or in Kyiv?
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.

Mykolaiv vs other spots: cost of living compared

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