From San Diego to Kiev!

[Edoardo]

Hello all,
I'm new to the forum but delighted to have found it! I hope to make new aquiantances and perhaps pick up useful tips and information.
I'm an Italian-born American who has for the past three years been happily married to a wonderful Ukrainian lady that I met via the internet (see, it CAN work!). I plan to retire in 2-3 years and we will relocate to Kiev where my modest pension should go much farther, perhaps enabling us to have a better standard of living and travel options that we could not afford, given the cost of living in the USA these days.
I am interested in finding out about all things that would concern an expatriate-to-be, so I have many general questions and few specific at this time. You may be sure I'll be looking at the forum for ideas and answers in the months to come.
As my wife is of course still a Ukrainian citizen (albeit with a permanent US resident green card) I suspect that we'll be able to take advantage of the notorious "Ukrainian prices" vs. the "foreign prices" when it comes to purchasing a flat and furnishing it. Ditto for the daily expenses of life. If this is not the case, I'd like to know about it ASAP because we are counting upon taking advantage of the potential cost differentials to make the entire venture worth while.
In addition, while I would be able to subsist on my pension (hopefully), I would not be adverse to finding part-time employment that would take advantage of my English skills. I do not yet speak much Russian, but anticipate that this will change over time. Does any reader know if US business or government agencies in Kiev do much hiring of expatriates? I am not interested in "benefits" beyond simple supplemental income.
Anyway, those are my first two questions and I look forward to participating in the forum in the coming months.

PS...If any American men reading this want advice/info about the "fiancee visa" process and/or wish to talk about the pros and cons of East/West marriages, please feel free to address questions to me via the forum.