Prisma error: p1001: can't reach database server at `localhost`:`3306`

I am running a nextJS application on a VPS and using nextAuth with prisma. I have MySQL server running on port 3306. When runnning npx prisma migrate dev --name init --schema src/prisma/schema.prisma I get an error:

Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from src/prisma/schema.prisma
Datasource "db": MySQL database "node-users" at "localhost:3306"

Error: P1001: Can't reach database server at `localhost`:`3306`

I ve tried the solutions I could find online:

• downgraded node because 16.17 was supposedly causing issues
• added connect_timeout to my url
• restarted mysql.service
• added a new user

but with no success.

• schema:

generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client-js"
}
datasource db {
  provider = "mysql"
  url      = "mysql://admin:password@localhost:3306/node-users?connect_timeout=300"
}

model Account {
  id                String  @id @default(cuid())
  userId            String
  type              String
  provider          String
  providerAccountId String
  refresh_token     String? @db.Text
  access_token      String? @db.Text
  expires_at        Int?
  token_type        String?
  scope             String?
  id_token          String? @db.Text
  session_state     String?
  user              User    @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id], onDelete: Cascade)

  @@unique([provider, providerAccountId])
  @@index([userId], map: "Account_userId_fkey")
}

model Session {
  id           String   @id @default(cuid())
  sessionToken String   @unique
  userId       String
  expires      DateTime
  user         User     @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id], onDelete: Cascade)

  @@index([userId], map: "Session_userId_fkey")
}

model User {
  id               String      @id @default(cuid())
  name             String?
  email            String?     @unique
  emailVerified    DateTime?
  image            String?
  stripeCustomerId String?     @unique
  hasBook          Boolean     @default(false)
  paymentIntent    String?     @unique
  paymentDate      DateTime? 
  accounts         Account[]
  sessions         Session[]
}

model VerificationToken {
  identifier String
  token      String   @unique
  expires    DateTime

  @@unique([identifier, token])
}

• netstat: tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:3306 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 25865/mysqld

• node_version: v16.13.2

The whole configuration works on my local, just not on the vps. Also I am able to login mysql with the user and the password.