Journalists compared Ukrainian prices for rental housing, utilities and the Internet, lunch at a restaurant, food and public transportation with the cost of these services and goods in European countries, Finance.ua reported. Find out how the cost of life in Ukraine differs from prices in Europe.
How much people spend in Europe vs. Ukraine
Ukraine is among the top-3 cheapest countries in the world, according to the report The Cost of Living Around the World 2018, based on the index by Numbeo.
The rating took into account various factors, including the cost of renting and buying real estate, gym membership, payments for utilities, public transport, buying food in supermarkets and eating out in inexpensive restaurants.
- Pakistan, Egypt and Ukraine were named the cheapest countries in 2018.
- The average wage in Ukraine is currently around 6827 UAH (USD $263).
Prices in Ukraine
Numbeo provides the following data about the prices in the country:
- Utilities at the rate of 80 square meters: 2389 UAH (USD $92),
- Transport: 5 UAH ($0.20),
- Rent of a one-room flat: 8,253 UAH ($318) per month.
- The average price of a meal in an inexpensive restaurant is only 100 UAH ($3.80).
- The price of a cappuccino is 23 UAH ($0.88).
Experts compared the cost of basic things in Ukraine and European countries, and it turned out that almost everywhere the cost of living is 150% or higher than in Ukraine.
Prices in Europe vs. Ukraine
For example, even in Poland, which is next to Ukraine, prices differ greatly:
- A cup of cappuccino will cost $2.30
- A meal in a restaurant: $5.90
- Travel by public transport: $1/trip
- Utilities: $185/month
- Rent for a one-room flat: $534/month
At the same time, the average salary there is approximately USD $971, which is 3.5 times higher than in Ukraine.
Considering all European countries, the largest difference is with costs of life in Sweden and France.
In France, the cost of living is 196.96% higher than in Ukraine.
- The average wage there is $2,350
- Renting a one-room flat not far from the city centre: $834
- Public utilities: $165
- Transport: $1.98
- You can dine at a restaurant there for an average of $14.84.
- A cup of cappuccino will be worth $3.26.
With Sweden, too, there is a significant difference of 184%.
- The average wage there is $2,613.
- Renting an apartment will cost $909.
- Surprisingly the utilities are cheaper than what people pay in Ukraine: $78.4.
- One dish in a restaurant costs about $12.
- A cup of cappuccino $4.11.
Noticeably, Internet is extremely cheap in Ukraine. In Germany you’d pay over $34/month to get unlimited Internet, in Greece — $31, in Poland — $15, but in Ukraine it would cost you only $4.
Read also:
- Cheapest countries in the world
- How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Kiev?
- Most expensive European capitals to rent a home for foreigners
- How Ukrainians spend their wages? What can you buy with the average wage $276 a month?
interesting how rent is so expensive compared to their average wage, while internet is extremely cheap. This is very useful information, I hope to visit Ukraine again soon.
Hi Marc, it’s true, prices for rent in Ukraine are very expensive and unaffordable for a person on an average wage. This is why young people live with parents until they earn enough money to buy an apartment on their own (apartments are cheap), as mortgages are also unaffordable.
Many Ukrainians work two jobs. Also, frequently young adults share apartments when not living at home. People do their best to survive. ©2018
Yes, that’s correct. But these things are not a top secret. There are probably about 400 articles about these things only on this blog.
I think that prices in Ukraine are lower than in Europe because salaries in Ukraine are much lower than there. People in Europe earn more money and so, they can pay more. Ukrainians earn a little, so they can’t pay much money for utilities, transport or the Internet, for example.
Eugene,
It’s not about what people can afford but simply the cost of labor affects the cost of good and therefore prices. Prices for imported goods such as TVs or smartphones in Ukraine are about the same as in Europe.
Nice List, but not quite accurate, at least the prices for a European Country like Germany. (I compared this to the prices in France you listed) I live in a 55m² 3 rooms apartment and pay 380 Euro thats with heating included. That is in a quite normal City with 120000 people. You can get a pizza or a good meal in a chinese Restaurant for just 6 Euro (And not the 14,84 Dollars you listed) Also while the average wage in germany is also about 2500 Euro, people have to keep in mind that there are a lot of… Read more »
Adrian,
It’s a rating by Numbeo. Write to them and let them know they are wrong about the cost of life in Europe 🙂
The price and cost is food is paired with the wages of the country … I visited Belarus last year . With the Cdn dollar compared to the Belarus ruble , the prices are very low compared to Canada . The food was amazing in Belarus … No junk food like North America