Cost of Living in Ukraine

Rent in Ukraine

The State Statistics Service of Ukraine (Derzhstat) does not publish an average rent in hryvnias, so this page gives the official figures on how housing costs move. Rents rose 13.7% in the 12 months to September 2026, according to the consumer price index, faster than prices overall. They rose 2.1% in September alone and 12.3% since December 2025. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) links the rise in rents to increased internal migration.

Utility tariffs moved in different directions. Water supply cost 87.6% more than a year earlier and sewerage 83.1% more, while electricity, natural gas, heating and hot water prices did not change. The wider housing group, with water, electricity, gas and fuels, rose 6.3%.

Consumer prices and inflation

Consumer prices in Ukraine were 10.0% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, according to Derzhstat, and 2.1% higher than in August. Core inflation was 8.8%. From January to September, prices averaged 8.1% more than in the same months of 2025. The NBU says inflation came in above its forecast mainly because of Russian attacks on production, storage and logistics infrastructure and rising fuel prices. Fuel was 46.2% more expensive than a year earlier, services 13.7% and food 8.9%.

In its October 2026 Inflation Report, the NBU expects inflation of 12.5% at the end of 2026, 7.3% at the end of 2027 and its 5% target in 2028. It raised its key policy rate to 16.5% on 29 October 2026. The October consumer price figure was not published on 5 November 2026.

Household spending and the subsistence minimum

Derzhstat has not published household spending figures for the war years. Its household surveys resumed in December 2025 after a 4-year break, and no results had been published by 5 November 2026. The official reference for living costs is the subsistence minimum.

The State Budget law sets the subsistence minimum each year. In 2026 it is UAH 3,209 a month per person, and UAH 3,328 for able-bodied persons. The Ministry of Social Policy also calculates an actual subsistence minimum from current prices: UAH 8,876 a month per person in July 2026 prices, as cited by the parliamentary budget committee.

Transport, utilities and local costs

Transport prices rose 26.9% in the 12 months to September 2026. Road passenger transport rose 41.7% and rail 16.5%. Derzhstat does not publish a national average fare.

Household electricity costs UAH 4.32 per kWh, a price the Cabinet of Ministers kept unchanged until 30 April 2027. Homes with electric heating, or without gas or central heating, pay UAH 2.64. The household gas price was set at UAH 7,420 per 1,000 cubic meters including VAT, and in September 2026 the Cabinet kept the current preferential gas prices until the end of the heating season on 31 March. Communication services rose 13.9% over the year and restaurants and hotels 13.2%.

What it means for pay and hiring

Wages are rising faster than prices. The average gross salary of a full-time employee was UAH 33,153 in September 2026, 24.5% more than a year earlier, and the NBU expects real wages to grow 11.4% in 2026. In Kyiv city the average was UAH 48,994 gross. The actual subsistence minimum of UAH 8,876 is above the 2026 minimum wage of UAH 8,647 gross.

Pay in Kyiv city is higher than the national average, and prices are moving fast, so agree whether an offer is gross or net and plan for regular reviews. See average salary in Ukraine for pay by activity and region, the Ukraine minimum wage page, hiring developers in Ukraine, and our guide to hiring in Ukraine for employer costs and martial law rules.

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