The cost of renting a one-room apartment in the central districts of some Ukrainian cities can "eat up" almost an entire average monthly salary. The highest share of income is spent on housing in Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv — from 76% to 86%. In terms of this indicator, Ukrainian cities have almost caught up with European ones, in particular Barcelona and Madrid.
This is written by LUN analysts, citing a study by the EU Council.
How much income needs to be spent on rent in Ukraine
Residents of the central districts of Kyiv spend the largest portion of their earnings on paying for rented housing.
In particular, in Pechersk the average monthly cost of a one-room apartment reaches UAH 32,095. With an average salary of UAH 37,500, this is approximately 86% of income. Thus, after paying rent, only about UAH 5,400 remains.
In Ivano-Frankivsk, renting an apartment in the central part of the city costs UAH 24,144 with an average salary of UAH 30,000. This is approximately 80% of monthly earnings.
In Lviv's Halytskyi district, a one-room apartment rents for an average of UAH 25,109. This is about 76% of the city's average salary, which stands at UAH 33,000.
In some cities the ratio is lower, but housing payments still require almost half a month's earnings. In particular, renting a one-room apartment "eats up" 48% of the average salary in the Central district of Dnipro and 46% — in the Prymorskyi district of Odesa.
In a separate sample, where districts were conditionally selected as close to the city center, the indicators differ:
How Ukrainian cities compete with European ones in terms of rental costs
As a study by the EU Council shows, in Barcelona and Madrid, renting a one-bedroom apartment in the center costs about 74% of the average net salary.
In Milan, 72% of income had to be spent on housing, and in Lisbon — 116%.
Thus, as analysts note, the rent-to-salary ratio in the central district of Lviv is close to the figures for Barcelona and Madrid, while in Pechersk and the center of Ivano-Frankivsk it is higher.
Analysts add that such a comparison should be viewed as approximate. For Ukrainian cities, the rent of one-room apartments was taken into account, while for European ones — housing with one bedroom in central districts. In addition, the sources used different observation periods, samples, and income indicators.
Earlier, Finance.ua wrote that in the third quarter of 2026, 51% of respondents rented housing or were in the process of arranging a rental. Another 19% planned to rent housing within the next 2–3 months, and 14% — within 4–6 months. At the same time, a significant portion of renters are looking for housing for their family. In particular, 51% of respondents had experience renting housing with children.
We also reported that 89% of landlords pay attention to the presence of pets in applicants for long-term housing rentals. And 65% of seekers were denied rental due to the presence of pets.