Travel to Ukraine: money and prices

“The world is a book, and those who don`t travel read only one page”. Saint Augustine.

We become more educative and wiser with traveling. Why not to take a chance and go somewhere you have never been before? For example, Ukraine? It is a wonderful country with a rich history and lots of interesting traditions and customs.

Vacation in Ukraine

It`s easy to travel. The country is located in the middle of Europe. Citizens of many countries can enter the country without a visa for a stay up to 90 days. We have several airports in the country. Two of the airports are located in Kyiv, others are located in different parts of Ukraine that makes it much easier to travel through the country and visit more beautiful cities. The price of domestic flights is around 80-100$. You can travel within the country by trains and buses.

How much does it cost to travel to Ukraine?

Ukrainian national currency is hryvnya (UAH). You need to change your money when you travel to Ukraine. You can do it in the banks or currency exchanges, which are located everywhere. It won’t be a problem to find one. The rate is the same everywhere, it might vary up to 10 cents, but not more than that. You can use your credit card as well but to avoid any difficulties it is better to have some cash too, because not everywhere you can pay by card. Preferably, it should be a Visa or Master card. Visitors with American express credit cards have some problems with using it quite often. So when you travel, it is preferably to have Visa or Master Card and some cash. In many restaurants tips are not included in the bill, so if you want to leave a tip, it is good to have cash with you.

There are many places to go and many things to do in Ukraine. If you visit the capital or big cities like Kharkiv, Lviv or Odessa you will find many fancy hotels and restaurants with the prices that are not different from European.

Accommodations in Ukraine

A standard room in one of the best hotels in Kharkiv is around 50-100$ per night. A room in one of the coziest hotel in the heart of the city is 80 $, foreigners love Hotel 19 in our town. It is very cosy and decorated in a classic style. They provide a high standard service, the personnel speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian, sometimes German, Spanish. You are definitely not going to have a language barrier. More and more people learn English and Kharkiv is becoming more convenient for foreigners.

How expensive is Kiev? To rent a simple apartment in the city center in Kyiv is about 80$ and more. Depending on the location, the prices vary. There are famous international brands of hotels in Kyiv. As there are many tourists there, you should plan your stay and book a hotel beforehand. You can expect crowds of people everywhere, because lots of people from small towns fly from Kiev. I have been to Kiev three times and it is always busy, no matter what season it is, either it is summer or winter.

I wouldn`t say that there is a huge difference in prices in comparison with my native city, but it is a bit more expensive. I was travelling with my friend and we ordered the same things in the restaurants like in Kharkiv, but it turned out to be more expensive. But you have a choice where you can stay, starting from luxurious 5 star hotels to hostels. My friend booked a hotel on the website, but while we were commuting by train it turned out that it was too far from the city centre. We decided to book a hostel, it was right in the centre. It had a perfect location and we were not planning to spend there much time anyway. We came to do sightseeing and we needed accommodation just for a night. We paid 100 hryvnas, it was very cheap and I didn’t expect it. It is pretty low price for accommodation in Ukraine. But still it was a clean room, shared with 5 other people, but it was fine. It was actually unbelievably cheap, especially if we take into consideration that it was during Christmas holidays.

Food prices in Ukraine

You should definitely try traditional Ukrainian cuisine when you travel. Dinner at a good restaurant is about 75$ without alcohol. In Kharkov there are plenty of 5* restaurants, which will definitely impress you with high quality service and delicious signature dishes. No matter what cuisine you prefer, you will find a restaurant to your taste. I am a fan of French cuisine and there is no need to go to France, it is right here in Kharkov. The restaurant “Paris” is very popular among Kharkov citizens. At least once each person has been here. In “Paris” you can try a divine fondue with different flavours, French wine and delicious cakes. Dinner for two in this restaurant is 50$ excluding alcohol. If you are a sushi lover, there are plenty of venues, which offer sushi. 1 kg of sushi is 20$.

A cup of coffee is 1-3$. There are many coffee shops on every corner. Lviv is city for coffee lovers. It is impossible not to be tempted by the smell of coffee beans in the streets of Lviv. This town is famous for its fabulous and unusual venues, which offer tasty coffee. Since 2007 there has been held a festival of coffee, which shows the significance of this divine drink for Lviv citizens. Different venues will impress you not only with a perfect taste but also with its hospitality.

An average cocktail in a bar in Odessa during a summer season will cost around 15$. As Odessa is full of tourists in summer, the prices are much higher at this period of the year. The restaurants by the beach are always fully booked and in order to get a table you have to book in advance, sometimes even 3-4 days before your visit, so that you have an opportunity to get a nice table by the sea. The views are spectacular, each date is going to be perfect with such an amazing view. Just imagine yourself and your beloved one enjoying dinner in such romantic atmosphere. Sea breeze, nice background music and the sea view….perfect!

When I was visiting Odessa, I went out with my friends in one of the restaurants with the sea view. I have never seen such variety of fish and such presentations of dishes. It is totally fascinating, each dish is a masterpiece. We ordered a bottle of red wine, two fish dishes and desserts and it cost 100 $. I think it is not a lot for such amazing atmosphere, service, a table with the sea view and so delicious food. It is worth visiting for sure. If you come to Odessa in summer, you should visit one of the restaurants like that. It is an experience of a lifetime!

Transport

Cab ride from the airport to the city center will cost you around 5$ in kharkiv. Bus ticket costs 0,30$. Subway ticket costs 0,20$. The bus/train ride from Kiev to Kharkiv will cost you around 15$, the flight ticket – 100$.

Entertainment

A ticket to the theatre is around 10$, a ticket to the cinema is nearly 5$.
A city tour will cost around 30-50$ in the big cities.

Cost of houses in Ukraine

It depends on the city and location like everywhere around the world. One bedroom apartment in the city centre is about 35 000$ while the same one bedroom apartment somewhere in the suburbs is going to be 25 000 $. It is an approximate price. It depends on the conditions, location, transport interchange.

When you travel to Ukraine there are options of buying street food, but if you go on a date with a lady it is a standard to have it in the restaurant, at least the first one. It depends on your preferences. I hope this article gave you an answer to a question “How much do things cost in Ukraine?”