Youth May Have to Spend Up to 76% of Their Salary on Rent: Where Housing is Most Expensive

Young Ukrainians in some cities are forced to spend more than three-quarters of the median salary on renting a one-bedroom apartment. The highest burden on income was recorded in Uzhhorod and Lviv, while the lowest was in Kherson.

This is reported by Delo.ua, citing a study by OLX Real Estate regarding the ratio of rental and purchase prices of one-bedroom housing to the median salary of young workers.

For the calculations, data from OLX Work was used for job vacancies marked "suitable for students/candidates under 18 years old." As of July 2026, the median salary in this category was 29,306 UAH.

The most expensive rent for a one-bedroom apartment for young people is in Uzhhorod. The median rental price is 22,404 UAH per month, which equals 76.4% of the median salary.

Almost the same rental price is in Lviv — 22,248 UAH, or 76% of a young worker's income.

Ivano-Frankivsk ranks third, with a median rental rate of 17,707 UAH — about 60% of the salary. In Kyiv, renting a one-bedroom apartment costs an average of 17,000 UAH, which corresponds to approximately 58% of income.

In Chernivtsi and Lutsk, the average rental cost is 15,000 UAH, or about 51% of the salary. In Ternopil, it is 14,800 UAH, which also equals about half of the monthly income.

In Vinnytsia, the rent averages 14,000 UAH and takes up about 48% of the salary. In Odesa, housing costs 13,000 UAH, or 44% of income, while in Khmelnytskyi, it is 12,500 UAH, or 43%.

Approximately 41% of the salary goes to rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Cherkasy, Dnipro, and Rivne. In Dnipro and Rivne, the median rate is 12,000 UAH per month.

In Poltava and Zhytomyr, about 38% of income is spent on rent. The median housing cost is 11,150 UAH and 11,000 UAH, respectively.

Less than a third of the median salary is spent on rent in Kropyvnytskyi — about 29%, where a one-bedroom apartment can be rented for 8,500 UAH. In Chernihiv, the median rate is 8,000 UAH, or 27% of income, and in Kharkiv, it is 7,500 UAH, or 26%.

In Zaporizhzhia, rent costs about 7,000 UAH and takes 24% of the salary. In Mykolaiv, the median cost is 6,799 UAH, or 23.2% of income, and in Sumy, it is 6,500 UAH, or approximately 22%.

The lowest financial burden among the analyzed cities was recorded in Kherson. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment there is 4,000 UAH — about 14% of the median salary of young people.

A significant difference between cities is also noticeable in the time required to save for one's own housing.

If we assume that a young person could save their entire median salary — 29,306 UAH — monthly, it would take the longest to save for a one-bedroom apartment on the secondary market in Kyiv, Lviv, and Uzhhorod. In each of these cities, the conditional saving period is about 10 years.

It would take about eight years to save for housing in Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi. Approximately seven years would be needed in Lutsk, Rivne, and Ternopil.

Young people need six years to buy a one-bedroom apartment in Zhytomyr, Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Ivano-Frankivsk. In Poltava, it takes about five years.

In Dnipro, Kropyvnytskyi, and Chernihiv, the conditional saving period is about four years. In Kharkiv, Sumy, and Mykolaiv, it is about three years.

The fastest time to save for a one-bedroom apartment under these conditions would be in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — approximately two years.

Thus, the difference in the availability of housing for young people between cities in Ukraine reaches about five times: from about two years of savings in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson to ten years in Kyiv, Lviv, and Uzhhorod.

At the same time, such calculations are conditional, as they assume saving the entire salary without expenses for food, utilities, transportation, and other needs. It also does not take into account inflation, possible changes in income, and real estate prices.

It is worth noting that in Ukraine, the demand for cheap apartments costing up to $20,000 is growing. Most of these offers are concentrated in frontline regions.