Living in Ukraine

We asked some foreign students about living in Ukraine. Each of them called one fact about his living in this country.

Here is this facts:

1. It is really one of the cheapest country in the Europe. Example: me and my sister live good (for Ukraine) in 2-room apartment and are paying only $100 per month for rent. Here is a lot of useful internet services which can help find accommodation in any city of Ukraine. But thanks Ukrainian Admission Center, that you help us to find this accommodation, because we don’t want to live in hostel. Even utilites are very cheap. We paying for: excellent cabel internet, gas, water, electricity and telephone. And we pay only $30 – $40 per month.

2. I spend only $400 per month. But I rent excellent flat in the center of the Kharkiv and always going to parties at weekends. I’m not spare the money, have constantly fun, but it is still cheap. I even put some of money for deposit, because I don’t need so much money here as I took with me. I really love this country.

3. What I love in Ukraine? I love it excellent plentiful food which is very cheap by the way. Examples: Chicken is sold by either the piece or whole. It generally runs between 35 to 55 Grivnahs per Kilogram. [At the date of this writing, the US Dollar is worth 25 Grivnahs] This equates to less then $2 per kilogram.]  Fruit and vegetables are even better buys, especially when in season. Carrots run around 4.50 to 6.50 Grivnahs per Kilo. That equates to 25 cents per kilogram! Vegetables are a real bargain here and often of high quality. Theyre usually grown in very rich organic soil.

4. Transportation. How could it be so cheap? I pay only $0.25 per one trip to another уnd of the city. I’m living in Kharkiv. I went to Kiev last month to my friends. I paid only $15 USD for trip in one direction. Sometimes transport are old, but it is REALLY cheap. I like it.

5. Maan, Did you see ukrainian women? (We have kept a speech the author). They are the most beautiful in the world.  If youre lucky enough to marry one with a heart of gold and not a gold-digger, it will make your living in Ukraine considerably easier, but its not entirely necessary. And you even don’t have to be married to live together. Excellent country!

6. The local people look favorably (usually) upon visitors or residents from another countries. This is not often the case in many countries throughout the world as you may already be aware! This is a huge benefit!

7.  It is very easy to find places where one can change most currencies including: U.S. Dollars, British Pounds, Russian Rubles and, of course, Euros. A few other currencies may be exchanged here but exchange points for them are not so readily accessible. These include: Australian Dollars and Swiss Francs.

8. Bank savings interest is considerably higher here! It is very easy to find sound and firmly established banks, which pay 20.5% interest on local currency. Both Raiffeisen (An Austrian Bank which does business here) and OTP (A Hungarian bank) are quite reliable and easily accessible in Ukraine. My parents event sent me their money to open deposit for them. Fantastic. ATMs are available in many locations all over the cities. (But you might not find one that has the English language option).

9. There are several Super Markets scattered all over the cities as well as  innumerable smaller open type markets and kiosks near every neighborhood. Although the variety can be restricted, the supermarkets are usually the better places to buy consistently good products.

10. I feel safer and more secure here than in any large city in America even at night!

11. Medical care in Ukraine (for residents) is free! One needs only pay for the medications and associated materials needed to administer them. I know this is true since I had occasion to use it recently for a headackes! The care was professional and competent even if  not employing the latest technology available elsewhere!

12. Real Estate can be purchased here (Dachias) for as little as $4000 to $5000! A Dachia is usually a place out a bit from the city in a country setting that is not usually intended for every day living. A Dachia usually has running water (typically located outside the building) and electricity. It usually has only an out-house for toilet facilities. But they can be upgraded fairly inexpensively. Most are fairly near bus-stops.  Real Estate in Ukraine has experienced an unrealistic increase in perceived value within the past 5 years. An apartment, located in the city where I live, that sold for $5,000.00 5 years ago now sells for up to and in some cases above $40,000. A modestly appointed and minimally acceptable to most Western tastes yet still decent, low-range apartment will cost that much or more.

13. It is usually easy to find locals whod like to improve their English language abilities. So, its not difficult to find paying students for English lessons. The going rate is 100 Grivnahs per hour! Or about $4.00/hour. This doesnt sound like much, but keep in mind that $4.00 goes a lot farther here than in a lot of other countries! For example, me earn during the year for paying tuition fees in my university.

14. Fluency in either Russian or Ukrainian is not necessary in order to manage everyday things like shopping and inter or intra city travel. I manage well enough on my own with a Russian vocabulary of only about 300 words.