How many years of work do you need to do to buy an apartment in Ukraine in 2025

2 June 16:15

INFOGRAPHICS

The issue of housing affordability remains one of the key socio-economic challenges in the context of a full-scale war and an unstable macroeconomic situation. OLX Real Estate analysts have estimated the cost of one-bedroom apartments on the secondary market in the regional centers of Ukraine and compared it with the average monthly salaries in these cities, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.

The information obtained indicates the following: in order to buy their own apartment, Ukrainians need to work for an average of 5-7 years, saving all their salaries. Obviously, such a financial model is not viable in real life, but this calculation allows us to estimate the ratio of income to the cost of basic housing.

Average cost of apartments in Kyiv in 2025

In the capital, according to the study, it will take almost 10 years to buy a basic apartment, saving all income to purchase real estate. A similar situation is observed in Lviv and Vinnytsia. This indicates a serious lag between wage growth in these regions and the dynamics of real estate prices.

For a potential buyer, this means that without significant external sources of financing, such as bank loans or family support, purchasing a home in these cities may be an unattainable goal.

Why these calculations are important for businesses and investors

Although the “saving 100% of salary” models are arbitrary, they provide insight into the affordability of housing as an economic indicator. For developers, the banking sector, and government agencies, this is a signal that they need to adapt their offers:

expanding mortgage programs;
creating mechanisms for co-financing housing;
implementing programs to support young people and IDPs.

This data can also serve as a benchmark for assessing the solvency of the population and forming a more relevant pricing policy in the housing market.

Important. All calculations are based on the average cost of one-room apartments in the secondary market and the average official salary in the respective region as of the beginning of 2025.

Comparison with other cities of Ukraine

A similar situation to that in Kyiv is observed in the real estate market in Lviv and Vinnytsia. Here, it will take more than 10 years to save up for your own home. This indicates a serious lag between wage growth in these regions and the dynamics of real estate prices.

In contrast, according to OLX Real Estate analysts, Dnipro and Kharkiv are cities where the real estate market has the potential to recover, despite the hostilities in Ukraine.

These cities have historically developed infrastructure and pre-war demand for real estate. Despite the war risks, in Kharkiv and Dnipro it takes an average resident just under 4 years to save up for an apartment. This makes them relatively more affordable for IDPs, investors, and those looking for an alternative to Kyiv.

And the most affordable apartments will be in frontline cities: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Sumy. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing hostilities and constant shelling, real estate prices here remain the lowest in Ukraine. Thus, under the current conditions, it will take less than 2 years to save for an apartment in Kherson.

Another interesting pattern: Uzhhorod, which consistently remains one of the most expensive cities in terms of rental costs, requires about 6 years of full salary to buy an apartment. This indicates a significant gap between the incomes of local residents and the market value of housing, which is fueled, in particular, by demand from relocators, the tourism business, and the border location.