Ukraine vs Europe: how much does it cost to eat out and why the difference in wages is more important than price tags
28 March 19:43
INFOGRAPHICS
Ukrainians spend more on food than Europeans in terms of income. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the article by Novosti.LIVE.
According to experts interviewed by the media, food prices in Ukraine continue to rise. And the upward trend will continue in the near future.
How much does a grocery basket cost in different regions of Ukraine
- Kyiv – 1350.37 UAH. The highest price, which is expected for the capital.
- Dnipro – UAH 1298. The ratio of food prices to the average salary in the region is 6.8%.
- Kharkiv – 1153 UAH. The city ranks third in terms of the cost of a grocery basket.
- Ivano-Frankivsk – 1148.85 UAH. This is the lowest cost of a grocery basket among the regions of Ukraine.
The ratio of the cost of food to average wages
- Kyiv – the purchase of a grocery basket accounts for approximately 5.5% of the total income of a Ukrainian.
- Lviv – the ratio of the average salary to the cost of the grocery basket is 5.8%.
- Ivano-Frankivsk – the city’s residents pay 9.1% of their salary for the minimum set of products. This is the least favorable ratio of the cost of basic products to the salary received among the regions of Ukraine.
- Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa – the ratio of the cost of the grocery basket to the average salary in the region is about 7%.
How much do residents of European capitals spend on groceries?
In Kyiv, the cost of a grocery basket is 30.02 euros. This is significantly lower than in other European capitals. However, given the level of salaries, Kyiv residents spend about 5.5% of their income on food, while in Berlin this figure is 2.1%, in Warsaw – 2.3%, in Prague – 2.6%, in Sofia – 3.4%, and in Bucharest – 3.2%.
Food price dynamics in Ukraine
- Vegetables. Here, experts recorded the largest rise in prices. The prices of tomatoes (38% of the price for the month) and carrots (30% of the price) stood out.
- Chicken. Carcass went up by 10%, fillet – by 7%, thigh – by 5%.
- Eggs. Prices increased by 10% per month.
- Dairy products. Milk went up by 11% over the month, cheese – by 7%, cream – by 5%.
- Oil. Prices increased by 4% due to the high cost of sunflower seeds.
- Flour. This is the only product that fell in price over the month. The price fell by 16%. This is because large supermarket chains reduced prices for customers in anticipation of Easter.
Read also: Food prices in Ukraine are breaking records: what to expect in spring 2025
What are the experts’ predictions?
Economists predict that vegetables will continue to rise in price. They will stabilize in value at the end of April, when the first domestic products appear on the shelves. Prices for eggs, meat and dairy products may rise in the run-up to the Easter holidays due to increased demand for them.
Food prices are also on the rise on the global market. In February, the price index reached 127.1, up 1.6% from January. This also has an additional impact on the rate of food price increases in Ukraine.
Read also: Easter basket has risen in price: how much Ukrainians will pay for food for the holiday
What is happening to food prices in Ukraine in March 2025
In March 2025, food prices in Ukraine continue to rise. The most noticeable rise in prices was in the vegetable category: tomatoes went up by 39%, and carrots by 30%. The main reasons are seasonal shortages and reduced imports, especially from Turkey.
Chicken has also become more expensive: carcass by 10%, fillet by 7%, and thigh by 5%, mainly due to the high cost of feed. Eggs rose by 10%, reaching an average price of UAH 73.1 per dozen.
Dairy products were no exception: milk went up by 11%, cheese by 7%, and cream by 5%. The reasons are related to seasonality and weather conditions.
Among grocery products, sunflower oil became 4% more expensive due to higher sunflower seed prices. Wheat flour, on the other hand, became 16% cheaper due to pre-holiday promotions.
Overall inflation in February 2025 amounted to 13.4% in annual terms, and prices rose by 0.8% in just one month. Experts predict that this trend will continue in the coming months.
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