Up to 83% of salary: what percentage of Ukrainians' income goes to renting housing?

Renting a home is the most significant item of expenditure in the budget of most Ukrainians. Over the past six months, rent prices for one-bedroom apartments have increased in 6 cities, while they have decreased in only 2 frontline regions. Find out more about which cities are the most expensive to rent and where rent prices are significantly lower compared to salaries

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The rising cost of renting a home in Ukrainian cities is one of the key reasons why more and more people are thinking about how to optimize their family budget.

LUN and Work.ua conducted a joint large-scale study comparing the average salaries of the most popular professions and the cost of rent in the largest cities. This made it possible to determine what percentage of the salary Ukrainians spend on renting an apartment.

The results showed that the average cost of renting a one-room apartment in large cities is 50-80% of monthly income. Moreover, for some professions, even their full monthly income is not enough to rent an apartment in the capital. In the regions, this figure is lower, but it is also noticeable, especially for young professionals and middle-income families.

According to Liudmyla Kiryukhina, head of LUN Statistics, the study will help assess the availability of housing and the level of salaries for different professions. The data will be updated regularly, which will allow tracking changes in the ratio of income to rent.

What percentage of income is spent on rent in Kyiv?

The most popular vacancies on Work.ua were selected for the analysis. The study showed that a cleaner receives the lowest average salary, while a driver has the highest income among the professions in question.

In Kyiv, the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment is 76% of a sales assistant's salary and 52% of a driver's salary. If a driver wants to rent a two-room apartment, this amount will already be 72% of his income, and for a sales assistant it will be 105%, which makes such housing unaffordable for him.

A cleaner cannot afford to rent even a one-bedroom apartment, as her salary is 112% of the average rent in Kyiv.

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Rental prices in Lviv

As for Lviv, a sales assistant will have to spend 83% of his monthly income to rent an apartment. Let's look at the figures for other most popular professions:

- Sales manager - 52%.

- Cashier - 82% of the total

- Cook - 70% of the total

- Administrator - 85%

- Driver - 50% of the population

- Loader - 77%.

Earlier we told you why it is important for tenants to insure their apartment.

The cost of rent in Odesa

In Odesa, sales consultants spend 41% on renting a one-bedroom apartment. For administrators, this figure is 42%, and for cashiers - 44%. Cooks and accountants have to spend about 36% of their income on rent. The easiest way to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Odesa is for drivers and sales managers, which takes 27% of their income.

Renting an apartment in Uzhhorod

Not all professions can afford to rent an apartment in Uzhhorod. For example, renting a one-room apartment here is 122% of a gas station operator's salary and 118% of a cleaner's. Administrators will have to spend 94% of their salary on rent, cashiers - 98%, and sales assistants - 93%. Renting a one-room apartment in Uzhhorod is 96% of the monthly income of an office manager, 59% of a sales manager, 66% of a cook, and 56% of a driver.

How much does it cost to rent in Dnipro?

In Dnipro, rental housing is much more affordable compared to the capital and western regions. Sales consultants, loaders, and administrators will have to spend exactly half of their income on rent. For accountants, this figure is 43%, and for cooks - 42%. Drivers and sales managers need to allocate 33% of their income to rent a one-bedroom apartment.

Research on real estate market prices

According to the LUN survey, most Ukrainians believe that prices in the primary and secondary real estate markets will remain stable. At the same time, a significant number of respondents expect them to decline. Buyers' expectations regarding the cost of housing directly affect the level of demand, which, in turn, shapes price dynamics.

According to the LUN, the average cost per square meter in new buildings in Kyiv is UAH 53,000, in Uzhhorod - UAH 46,200, and in Lviv this figure reaches UAH 55,700. The most expensive cities also include Chernivtsi (UAH 41,900 per square meter), Rivne (UAH 39,700 per square meter) and Lutsk (UAH 36,800 per square meter).

To buy an apartment in Lviv, residents will have to save money for an average of 13.8 years, in Kyiv - 13.5 years, and in Uzhhorod - 12.9 years. The fastest way to save up for a home is in Zhytomyr (10.5 years), Rivne (10.3 years), and Cherkasy (10.1 years).

Insure your home against war risks: a comprehensive product from Visit Ukraine

Regardless of whether you own or rent your own home, real estate insurance allows you to protect yourself from financial losses in the event of unforeseen situations. This is especially true in the context of martial law, when an apartment may be damaged due to shelling or other emergencies.

What does apartment insurance from Visit Ukraine provide?

- Compensation for losses in case of fire, flooding, theft or destruction due to hostilities;

- Protection of property up to UAH 2,000,000;

- Compensation for damage to neighbors in case of unintentional damage to their homes;

- Registration on the basis of a passport and TIN, without documents of ownership or inspection of the home;

- Possibility to insure both your own and rented apartment.

In the article by the link, you can find step-by-step instructions on how to insure an apartment online.

In addition, this service is as affordable as possible. We have developed several coverage options, so everyone can choose a policy that suits their budget. For example, insurance in Kyiv with the sum insured of UAH 125,000 will cost only €40 per year. The sum insured of UAH 500,000 will cost €120.3 per year, and €1,000,000 - €216.4 per year. To receive compensation in the amount of 2,000,000, you will need to pay only €399 per year.

A reliable insurance policy will help you avoid significant costs in the event of an insured event. It can be purchased at a favorable price on the Visit Ukraine portal - from €40 per year.

We remind you! In today's world, circumstances often arise when owners are forced to leave their apartment for a long time. However, leaving your home without proper protection means exposing your property to significant risks: from domestic troubles to illegal encroachments. Read more about how to properly prepare your apartment for a long absence and ensure its reliable insurance coverage.

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