Ukraine, Kiev

Country Full Name: Ukraine.

Location: Ukraine is in Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east.

Country Climate: Temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south.

Country Terrain: Most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south.

Major Languages: Ukrainian (official), Russian.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 3.6 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Ukraine showed strong export-based growth of 5 to 10 percent, with industrial production growing more than 10 percent per year in the early 2000s before the impact of the financial crisis. Ukraine produces nearly all types of transportation vehicles and spacecraft. Antonov airplanes and KrAZ trucks are exported to many countries. The majority of Ukrainian exports are marketed to the European Union and CIS.

Currency: Ukraine Hryvnia (UAH).

Inflation: 4.6% (2011 est.).

Kiev is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine.

Kiev is a major administrative, cultural and scientific centre of the Ukraine. It is the largest city in Ukraine in terms of both population and area and enjoys the highest levels of business activity.

The cost of living in Kiev in the Ukraine is in the middle compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Kiev in the Ukraine is currently ranked 362 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 574 places that are more expensive, and 205 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 45 places that are more expensive, and 734 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 734 places that are more expensive, and 45 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 591 places that are more expensive, and 188 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 243 places that are more expensive, and 536 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 574 places that are more expensive, and 205 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are average compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 394 places that are more expensive, and 385 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 145 places that are more expensive, and 634 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 237 places that are more expensive, and 542 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 192 places that are more expensive, and 587 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 608 places that are more expensive, and 171 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 241 places that are more expensive, and 538 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 618 places that are more expensive, and 161 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Kiev in the Ukraine are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Kiev in the Ukraine is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Kiev in the Ukraine are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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