In which countries is it easier to survive until the end of the month and save: salaries and prices in Poland and Ukraine

Journalists analyzed official data, comparing living conditions in Ukraine and Poland as of May 2025. The conclusion: life in Poland is, on average, 60% more expensive without renting housing and 70% more expensive with it. For example, renting an apartment in the center of Warsaw will cost approximately 32,000 hryvnias per month, while in Kyiv, it is around 15,000 hryvnias. Products in Poland are about 40% more expensive, and lunch in an inexpensive restaurant is almost a third more expensive.

The average salary in Poland, after taxes, is approximately 66,000 hryvnias, while in Ukraine, it is 23,000 hryvnias. Even with higher expenses, Poles have significantly more disposable income, which allows them to save; in contrast, people in Ukraine are often on the verge of financial survival.

Difficult financial conditions in Ukraine mean that even small savings are considered a significant achievement. Polish citizens have the opportunity to save 2-3 times more with similar expenses.

In Warsaw, a dinner for two in a regular restaurant costs about 2000 hryvnias, while in Kyiv, it is about 1200 hryvnias. In Ukraine, despite lower prices, the scale of savings is much smaller, and most citizens cannot afford a “financial cushion.”

Thus, residents of Poland are likely to have better financial security in the future compared to Ukrainians.