Moving to Ukraine from Belarus

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belarus to Ukraine — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Belarus to Ukraine, you would find that Ukraine is 5.7% more expensive than Belarus overall. A BYN214,615 salary in Belarus would need to be roughly UAH3,797,042 in Ukraine to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Ukrainian.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Belarus to Ukraine.

What does your salary buy?

BYN214,615 UAH3,797,042

To maintain the same standard of living in Ukraine

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Groceries

pay 12.9% more

Transportation

pay 34.9% more

Housing

pay 9.1% more

Childcare

pay 25.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BYN = 15.56 UAH (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Belarus to Ukraine, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
249,641 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Belarus live in Ukraine · UN DESA

Who's moving to Ukraine?

Top countries of origin for Ukraine's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Belarus and Ukraine stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BY
2.3
UA
3.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BY
7.4
UA
10.5

Belarus performs better than Ukraine across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BY
$2,194
UA
$1,382
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2020

affects wait times and access to care

BY
44.7
UA
29.9

Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BY
68.0
UA
66.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BY
5.9t
UA
3.1t

Ukraine performs significantly better than Belarus across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BY
32.8
UA
18.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BY
4.7%
UA
12.3%

Belarus generally does better on infrastructure, though Ukraine leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BY
3.6%
UA
9.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BY
$27,700
UA
$16,200

Belarus generally does better on employment & economy, though Ukraine leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BY
74.3 yrs
UA
73.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BY
3.3
UA
7.3

Belarus generally does better on family life, though Ukraine leads in education spending.

Data: Ministry for Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Minsk Rain: 26.7 in/yr (677 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Kiev Rain: 23.8 in/yr (605 mm)
56° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Minsk Kiev
Jan–Mar 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) 68°/51°F (20°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/51°F (20°/11°C) 76°/58°F (24°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) 43°/33°F (6°/1°C)
View all months
Month Minsk Kiev
Jan 24°/14°F (-4.2°/-9.8°C) 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C)
Feb 28°/16°F (-2.5°/-8.9°C) 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C)
Mar 36°/23°F (2.4°/-4.8°C) 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C)
Apr 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.8°C) 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C)
Jun 70°/52°F (21.3°/11.1°C) 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C)
Jul 72°/55°F (22.3°/12.6°C) 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C)
Aug 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.7°C) 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C)
Sep 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.8°C) 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C)
Oct 50°/38°F (9.9°/3.3°C) 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.1°/-1.3°C) 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C)
Dec 29°/21°F (-1.5°/-6.2°C) 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C)

Data: Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring, Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belarus and Ukraine. To live, work, or study long-term in Ukraine, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Ukraine's immigration authority.

Belarus passport

Belarus passport holder visiting Ukraine

Visa Free
Belarus passport holders can enter Ukraine without a visa.
Ukraine passport

Ukraine passport holder visiting Belarus

Visa Free
Ukraine passport holders can enter Belarus without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Ukraine than Belarus?

Day-to-day costs in Ukraine run about 14% higher than Belarus on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Ukraine?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BYN214,615 comparable salary, that's around UAH949,260 in Ukraine for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Ukraine?

With 18.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ukraine can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Belarus and Ukraine.

Is Ukraine safe for expats?

Belarus performs better than Ukraine across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Ukraine is 3.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Belarus.

How is healthcare in Ukraine compared to Belarus?

Belarus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Ukraine, compared to 44.7 in Belarus. Ukraine scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belarus: 79).

What's the weather like in Ukraine compared to Belarus?

The average high temperature in Kiev is 56°F, compared to 50°F in Minsk. Kiev receives around 23.8 in of rainfall per year, while Minsk gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Ukraine?

The official language in Ukraine is Ukrainian. In Belarus, the official languages are Belarusian and Russian.

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At a Glance

BY UA
Population 9,413,505 43,528,136
Currency New Belarusian Ruble (BYN) Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH)
Languages Belarusian, Russian Ukrainian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +375 +380
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112