Moving to Ukraine from Spain
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Spain to Ukraine — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Spain to Ukraine, you would find that Ukraine is 48.8% cheaper than Spain overall. A €65,700 salary in Spain would need to be roughly UAH1,827,089 in Ukraine to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Ukrainian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kiev averages 56°F vs 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Spain to Ukraine.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → UAH1,827,089
To maintain the same standard of living in Ukraine
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 64.2% less
Groceries
pay 43.7% less
Transportation
pay 46.4% less
Housing
pay 64.8% less
Childcare
pay 44.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 57.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Ukraine cost about 48% less than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Spain and Ukraine stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs better than Ukraine across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain generally does better on environment, though Ukraine leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Ukraine leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Ukraine generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Spain generally does better on family life, though Ukraine leads in education spending.
Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madrid | Kiev |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Kiev |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Ukraine
Visa Free
Ukraine passport holder visiting Spain
Visa FreeData: 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 Spain?
Generally yes: Ukraine runs about 45% cheaper than Spain on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around UAH456,772 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 Spain and Ukraine.
Is Ukraine safe for expats?
Spain performs better than Ukraine across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Ukraine is 3.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Ukraine compared to Spain?
Spain 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 44.8 in Spain. Ukraine scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Ukraine compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Kiev is 56°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Kiev receives around 23.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Ukraine?
The official language in Ukraine is Ukrainian. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
