Moving to New York from Ukraine

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Ukraine to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Ukraine to New York, you would find that New York is 3.4 times more expensive than Ukraine overall. A UAH3,400,000 salary in Ukraine would need to be roughly $254,000 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is New York cheaper than Ukraine?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.8 times more

Groceries

pay 2.7 times more

Transportation

pay 69.8% more

Housing

pay 6.2 times more

Childcare

pay 5.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.7 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 UAH = 0.0221 USD (November 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.

What salary do you need in New York?

What does your salary buy?

UAH3,400,000 → $254,000

To maintain the same standard of living in New York

Calculate with your salary →

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 New York cost about 117% more than cities in Ukraine.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Ukraine to New York.

Moved in 2023
10,680 ↓ 9% vs 2022

people moved from Ukraine to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in New York compared to Ukraine.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

UA
22.8%
NY
29.9%

Ukraine performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2024

share of households with internet

UA
82.5%
NY
89.7%

New York performs significantly better than Ukraine across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

UA
9.8%
NY
4.4%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

UA
$5,866
NY
$91,992

New York performs significantly better than Ukraine across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

UA
74.7 yrs
NY
77.7 yrs

New York performs significantly better than Ukraine across all family life metrics.

Weather in New York vs Ukraine

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

New York City Rain: 49.9 in/yr (1268 mm)
62° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kiev New York City
Jan–Mar 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) 70°/54°F (21°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) 81°/66°F (27°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) 54°/41°F (12°/5°C)
View all months
Month Kiev New York City
Jan 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C)
Feb 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C)
Mar 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C)
May 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C)
Jun 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C)
Jul 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C)
Aug 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C)
Sep 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C)
Oct 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C)
Nov 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C)
Dec 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C)

Data: Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Ukraine to New York?

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

Ukraine passport

Ukraine passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Ukraine passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Ukraine

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Ukraine 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 New York than Ukraine?

On average New York is around 239% pricier than Ukraine, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to New York?

Budget about $63,500 for 3 months in New York (based on a UAH3,400,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New York?

From major New York cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Ukraine and New York are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in New York compared to Ukraine?

Ukraine performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in New York compared to Ukraine?

The average high temperature in New York City is 62°F, compared to 56°F in Kiev. New York City receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Kiev gets 23.8 in.

What language do they speak in New York?

The official language in New York is English. In Ukraine, the official language is Ukrainian.

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At a Glance

UA
Population 38,980,376 20,002,427
Currency Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Ukrainian English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +380 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911