Ukraine

Cost of living

What a month costs

Kyiv is cheap by European standards and food, transport and coffee are excellent value. Wartime prices are volatile, and you should budget extra for power banks, backup heating and generators during winter grid strikes.

The scores

How it rates for a moving family

See and do

Top 10 in Kyiv

1. Saint Sophia's CathedralUNESCO-listed medieval cathedral with glittering mosaics and a bell tower over the old town.
2. Kyiv Pechersk LavraSprawling cave monastery complex above the Dnipro, gold domes and underground catacombs.
3. Maidan NezalezhnostiIndependence Square, the emotional heart of the city and of modern Ukraine.
4. St Michael's Golden-Domed MonasteryBright blue and gold monastery facing St Sophia across a broad square.
5. Andriyivskyy DescentSteep cobbled lane of artists, galleries and souvenir stalls linking the upper town to Podil.
6. St Andrew's ChurchElegant baroque church by Rastrelli perched at the top of the descent.
7. Golden GateReconstructed medieval city gate marking the edge of old Kyiv.
8. Motherland MonumentTowering titanium statue, now crowned with a trident, above the war history museum.
9. Mariinskyi PalaceBaroque state palace in turquoise and white beside a formal park.
10. Pyrohiv Open-Air MuseumFolk architecture museum of wooden churches and cottages on the southern edge of the city.

Where to go

Weekend escapes

1. ChernihivAncient churches and green ramparts about 150 km north, one of the oldest towns in the country.
2. UmanSofiyivka Park, a lavish landscaped garden roughly 210 km south of the capital.
3. Bila TserkvaOleksandriya arboretum, a huge romantic park about 85 km south.
4. KanivTaras Shevchenko's hilltop grave above the Dnipro, around 150 km downriver.
5. ZhytomyrLeafy regional city roughly 140 km west, gateway to the Teteriv river canyons.

Coffee

Best cafes

1. Milk BarLong-running dessert cafe on Shota Rustaveli famous for cheesecake and brunch.
2. One Love Espresso BarSmall specialty coffee bar near Yaroslaviv Val serving carefully brewed single origins.
3. HoneyPopular light and healthy cafe chain with strong coffee and bakery counters.
4. Kyiv Food MarketBright food hall inside the Arsenal building with coffee stands and open kitchens.

Restaurants

Where to eat

1. KanapaRefined modern Ukrainian cooking in a wooden villa on Andriyivskyy Descent.
2. Ostannya BarykadaHidden patriotic restaurant near Maidan, entered with a password, championing Ukrainian produce.
3. SpotykachPlayful Soviet-nostalgia dining room heavy on classic Ukrainian comfort food.
4. Chicken KyivLandmark restaurant on Khreshchatyk built around the famous namesake cutlet.
5. 100 Rokiv Tomu VperedInventive Ukrainian tasting menus with a futuristic, folklore-tinged concept.
6. MusafirWarm Crimean Tatar kitchen known for cheburek, lagman and plov.
7. BarsukReliable neighbourhood bistro mixing European and Ukrainian plates.

Morning

Best breakfast

1. Druzi CafeAll-day breakfast chain popular with locals for eggs, syrniki and good coffee.
2. Puzata HataCheap self-service Ukrainian canteen with porridge, syrniki and fresh compote.
3. Lviv CroissantsFast-casual bakery chain for stuffed croissants and quick morning coffee.
4. Aroma KavaUbiquitous coffee chain handy for an early espresso and a pastry.