After the fare increase to 30 UAH, the daily commute to work has become a noticeable expense for Kyiv residents. For 22 working days, two trips cost 1320 UAH, and with transfers, expenses can exceed 2500 UAH. At the same time, passengers can pay less for transportation by purchasing packages or travel cards. This is noted by Znai.ua.
How much Kyiv residents spend on getting to work in 2026
Since July 15, a single trip on the metro, bus, trolleybus, tram, and funicular costs 30 UAH. Thus, an employee who commutes to work five days a week without transfers spends 60 UAH per day.
For the standard 22 working days, this amounts to 1320 UAH per month. If two types of transport are needed for a one-way trip and fare must be paid twice, expenses can rise to 2640 UAH.
For low-wage workers, such a burden is particularly felt. This includes vendors, security guards, cleaners, couriers, and warehouse workers.
At the same time, the source's claim that 1320 UAH constitutes a third of the minimum salary is mathematically incorrect. With a minimum salary of 8647 UAH in 2026, this amount is approximately 15% of the accrued minimum wage. Even 2500–2640 UAH represents about 29–31%.
The fare increase sparked discontent even before its implementation. A petition against the new price gathered 6 thousand signatures, but the fare was eventually implemented.
According to the source, some residents, due to the increased transportation costs, started to take more interest in job vacancies closer to home. However, specific statistical data that would allow for the assessment of the scale of this trend is not provided in the material.
How to pay less than 30 UAH for transportation in Kyiv
The base fare of 30 UAH does not mean that a regular passenger must necessarily pay this amount for each trip. Users of the transport card benefit from a system of package discounts.
When purchasing 10–19 trips, one costs 28.90 UAH, 20–29 — 27.80 UAH, 30–39 — 26.60 UAH, 40–49 — 25.50 UAH. The lowest price in a standard package is available when buying 50 trips — 25 UAH each.
For a passenger who uses public transport twice a day for 22 working days, the package rate of 25 UAH reduces expenses from 1320 to 1100 UAH. The savings amount to 220 UAH per month.
Another option for regular passengers is monthly travel cards with a fixed number of trips. Before purchasing, it is advisable to calculate one's average number of trips, as the profitability of a specific package depends on the frequency of transport usage.
Different rules apply to privileged categories. In particular, as of September 1, free transportation for Kyiv schoolchildren has been reinstated provided that the student ID is used and validated.
An important clarification regarding old trips costing 8 UAH. They can be used until September 14 inclusive. However, after this date, they will not be “lost,” as claimed by the source: the unused value will be converted into a monetary equivalent and credited to the transport card balance.