Kyiv Metro's True Cost Per Ride Soars to 64 Hryvnias

The Real Cost of a Kyiv Metro Ride

According to Главком: Kyiv's Department of Transport Infrastructure has revealed that the actual cost to carry one passenger on the metro is 64 hryvnias. Transport planning expert Dmytro Bespalov suggested this figure may include expenses for constructing new stations. Currently, passengers pay only 8 hryvnias per ride, with the difference between the real cost and the fare being subsidized from the city's budget. This highlights the significant financial burden of maintaining public transit in a major European capital.

Metro Development Program

The city has approved a metro development program worth nearly 10 billion hryvnias. The municipal budget has allocated 2.1 billion hryvnias to fund these initiatives, with the remaining costs falling to the municipal enterprise 'Kyivskyi Metropoliten'. According to the enterprise's financial plan for 2026, the cost per passenger will be 64.53 hryvnias.

In 2023, 'Kyivskyi Metropoliten' received 60 metro carriages free of charge from the Warsaw Metro. However, no new carriages are planned for acquisition in 2026. Before the war, the estimated cost per trip was just over 24 hryvnias, rising to 36.90 hryvnias by December 2024.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko noted that public transport fares in the capital have not been reviewed since 2018. The fare for other modes of city transport-buses, trams, trolleybuses, and the funicular-also remains at 8 hryvnias per trip. The city's commuter rail service is more expensive at 14.99 hryvnias.

Dmytro Bespalov, Transport Planning Expert: '64 hryvnias really surprised me. A bus or trolleybus at 37 hryvnias seems about right-that's roughly what I expected. But 64 hryvnias is news to me.'

Total passenger numbers for the Kyiv Metro in recent years have varied significantly:

• 2020 – 279.484 million passengers
• 2021 – 319.322 million
• 2022 – 162.134 million
• 2023 – 232.562 million
• Forecast for 2024 – 241.004 million
• Forecast for 2025 – 249.126 million

The issue of metro fares remains pressing, and potential changes could significantly impact both the city's budget and its passengers. Given the rising operational costs and the need to finance new projects, both the public and authorities must consider the potential consequences of fare increases for residents, especially amid ongoing economic challenges. It is crucial that any tariff adjustments are made with public input and the need for continued transport infrastructure development in mind.

The rising operational costs of the Kyiv Metro are not an isolated case, as fare increases are also affecting other transport options in the city. Recent adjustments in pricing for commuter routes highlight the financial pressures on public transport across the capital. For a detailed look at the new fares for popular destinations, check out our article on fare hikes impacting Kyiv's commuter services.