View of the old district of Kiev Podol
Living expenses
Though it’s difficult to give the exact figures as it varies in terms of lifestyle and related expenses, however we can provide with the approximate expenditures. To live comfortably in Ukraine, the student should have up to 1500$(USD) to 2000$(USD) annually aside tuition fee.
Feeding and clothing
The cost of living abroad counts. For example, in terms of feeding, it’s very cheap in Ukraine; with 1.5USD students can buy 4 Kg of potatoes, 4 KG of onions, 3 litres of milk. Milk and Poultry products are very cheap as well. Regarding clothing, it won’t bother your pocket as much. A good Jeans costs 10-20$ (USD), Shirts cost 5-15USD, T-Shirts cost 5-12USD and so on.
International Students
International students get their higher education in universities, academies and institutes that are not only accredited but also have a special license to teach foreign students. All the universities from this Guide possess the license. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine controls the quality of educational services done to foreign students.
International students start their studies directly into their main majors in English or with a foundation year which includes a course of Ukrainian or Russian language and some of the comprehensive subjects according to the direction of their future education.
Accommodation- International students live in university hostels. There are various types of hostels. It is also possible to live in Ukrainian families or to rent a flat.
Currency- National currency is Hryvnia (UAH). 1 USD = 26 Hryvnia (24/06/2017)
You can change foreign currency in banks, kiosks, in the international airport. In the airport, the currency rate is the same as in other places.
Payment for purchasing and services is done in hryvnias.
You can use credit cards of international payment systems. They can be used in many of the shops, hotels, transport companies, clubs, and restaurants. In cities, the net of exchange machines is well developed including the most popular among students that of Privat Bank, Ukrsib Bank, and AVAL bank. These banks are often used to open the account for international students.
In these Banks, you can save money both in foreign currency and Ukrainian hryvnia. Branches of these banks are situated in all regions of the country. It makes it easier to transfer money through the Western Union, Money Gram, and much more local money transfer systems.
Holidays
- New Year 1st of January
- Orthodox Christmas 7th of January
- International Women Day 8th of March
- Orthodox Easter
- Labor Day 1st of May
- Victory Day 9th of May
- Trinity Sunday
- Constitution Day 28th of June
- Day of Independence 24th of August
Communications- Kyivstar, MTC, Lifecell are the most popular mobile connections.
Most of the universities provide access to the Free Internet for their students. There are also a lot of Internet- cafes.
You can use services of fast mail, represented by DHL, FedEx, ARAMEX, TNT, UPS and other companies.
Medical Service- Most of the State Universities provide free medical service in students’ hospitals. Students can also go to state and private hospitals, where medical service is to be paid. Service of the ambulance is free.
Climate- Climate is mostly continental. The average temperature in January is -5 – 1C, in November +10C, in July +30-35C.
Transport The international airport of Borispol is the air gate of the country, 36 km from Kiev. To get from the airport to Kiev you can take a taxi, shuttle-bus, bus. You can also order pick up service in the university.
Besides Borispol airport, you can take international flights from Odessa, Dnipro, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Lviv. International railway connections are with Bulgaria, Czech, Slovak, Germany, and Poland. International bus routes are from Poland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany by ship you can get from Turkey.
Ukraine has a well-developed transportation system. So there will no problems to get to any part of the country. You can travel all over the country by train or bus. The fare for distance 500 km is about US$12-15. Tickets on the train you can buy in advance either at the railway station or in the city. On the day of departure, a ticket can be bought at the station only.
For air travel within the country, you can buy tickets from the local companies. Flight cost at distance 500 km is about US$30. Local transport includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, taxis. The fare is US$0.15. You can buy tickets from the conductor or in yellow kiosks at stops. The fare for taxi is $US1.5 + US$0.50 per 1 km.
In Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro you can take SUBWAY, paying at the entrance a ticket of US$0.20 (without a time and destination limits).
During the warm period, a water transport is quite comfortable: on the Dnieper river or by the Black Sea.
Electricity- Electricity is very cheap in all University hostels in Ukraine. The standard electrical currency throughout Ukraine is 220 volts.
Some outlets operate on 127 volts, but these are very rare. You may need a converter as well as an Eastern European plug adapter if you are bringing electrical appliances. You should be aware that there are frequent power surges and other irregularities in the electrical supply. You may want to consider brining a surge protector.
Food- Ukraine is a big agricultural country with different cooking traditions.
Different food can be bought in shops, supermarkets, agricultural markets. Cafeterias, restaurants, and fast food restaurants propose different cuisine. European, Indian, Pakistani, Asian, Georgian, and African mess is available.
Books
Here, you can relax as the books are provided by University Library.
Travelling:
1. In city
The students’ Travel Pass on Government Transport (Subway Trains, electric Busses) is issued by Universities & costs only 5US$ in a month.
2. International travelling
The International student Card is issued right after the students get Admission in University. The students with International Student card are given concession of 30% from the normal price of Air Tickets.
3. Travelling in the country.
The students are given a concession of 40% from the normal price of Ticket in Trains, Buses, etc.