---
title: "Gas in Ukraine Is 2.5 Times Cheaper Than in Europe: Price Gap Hits a Record €50 per MWh"
description: "The gas price gap between Ukraine and Europe has exceeded €50 per MWh — the highest since late 2022. Ukrainian gas costs about €33, while on TTF it is €84. The cause is market isolation and the export ban."
date: 2026-09-18T18:02:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/gas-in-ukraine-2-5-times-cheaper-than-in-europe-record-price-gap
tags: [natural-gas, ukraine, europe, energy-market, price-gap, ttf-hub, export-ban]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Gas in Ukraine Is 2.5 Times Cheaper Than in Europe: Price Gap Hits a Record €50 per MWh

![Pressure gauges and pipelines at a Ukrainian gas distribution station: gas in Ukraine is 2.5 times cheaper than in Europe](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/19/gaz-v-ukraine-v-2-5-raza-deshevle-chem-v-evrope-razvor-cen-rekordnyj/gaz-v-ukraine-v-2-5-raza-deshevle-chem-v-evrope-razvor-cen-rekordnyj-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Gas in Ukraine costs about €33 per MWh, while on TTF it is €84: the gap has exceeded €50 and is the highest since late 2022
- The main reason for the gap is the de facto isolation of the Ukrainian market: imports are economically unviable, and exports have been banned since 2022
- In Europe, storage facilities are only 68% full and additional gas is needed, while in Ukraine there is a surplus due to falling industrial demand
- The export ban was introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers at the start of the full-scale invasion and has been in force for four years

The Ukrainian gas market is showing an unprecedented price gap with Europe: as of September 14, 2026, gas for October delivery averaged 21,750 hryvnias per thousand cubic meters in Ukraine, equivalent to about €33 per MWh excluding VAT. On the Dutch TTF hub, the price of October resources reached €84 per MWh. As a result, the price gap exceeded €50 per MWh — the highest figure since late 2022, when the full-scale military conflict began. The calculations are provided by the industry portal ExPro, as cited by RBC-Ukraine.

### The Mechanics of the Price Gap: Isolation and Export Ban

According to ExPro's assessment, the main reason for such a significant discrepancy is the de facto isolation of the Ukrainian gas market from the European one. Natural gas imports from Europe are virtually absent and economically unviable due to high prices on European hubs. At the same time, gas exports have remained banned since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, when the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine introduced zero quotas on exports of Ukrainian-origin natural gas. This double blockage — the inability to import for economic reasons and the regulatory ban on exports — creates a persistent surplus of gas in the commercial segment of the domestic market.

### Opposite Market Conditions: Deficit in Europe, Surplus in Ukraine

The situation on the two markets is currently diametrically opposed. Europe needs additional volumes of gas ahead of the heating season to fill its storage facilities, but at present they are only 68% full, which is below the average level for the same period. This puts upward pressure on prices. In Ukraine, by contrast, gas supply in the commercial segment exceeds current demand, which is shrinking due to Russian strikes on industrial infrastructure. The decline in industrial consumption is creating a structural surplus of the resource that cannot be exported to external markets due to the ongoing ban.

### Expert Assessment and Systemic Consequences

Gas industry expert Mykhailo Svyshchenko notes that the export closure has left the Ukrainian gas market isolated from the European one, turning it into a closed system with internal overproduction. The export ban, introduced in early 2022 as an energy security measure, has — in the context of the ongoing conflict and declining domestic demand — transformed from a protective instrument into a factor intensifying price pressure on domestic consumers. The 2.5-fold gap between the Ukrainian and European gas price not only reflects a market imbalance but also points to structural constraints that have persisted for four consecutive years.

### Outlook: What Will Happen to Prices

Without a change in the export regulatory regime and a recovery in industrial consumption, the price gap will, by ExPro's logic, persist or even widen ahead of the winter season. For Ukraine, this means that domestic gas prices remain significantly lower than European ones, which on the one hand supports the competitiveness of domestic industry, while on the other limits the state's ability to use gas as an export resource. For Europe, by contrast, the inability to import Ukrainian gas strengthens dependence on alternative suppliers and pushes TTF prices toward further growth in the autumn-winter period.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Gas in Ukraine Is 2.5 Times Cheaper Than in Europe: Why the Price Gap Has Become Record-High](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/gaz-ukrayini-2-5-raza-deshevshiy-nizh-evropi-1789754373.html) - Данные ExPro: 21 750 грн/1000 м³ (~33 евро/МВт·ч) в Украине vs 84 евро/МВт·ч на TTF. Разрыв >50 евро — максимум с конца 2022. Запрет экспорта с 2022 г. Хранилища ЕС на 68%.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How much cheaper is gas in Ukraine than in Europe as of September 2026?
**A:** According to ExPro data as of September 14, 2026, gas in Ukraine cost about €33 per MWh (21,750 UAH per thousand cubic meters), while on the Dutch TTF hub the price of October resources was €84 per MWh. The gap exceeded €50 and is the largest since late 2022.

### Q: Why is gas cheaper in Ukraine despite the war?
**A:** The reason is a structural surplus of gas in the domestic market. Exports have been banned since 2022, and imports from Europe are economically unviable due to high hub prices. At the same time, industrial consumption is shrinking due to strikes on infrastructure, creating a supply surplus in the commercial segment.

### Q: When was the ban on gas exports from Ukraine introduced?
**A:** The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine introduced zero quotas on exports of Ukrainian-origin natural gas at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The ban remains in force to this day.

### Q: What is the situation with gas storage filling in Europe?
**A:** As of mid-September 2026, European storage facilities are only 68% full, which is below the average level. Europe needs additional volumes of gas ahead of the heating season, which is keeping TTF prices high.