A threefold gap: how one-bedroom apartment prices in Ukraine's regional centers changed over seven years

Over seven years — from August 2019 to August 2026 — the cost of one-bedroom apartments on the secondary market in Ukraine's regional centers changed in a highly uneven manner. According to OLX Real Estate data published by RBC-Ukraine, in some cities the median housing price in dollar terms rose by nearly threefold, while in others it fell noticeably below the initial level. The gap between the top gainers and the top decliners reached more than 200 percentage points, making the seven-year trend one of the most contrasting in the entire history of monitoring the Ukrainian real estate market.

Record growth: western Ukraine becomes a 'safe haven' for prices

The largest increase in the median cost of a one-bedroom apartment over the seven-year period was recorded in Ivano-Frankivsk — by 189%. If in August 2019 the average one-bedroom apartment cost $17,200, then by August 2026 its median price reached nearly $50,000. In Uzhhorod the trend was comparable: the median price also more than doubled, although the exact percentage figure is not specified in the published data. The list of cities with significant price increases also includes Ternopil (+96%, from $26,500 to $51,800), Lutsk (+94%, from $31,000 to $60,000), Zhytomyr (+85%, from $27,500 to $51,000), Lviv (+82%, from $42,000 to $76,400) and Vinnytsia (+82%, from $32,500 to $59,000). In Khmelnytskyi the growth was 68% (from $26,500 to $44,500), in Cherkasy — 53% (from $31,000 to $48,000), and in Chernihiv — 51% (from $22,500 to $34,000).

Moderate dynamics: Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro lag behind the leaders

In four regional centers the cost of one-bedroom apartments rose by less than half over seven years. In Poltava the median price increased by 48% — from $26,700 to $39,500. In Kyiv the growth was 42% — from $50,800 to $72,000, which, despite the absolute figures, is one of the most modest indicators among the major cities. In Odesa apartments rose in price by 36% — from $36,800 to $50,000. The smallest change among all the cities analyzed was in Dnipro — 26%, from $25,000 to $31,500. Thus, even in the capital, the seven-year increase in dollar terms did not offset inflationary expectations and did not reach the level characteristic of the western regions.

Falling prices: five cities where housing became cheaper

Five regional centers showed the opposite trend: the median cost of one-bedroom apartments in dollar terms fell below the level of August 2019. The largest decline was recorded in Mykolaiv — by 32%, from $29,300 to $20,000. In Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv housing became 29% cheaper: in the former case the price dropped from $22,050 to nearly $16,000, and in the latter — from $35,400 to $25,000. In Sumy the median cost decreased by 12% — from $27,000 to $23,800, while in Kherson the decline was 8% — from $13,000 to $12,000. The total gap between Ivano-Frankivsk (+189%) and Mykolaiv (−32%) exceeds 220 percentage points, underscoring the depth of regional differentiation in the market.

Safety as the main driver: comment from OLX Real Estate

Oksana Ostapchuk, head of the sales development sector at OLX Real Estate, attributes the divergence in trends primarily to the safety factor. In her words, after 2022 the safety situation became one of the key factors influencing housing prices. The largest growth over a longer period is observed mainly in the relatively safer regions of western Ukraine. At the same time, in cities located closer to the combat zone or regularly subjected to shelling, prices in dollar terms remain below the baseline level. This logic fully matches the geographic map: all five cities with negative trends (Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson) are located in the southern and eastern parts of the country, where military activity in 2022–2026 was most intense.

Outlook for autumn 2026: what awaits the primary market

Against the backdrop of the seven-year secondary market trend, RBC-Ukraine previously reported on a possible price increase on the primary real estate market in Ukraine in autumn 2026. According to forecasts, in September–October prices per square meter may rise by 3–5%, while in completed or nearly finished new buildings — by 7–10%. The cause cited is the rising cost of construction and increased demand for safer, move-in-ready housing. If these forecasts come true, the gap between western and eastern regions in absolute prices may persist or even widen, since demand for 'safe' square meters will concentrate precisely in those regions where it has already formed over the past seven years.