---
title: "The Paradox of the Ukrainian Market: Where a Second Room Costs Pennies, and Where It Costs a Fortune"
description: "A study by OLX Real Estate showed that in Poltava and Chernihiv, renting a two-room apartment costs the same as a one-room apartment. At the same time, in Kyiv and Uzhhorod, the price difference reaches 14,000 UAH. 🏠📉"
date: 2026-07-14T03:44:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/the-paradox-of-the-ukrainian-market-where-a-second-room-costs-pennies-and-where-it-costs-a-fortune
tags: [ukraine, real-estate, rent-market, kiev, olx]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# The Paradox of the Ukrainian Market: Where a Second Room Costs Pennies, and Where It Costs a Fortune

![Hands exchanging apartment keys against a bedroom backdrop — illustrating the paradox of Ukraine’s real estate market, where a second room costs pennies in some places and a fortune in others](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/14/raznitsa-v-tsene-arendy-odnokomnatnyh-i-dvukhkomnatnyh-kvartir-v-ukraine/raznitsa-v-tsene-arendy-odnokomnatnyh-i-dvukhkomnatnyh-kvartir-v-ukraine-1.webp)

The rental housing market in Ukraine is showing surprising dynamics that force a rethinking of conventional stereotypes about the cost of square meters. Traditionally, it is believed that a two-room apartment inevitably costs significantly more than a one-room apartment. However, a recent study conducted by the OLX Real Estate platform and published by RBC-Ukraine has revealed pricing anomalies that exist in several regional centers.

In June 2026, analysts recorded cases where the difference in rent between "one-roomers" and "two-roomers" practically disappeared. In some cities, expanding the living space costs tenants a symbolic amount, making more spacious housing a profitable investment.

### Where the second room is a bonus

The most interesting situation has developed in Poltava, Chernihiv, and Lutsk. Here, economic logic has failed: landlords offer two rooms for the same price as one.

In Poltava, the median rental cost for both types of apartments is identical — 12,000 UAH per month. Exactly the same parity is observed in Chernihiv, where for 8,000 UAH you can rent either one or two rooms. In Lutsk, the difference is minimal and amounts to only 500 UAH: a one-room apartment costs 14,500 UAH, and a two-room apartment costs 15,000 UAH.

Analysts note that in such locations, tenants with a limited budget should look at more spacious options, as the surcharge for comfort will be insignificant.

### A gap of one to two thousand hryvnias

In a number of other cities, the cost of an additional room remains low, not exceeding 1,000–2,000 UAH. These regions include Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, and Zaporizhzhia.

Examples of pricing in these locations look as follows:

    - **Ternopil:** a two-room apartment costs 15,500 UAH versus 13,450 UAH for a one-room apartment.

    - **Cherkasy:** the difference is about 2,150 UAH (14,000 versus 11,850).

    - **Odesa and Dnipro:** here the gap reaches 4,000 UAH (16,000 versus 12,000), which still remains within reasonable limits compared to the leaders of the rating.

### Capital prices and the Western laggard

A completely different picture is observed in cities with high demand for real estate. Here, every extra room is valued at huge sums. The leaders in the difference in rental costs were Kyiv and Uzhhorod.

In the capital, the median rental cost of a two-room apartment is 30,850 UAH per month, while a one-room apartment will cost 17,000 UAH. The difference reaches almost 14,000 UAH. This means that for the second room in Kyiv, one has to pay almost as much as renting a whole apartment on average across the country.

Uzhhorod demonstrates even more dramatic figures. Renting a two-room apartment here costs 31,400 UAH, which is 9,250 UAH more than the cost of a one-room apartment (22,150 UAH).

### Market trends and seasonality

Real estate market experts note fundamental changes in the behavior of tenants and owners. While in some regional centers the price difference is minimal, in million-plus cities and in Western Ukraine, one-room apartments remain the only affordable option for those who want to save money.

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that over the past year, the rent for houses in Kyiv and its suburbs has increased, although in some locations prices have decreased. An important trend has been the decrease in the market's dependence on seasonality. Now, prices are formed primarily under the influence of the object's location and its characteristics, rather than the time of year.

Overall, the geography of rental prices in Ukraine remains contrasting: the most expensive one-room apartments are located in the western regions and Kyiv, while the lowest prices are maintained in frontline cities.