Kiev - Post Report Question and Answers
What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Low cost of living, beautiful architecture. - May 2021
I think it was great to live here with kids: the city is very green with numerous parks and playgrounds, there is always something to do. Groceries are very cheap and eating out is not very expensive either. Proximity to Europe makes it fun to travel in the region. - Jun 2018
The green trees, good restaurants, friendly people, many restaurants with playgrounds and "animators" (people to play with the kids), outdoor festivals all year round, ridiculous quality of beauty treatments, ease of getting anything done. - May 2017
Great people, great cultural scene, low cost of living, a sense of vibrancy and improvisation lacking in cities that haven't just been through a major upheaval. Also, good travel connections to Europe and the Middle East. - Nov 2016
Great youth culture, amazing arts scene, you can eat out and go out anywhere you want for almost no money, inexpensive household help, lots to see and do, relatively inexpensive flight connections all over Europe and beyond. Whatever your hobby - horseback riding, yoga, photography, art classes, salsa dancing, etc. - you can probably find it and for way cheaper than anywhere else you've lived. - Jul 2016
You can easily save money. Inexpensive and delicious local food. Amazing Georgian restaurants, as well as other regional cuisine. Lots to see and do in the city. Groceries are not expensive if you buy local or sometimes European brands. Inexpensive regional wines. I'm told some are quite good, but I am not a wine-drinker, so I can't speak from personal experience. - Nov 2015
Well, it's the nicest war zone you'd ever want to live in. We'd heard it described as "Moscow Lite" but having lived in Moscow, where we extended, and having been posted previously in Bucharest, I'd call it more, "Ultra Eastern Europe." The differentials (currently 20% hardship) make it the first place we've EVER saved money. Flights to other countries are reasonable and even the locals travel to Cyprus, Tel Aviv, Prague and Vienna. Travel within Europe is do-able. The winter was long and grey, slushy and wet. But it was never what I thought of when I think, "Winter in Ukraine." Moscow was MUCH colder and darker. Nearly every Ukrainian has a friend or family member fighting in the east, and the Embassy has employees who have been drafted. The war never stops and it keeps Ukraine on the map in Washington--employees at the Embassy are very busy and there are a ton of TDYers. Lots of VIP visits to the Embassy. History is made daily. - Jun 2015
Kiev is rich in history and this is a great vantage point for travel into the rest of Europe. - Apr 2014
The local culture is very interesting, it being a post-Soviet country. A great advantage, though, is the amount of money you can save living here. - Apr 2013
If you like snow, you will probably see it 6 months a year. - Apr 2013
Observe the cultural shift as Ukraine struggles to emerge out of its despairing soviet past. If you're a single guy, I've heard the high-heeled hotties are plentiful. - Feb 2013
Ukraine is definitely still a developing country, although it's hard to tell if you never get out of Kyiv. There's plenty to see and do, and it's very easy to get out for a break in Western Europe. I didn't skimp while I was there, but didn't go nuts either, and managed to save a nice chunk of change. - Jul 2012
