The cost of living in Ukraine: Getmantsev reveals the actual figure

Danylo Getmantsev, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, spoke about this in an interview with Ukrinform.

What the minimum subsistence level should be

According to Getmantsev’s calculations, a person needs at least 11,000–12,000 hryvnias a month to meet their basic needs. The current figure, he says, does not reflect the actual prices and expenditure of Ukrainians.

The state is not yet in a position to raise all benefits linked to the minimum subsistence level to this amount in one go. The MP therefore proposes officially determining its actual amount and approving a phased plan to bring social standards closer to this figure.

This means that 11,000–12,000 hryvnias represents an estimate of a person’s actual needs, rather than an already approved benefit amount. The Verkhovna Rada has not yet adopted a corresponding resolution.

What is the subsistence minimum in 2026?

According to the law on the state budget for 2026, the general subsistence minimum from 1 January is 3,209 hryvnias per person.

For children under the age of six, it is set at 2,817 hryvnias; for children aged between six and 18, it is 3,512 hryvnias. The subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons is 3,328 hryvnias, and for those who have lost their ability to work, it is 2,595 hryvnias.

It is this latter figure that is used, in particular, to determine the minimum old-age pension where the required insurance record has been completed.

The official general subsistence minimum in 2026 is approximately 3.5 times lower than the amount that Getmantsev describes as what a person actually needs.

What changes are being proposed

Getmantsev believes that the subsistence minimum should be gradually aligned with the minimum pension, the minimum wage and the tax-free threshold for citizens’ income.

According to him, the minimum wage should correspond to the updated subsistence minimum and be tax-free. This approach should increase the amount that the lowest-paid workers actually receive after tax.

To implement these changes, tax, pension and budgetary legislation must be revised. Simply changing the subsistence minimum figure is not sufficient for this.

There are calls to decouple judges’ and prosecutors’ salaries

One of the main obstacles to raising the minimum subsistence level remains its use as a reference figure for special payments.

The basic salaries of judges, prosecutors and staff of certain other state bodies are linked to this figure. Consequently, a significant increase in the minimum subsistence level would automatically increase not only social benefits but also budgetary expenditure on high special salaries.

Hetmantsev proposes decoupling such payments from the minimum cost of living and determining them according to separate rules. This, he says, will allow pensions and social assistance to be increased without automatically raising special payments to officials.

In the 2026 state budget, special calculation indices—established for the relevant bodies as at 31 December 2025—are already being applied to determine the salaries of judges, prosecutors and employees of certain state bodies.

What amounts are being proposed for 2027

In his proposals for the Budget Declaration for 2027–2029, Getmantsev proposed setting the general subsistence minimum at 7,500 hryvnias in 2027.

For able-bodied individuals, 7,778 hryvnias is proposed, and for those who have lost their ability to work, 6,065 hryvnias. For children under six years of age, the figure could be 6,583 hryvnias, and for children aged between six and 18, 8,208 hryvnias.

The MP also proposed raising the minimum wage in 2027 to 11,000 hryvnias and the minimum pension to 6,500 hryvnias.

These figures remain proposals for budget planning at this stage. The final levels of social standards for 2027 are to be determined by the Verkhovna Rada in the law on the state budget.

What will change for Ukrainians

An increase in the subsistence minimum could affect minimum pensions, support for low-income families, payments to people with disabilities, the minimum amount of maintenance payments and other social guarantees.

At the same time, setting the subsistence minimum at 11,000–12,000 hryvnias will not mean that every citizen automatically receives that amount. The figure is used as a social standard and a reference value, whilst the specific amount of support depends on the individual programme and legislative provisions.

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