The Ukrainian capital is preparing for the most extensive review of public transport fares in the last eight years. From 15 July 2026, the price of a single journey on the Kyiv Metro, as well as on buses, trolleybuses, trams and the funicular, is set to rise to 30 hryvnias. In addition, the city authorities intend to review water supply charges in the near future.
He spoke about this on his official page Leonid Yemets, a member of the Kyiv City Council, stated on Facebook. According to him, the cancellation of the Kyiv City Council’s next scheduled session, as planned by the Kyiv City State Administration, effectively deprives the councillors of the opportunity to legally block this decision until the new prices officially come into force.
Why won’t the Kyiv City Council be able to stop the rise in fares?
As he explained Leonid Yemets, the fact that there will be no plenary sitting next week means that MPs simply will not have time to meet to consider the draft resolution on a ban on tariff increases. Under the law, the procedure for setting transport fares falls within the exclusive remit of the executive body — the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) — rather than the city council. However, MPs tried to exert political pressure and seek alternative sources of funding from the budget so as not to pass on the costs of municipal utilities to the city’s residents.
«This means that from the 15th, a single journey will cost 30 UAH. Get ready. Earn more.”. »There is no longer any chance of overturning the Kyiv City State Administration’s decision to increase transport fares", — the MP stated.
Yemets emphasised that for many Kyiv residents, whose incomes have been severely affected by inflation and the realities of the war, such a sharp price rise (from 8 to 30 hryvnias in one go) will be a severe financial blow, equivalent to the loss of several months’ wages a year. According to city council representatives, transport companies «Kyiv Metro» and «Kyivpastrans» should operate using internal reserves and municipal subsidies until the end of the state of emergency.
New fare structure and discount scheme in Kyiv
The Kyiv City State Administration justifies the tariff increases by citing a sharp rise in transport costs and higher prices for electricity and fuel. According to calculations by economists at the Kyiv City State Administration, the realistic, justified fare for 2026 is over 64 hryvnias for the metro and around 44 hryvnias for surface transport; the authorities therefore describe setting the fare at 30 hryvnias as a compromise solution.
At the same time, a tiered discount scheme will apply to passengers who use an electronic travel card and purchase journeys in bundles:
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Purchasing between 1 and 9 journeys — 30.00 UAH per ticket;
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Between 10 and 19 journeys — 28.90 UAH;
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Between 20 and 29 journeys — 27.80 UAH;
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Between 30 and 39 journeys — 26.60 UAH;
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Between 40 and 49 journeys — 25.50 UAH;
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A package of 50 journeys or more — 25.00 UAH per journey.
All journeys that Kyiv residents manage to purchase at the old fare (8 hryvnias each) up to and including 14 July will remain valid for use for the next two months — until 14 September 2026. It is promised that benefits for schoolchildren, students and socially vulnerable groups will be maintained in full.
To stay up to date with all the latest developments in the capital’s housing and utilities sector, as well as reforms and decisions by the local authorities, keep an eye on the updates in the ‘Economy’ and ‘City Life’ sections of our news portal ukrmedia.news. Kyiv residents can also expect discussions on new water tariffs, which «Kyivvodokanal» plans to adjust following the transport sector’s lead, due to a similar rise in production costs.
