The cost of a trip on the Kyiv metro may be much lower than the city authorities claim. Activists say the figures in the documents are overstated. And these calculations are already being used as an argument for a possible fare increase.
This was stated by the co-founder of the NGO “Passengers of Kyiv” Oleksandr Grechko on the air of Den.LIVE.
“Inflated” numbers on paper
Earlier, the Department of Transport Infrastructure of the Kyiv City State Administration emphasized that the real cost of transporting one passenger in the Kyiv metro in 2026 reached almost 64,53 hryvnias, and in ground transport it approached the mark of 37,55 hryvnias.
But according to Oleksandr Grechko, the problem lies in the counting methodology itself.
“This figure, which was just announced, is an inflated cost due to paper figures, for example, depreciation is calculated twice there,” Grechko explained.
These are figures that formally exist in documents, but do not reflect real costs. This is why the final amount looks much higher. Activists conducted their own independent analysis and found that the authorities are deliberately inflating the figures to justify the upcoming price jump.
Real cost of travel
Oleksandr Grechko emphasizes that the real cost of transporting one passenger by metro is 26 hryvnias, and by Kyivpastrans transport - 21 hryvnias. These figures, according to him, are closer to actual costs and can be used as a guideline.
Grechko stated that such indicators must be taken into account before any fare increase, otherwise the consequences may be tangible, and passengers will refuse to use transport altogether.
Previously News.LIVE told, why the Kyiv City State Administration wants to raise the fare for metro travel. According to the authorities' calculations, one trip in 2026 should cost 64,53 hryvnias. Currently, Kyiv residents pay 8 hryvnias for entrance to the subway, which means the price of one trip could increase 8 times.
Novini.LIVE also reported that the most expensive cost per trip is currently observed in Lviv and Kharkiv. In these cities, passengers pay 25 hryvnia for travel. In Odessa, travel costs 20 hryvnia.
The lowest prices for minibus travel in Zaporizhia, Lutsk, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi and Kyiv are from 15 to 18 hryvnias.
Given the experience of analyzing economic indicators (food prices, fuel) and monitoring city events, this news about the "metro for 64 UAH" is a key case for verifying the transparency of city spending.
Comparison of numbers: Kyiv City State Administration vs. Public experts
The main arguments of the parties:
The position of the authorities (Kyiv City Administration):
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They emphasize the increasing costs of electricity, spare parts, and labor.
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These figures are used as justification for the fact that the city budget covers the huge difference (subsidizes travel).
Activists' position (Olexander Grechko):
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“Paper cost”: It is claimed that the figures are artificially inflated due to methodological manipulations (for example, double depreciation).
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Risk of passenger churn: Increasing the fare to a level close to UAH 64 will make public transport more expensive than a taxi or private car, which will lead to the collapse of the system.
Are Kyiv residents willing to pay the real price for travel, and what should it actually be?
