Despite the fact that passengers continue to pay for their fares 8 UAH, the city's real costs for each trip have increased to critical levels. The main burden falls on the capital's budget, which actually "gifts" each subway trip to the passenger.
Cost vs Tariff: Budget Deficit
The difference between what we pay and what the city spends looks like this:
| Type of transport | Planned cost (April 2026) | Real city subsidy (for 1 trip) |
| Subway | 64,53 UAH | 56,53 UAH |
| Land transport | 37,57 UAH | 29,57 UAH |
Social guarantees: Who pays for benefits?
In addition to general subsidies for the fare, the city allocates separate million-dollar sums to compensate for travel expenses for beneficiaries.
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181,7 million UAH — budgeted exclusively for travel pupils, students and cadets.
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Individual expenditure items — Free travel for pensioners, veterans, and other protected categories is financed through the Department of Social and Veteran Policy.
Why haven't the tariffs been raised yet?
Despite the gap in 8 times (for the metro), the authorities are holding on to the order of the Kyiv City State Administration from March 2020The main arguments “in favor” of maintaining the tariff:
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Political and social stability: Raising prices during martial law is an extremely sensitive issue.
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Safety feature: The subway remains the main free shelter and the most reliable means of transportation during emergencies.
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Direct subsidies: The city chooses the path of direct injection of funds into municipal enterprises (“Kyivpastrans” and “Metropolitan”) so as not to shift the costs to the wallets of Kyiv residents.
