Cost of Living in Kiev

[snicko]

Hey Guys
Need some inputs. Im engaged to a person in kiev and we are getting married in February. Because of our unique situation, the girl will have to stay most likely until the end of the year(2016) before she can join me. Meanwhile we have plans of having a child. I would like to know how much it will cost for a women to go through pregnancy and have a child in Kiev. Also, the cost of living for two people in kiev. My girl has a lot of self respect and will never ask for money and she has a comfortable job as well. She flatly refuses to talk anything about money. But I want to make sure, we are well prepared.
Request the seniors to throw in your two cents with your thoughts on the potential costs.

[JayH]

 

There are people here who will be able to answer your question precisely.

What does help is if you can tell the forum more of your story and circumstances-it saves answering the same questions repeatedly!!

[snicko]

She has to stay because of her contract (job). It is simple and clear and we have no confusion on that and there is nothing that can be done to break the contract because it is a government contract.
So, I will be visiting her every two months, until her contract is over and then she will join me in the states.

[BdHvA]

This is what I know from my wife living in Kiev, Kreshatick.

All prices are in Ukrainian Hryvnia per month.

Her apartment of Stalin period is 9,500 +/- 60 sq m2

Food for her self and her son is +/- 3,000 (more if I am present)

Her gas bill is just under 1,000 in November

Other utilities (water/internet/electricity) are just over 1,000 per month.

Extra's for her son, modern dancing & water polo are 2,000

She does not want to own a car and has two phones

[alex330]

The cost to have a baby in Odessa, Ukraine which would be pretty comparable I imagine is about 1-2 grand for natural childbirth my wife says. Many of her girlfriends just had babies this last year. In Ukraine the government will also pay you for having a child,but it is not very much.

The cost of living in Kiev varies greatly depending on your lifestyle. Are you going out  to eat at upscale restaurants several times a week? Do you want Western amenities in a penthouse downtown or can live on the outskirts in an average apartment?

[BdHvA]

A woman who I remained friends with but also dated had a child earlier this month.

She needed to have funds to cover if things went south, there was a serious possiblity for complication. I loaned her some money. I understood if all went as planned and she had a C-Section it would cost $3,000 in a semi private hospital. She lives about 2 hours from Kiev westwards.

Her child is a boy and all is well.

[snicko]

Great guys. .
I needed some ball  park numbers to set aside some money. I do  understand every situation is different based on the lifestyle, complications etc. But this is a good starting point for me.
Sincerely appreciate your inputs.

[alex330]

My wife and I discussed moving back to Ukraine temporarily to have a child at one point. The cost and proximity to family and her girlfriends with children of the same age were positives for us.

[jone]

Alex, 

I will pay you to have a child as well.

[Brianinaz]

Stupid question maybe but she's got to be living somewhere now. Why the need to move?

[mendeleyev]

Eastern maternity traditions have always been so interesting, and so I will share a few. We'll start with the superstitions, several from Ukrainian female friends of the family:

- No dairy products from a supermarket--these should come from a local farm/diary or street market.

- A pregnant woman should not cut or color her hair.  Some argue that it contains important vitamins your baby needs.

- Never sit near an open door or window. The draft is not good for the developing baby.

- If the expectant mother craves sweets, the baby will be a girl. If she craves salty and spicy foods, the baby will be a boy.

- Until she begins to show, a pregnant woman should never announce the news. This shelters the baby from evil thoughts and spells in the earliest stages of pregnancy.

- Do not knit while pregnant. (Why? Still a mystery, but my MIL insists it is legit.)

- Eat lots of green apples. They are great for iron. Let it sit out overnight near a window.

- Once the Mom's stomach begins to reveal the fact that she is pregnant, she should no longer carry heavy items or perform heavy labour in the fields.

- Only eat meat from local farms or street markets. There are too many processed chemicals in supermarket meats.

- Speaking of food, while pregnant a woman should never eat alone or in secret. This ensures that the baby will not be born with a fear complex.

- Just as sitting on a cold surface will prevent pregnancy, sitting on a cold surface when pregnant will deprive the baby from needed body heat.

- A pregnant woman should never ride an airplane, and if possible avoid riding on a train.

- An expectant mother should never play with house animals, especially cats. (It turns out that there may be some validity, as toxoplasmosis can be transferred by cats to an unborn child.)

- There are no "baby shower" traditions, but some close relatives and friends will offer gifts. However it is important that the parents never buy anything for the baby until it is born because to do so will bring bad luck.

- The first time the father meets his child is when Mom and baby are sent home from the hospital. He waits downstairs in the hospital lobby until Mom is accompanied down the elevator (or stairs) with nurses. They hand him the baby, and he has flowers ready for his wife. Close relatives or friends are there to photograph this exchange. (The belief is that the entrance of visitors to the maternity ward would allow outside infections to enter when babies are at their weakest.) Dad carries the child to the car.

- Many Ukrainian and Russian families do not receive house guests for the first few months. Why? Fears of infection for the baby. There is a tradition of family and friends bringing food for the new family immediately after the baby comes home from the hospital. However, very often the food is delivered and guests do not expect to enter the home.

- Babushka's diapers: (You see this more often in rural Ukrainian and Belorussian homes, but it is a tradition in some Russian families.) Babushka (grandmother) shows up, usually the maternal grandmother, and she rips her clothing which after being washed become the first cloth diapers for the baby. Naturally, this is planned and she has worn something that she is willing to shred. She also brings another dress to wear back home. Yes, we might at first think that this defiles the tradition of no guests, but it is good to remember that close female family members are not guests and as such apparently they carry no threat of infection.

- Warning: this only applies to second (and more) children after the firstborn: When pregnant the expecting mother should look at lots of pretty things to ensure that the next baby will be pretty and cute.

Observation: While my MIL nodded her head in agreement with each of these, Mrs. Mendeleyeva smiled at most, but when it came to the parts about drafts and sitting on cold surfaces, her response was "obvious."

[cc3]

Hey Guys
Also, the cost of living for two people in kiev. 
 

I live near the center of Lviv with wife and teen stepdaughter. We rent a 100 sq. m. flat, fully renovated, within easy walking distance of everything, except train station (50UAH taxi) and airport (65UAH taxi)...car not needed; cost of living (food, utilities, clothing) is much, much cheaper than the US, and the pace of life is more relaxed. My wife's best friend lives on the left bank of Kyiv, with her teen daughter, in a '2 room' apartment (one bedroom and living room) and pays only 5000 UAH/month rent. I imagine her food and utilities expenses are much less than ours. Both of these ladies own their own homes; unfortunately, they are in the peoples' paradise of Luhansk.

[Darth_Budda]

Cost of Living in Kiev

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Ukraine&city=Kiev

Hope this helps,,,

[GregfromGa]

So let me get this straight.  You are planning on having a baby with a woman living in a foreign country that you barely know. No reason you cant pull it off. Keep us posted.

[Arti99]

To make a long story short, if she already has accommodation in Kyiv extra 500$ per month is a minimum

[ML]

$500 extra for what ?

[2tallbill]

- Do not knit while pregnant. (Why? Still a mystery, but my MIL insists it is legit.)

Angel Eyes didn't follow this one, she knitted up a storm. Her girlfriends knitted
things for the baby as well.

[Jumper]

She has to stay because of her contract (job). It is simple and clear and we have no confusion on that and there is nothing that can be done to break the contract because it is a government contract.
So, I will be visiting her every two months, until her contract is over and then she will join me in the states.

Sorry, this sounds bizarre.
It seems more that she has made it simple and clear to you,
 and if you are ok with that, that's fine of course.

The situation itself is muddy.

For what it is worth, there is very little in  the context of a Ukrainian dealing with government in Ukraine ,that isn't *cough* negotiable.
It may very well be better for her to fulfill whatever  contract,
I'm not saying otherwise, but as presented *nothing can be done*  sounds not entirely correct.


Have you discussed with her , you helping out, and what her expectations on that are?
Since you state she refuses to talk about finances at all , this seems impossible to do.
I'd advise to find out why, a couple should be able to have open discussion on any topic,
certainly if planing a family together, family  finances would be a normal one.


Just curious, have you looked into the details of her joining you?
 The different visa possibilities ,which one would be best for your scenario?  the current processing time frames, and if you plan her to join you in a year,  when to file the proper petition?

[snicko]

"Medical " reasons is a way out of this situation . Need to provide a certificate . Works for the army .