We might move to Ukraine!

[thompsongunner06]

The way things are looking here in the US we might sell everything and move to Ukraine and build a nice 1 story with a high fence. We could live well off with a big amount of cash from the sale of our property here( I hope).

[ScottinCrimea]

Think twice about it and be sure that you know all of the pros and cons first.  If financial considerations are the only reason for the move, you won't last long no matter how much money you have there.

[Swisskid]

You do realize that the annual inflation rate in Ukraine is currently just over 30%?
Yikes!!!   

[TwoBitBandit]

I'm jealous.  I'm stuck here in the United States trapped in my high-paying job where I get 4 weeks of vacation a year.  I'd move to the FSU in a minute if I could...

[Carolina]

Hi,
How much do you expecting to spend there on a house?
The prices at Ukraine are very hight now. 1 bedroom apartment at Kiev cost more than $100,000.  You can imagine the housing prices are hight.
And the rate of inflation is hight too. The gas is more expensive at Ukraine than at USA. And prices on food I would say the same.  You will have to pay for a medicine and doctor visit if you want a good service.
So what do you saving by doing that?

[Misha]

Hi,
How much do you expecting to spend there on a house?
The prices at Ukraine are very hight now. 1 bedroom apartment at Kiev cost more than $100,000.

Thompsongunner might have missed the window of opportunity: the bubble is pretty big and at some point it will burst (likely in the next year or two). Also, house prices have been hit quite hard in the USA. You would be selling in the United States when prices are in a free fall and buying in Ukraine before the bubble bursts. It seems to me a risky proposition where you end up losing a lot of money.

[LiveFromUkraine]

Misha is correct from my experiences of living in Urkaine.

I went on a little holiday for 3 months in India.  We left in January and came back in early April.  The prices on a lot of things DOUBLED in that time.  Just the span of 3 months. 

Housing is in a bubble in my opinion.  It will not last and I think it is foolish to purchase now.  Unless you plan on keeping the place for a very, very long time.



I suggest spending more time in Ukraine than the average week or two and make up your mind then.

Thomas

[ScottinCrimea]

I've been predicting the bursting of the housing bubble in Kiev fto happen anytime for a couple of years now and it just doesn't seem to be happening.  There is still enough foreign speculation there to keep it inflated. Apparently it is following the trend of other FSU countries in that regard, and those markets haver seemed to maintain their increased values.  Still, I would be hesitant to buy anything longterm right now in Kiev.  In other areas, though, it's not so extreme and, even though you can't get the deals on housing that some of us were able to get a few years ago, there are still some good affordable properties.  You just need to know how and where to look.

With regard to the other areas mentioned, the price of food has indeed gone up, so if you intend to live and eat like a Westerner there, there won't be much of a reduction in food costs with the move.  If you do like we do, which is grow much of our own at our dacha, buy fresh produce from the local market and cook it yourself, you can live much cheaper.  Even with the increase in prices, I think one can eat cheaper and healthier there.

As far as the medical care, even with the added price for extra care, it is still MUCH cheaper than in the US.  For example, we recently went all out for a kidney operation for my MIL and the total cost was $6,000 compared to around %40,000 for the same care in the US.

Gasoline prices are not an issue if you use the mass transit system, which is very cheap and convenient.  We lived downtown so everything was easily accessible by foot or marshrutka.  For out of town trips there are buses and trains.  We share a care with our in-laws for special trips.

Where one saves money is through no income tax, no health or auto insurance, no mortgage, no car payment, lower entertainment costs, etc.

In other words, despite the inflation, it is still possible to live much cheaper there if you are willing to make the necessary compromises.

[Misha]

In other words, despite the inflation, it is still possible to live much cheaper there if you are willing to make the necessary compromises.

The bright side: if a woman is willing to marry you and live in Ukraine and have the exact same lifestyle she would have marrying a local man, she is certainly marrying you for love