Analysts have recorded an abnormal situation in the housing market near the front line
In the frontline regions of Ukraine, despite the security situation, housing prices are rising, while the demand for purchases is noticeably decreasing. At the same time, the rental market remains heterogeneous.
This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a study by OLX Real Estate.
Read also: Plus 27% in a year: the city where apartment prices are rising the fastest in Ukraine
Main points:
- Despite proximity to the combat zone, median prices for purchasing and renting apartments have increased in most frontline areas.
- The purchasing market shows a paradox: housing prices are rising, yet real demand has dropped by 15-45%.
- The largest jump in apartment purchase prices was recorded in Kharkiv region (+18%) and Sumy region (+15%).
- The rental sector demonstrates uneven dynamics – from abnormal demand growth in Zaporizhzhia to a decline in Chernihiv.
- The security situation remains a key factor restraining investor activity.
Analysts compared the figures from February 2026 with the same period last year to track how the priorities of Ukrainians in the east and southeast of the country have changed.
Secondary market: where apartment prices have risen the most
Prices for one-bedroom apartments have significantly increased in Kharkiv region. Here, the median purchase price rose by 18%, reaching 1 million hryvnias (22,600 dollars). In Kharkiv itself, housing prices increased by 16% – to 1.1 million hryvnias (24,900 dollars).
A similar trend is observed in other regions:
- Sumy region – prices increased by 15% (862,000 hryvnias/19,500 dollars), while in Sumy itself, they rose by 19% (992,000 hryvnias/22,400 dollars).
- Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions – median prices increased by 8-12%. Purchasing a “one-room” apartment in Dnipro will cost 1.4 million hryvnias (31,700 dollars), while in Chernihiv it will be 1.5 million hryvnias (33,900 dollars).
- Kherson region – a 6% increase was recorded (to 632,000 hryvnias/14,300 dollars).
The only region where prices showed a negative trend was Zaporizhzhia region. There, housing prices dropped by 4%, settling at around 644,000 hryvnias (14,600 dollars).
However, alongside the price tags, the level of buyer anxiety has increased: demand for purchasing personal housing has collapsed. The most significant decline in interest was recorded in Chernihiv (-44%) and Kharkiv (-39%).
Rental: demand anomalies and the security factor
In the rental segment, the situation is even more contrasting. In some regions, prices and demand are rising synchronously, while in others, they are rapidly falling.
A real price boom was recorded in Kharkiv and Kherson regions, where rental prices increased by 33%. In Kharkiv, the median price is 5,300 hryvnias, in Kherson – 4,000 hryvnias. In Zaporizhzhia, rental costs rose by 20% (to 6,000 hryvnias), accompanied by an explosive increase in demand – the number of responses from tenants here surged by a record 74%.
In contrast, in Sumy region, rental prices decreased by 17% (to 5,000 hryvnias), while in Chernihiv region, demand fell by 28%.
Overall, the real estate market along the front line today reflects the migration processes and the security situation. Buyers are demonstrating maximum caution, while the rental business continues to adapt to the frequent movements of the population within the country.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that the real estate market in Ukraine has divided: in frontline cities, housing prices are decreasing, while in safer regions, particularly in the west and the capital, prices are rising rapidly.
Moreover, over the past few years, one-bedroom apartments have increased the most in price in the western and central regions, while near the front line, the dynamics have been weak or even declining in dollar terms. The main factors have been the war, migration, and increased demand for safe regions.
