Uber in Kyiv

Uber launched in Kyiv in June 2016 to much fanfare rivalling local competitor Uklon and traditional taxis. Whilst before it was more difficult for foreigners to call taxis, speak to the driver and handle cash, now all you need to do is tap a few buttons on the app and be on your way. You don't even need to speak to the driver if you don't want to or can't. Their other competitor in the city is Bolt/Taxify who have better promotions than Uber.

The standard of cars is generally fine and cars are kept tidy, often they even have Uber written on the side. Just don't expect a Toyota Prius like in London, rather more standard cars like VW Polos or Skoda Fabias.

Fares & Prices

Uber is very competitive in Kyiv and probably is one of the cheapest Uber countries in the world. When we wrote this in 2019, a 15 minute ride set you back on average 70 UAH, which was around £2 or just over 2 Euros, and fares have gone up a fair bit since. You can pay by card or cash, just select your preferred option in the app before you ride.

Before Boryspil airport closed there was a flat fee of 330 UAH to it from the centre, but as with all Uber fares it was subject to surge pricing which can see the price rise to 500 UAH or more as you can see in the screenshot at the end of this article.

Car Classes

When we wrote this, Uber had 5 different car options in the city:

• UberX - The cheapest variant, but you still usually get comfortable cars anyway.
• Select - A little bit tidier and more expensive cars, but not much different to UberX.
• UberBlack - Expect a Mercedes or a BMW, but nothing modern or too executive like you'd find in other countries.
• Green - The newest car type is an electric, zero emission car. There are only a few around at the moment, so expect limited availability.
• UberVan - Not actually a van, but can seat up to 6 people.

Uber Comfort has been added since, sitting between UberX and UberBlack with newer cars and drivers rated 4.85 or above, so check the app for what's running near you.

I'd recommend to stick with UberX as you do often get free upgrades to Select. If you have the money, splurge for UberBlack but don't expect lots from it.