43 miles from the Polish border, Lviv is Ukraine’s seventh-largest city. With the picturesque views and low cost of living, remote workers love settling into coliving spaces here. How affordable is it? A beer costs about 60 cents while a decent lunch won’t cost more than four dollars.
The city offers three kinds of public transport: bus, minibus, and tram. While they are very cheap options, the system suffers from overcrowding throughout the morning and evening and best used between the hours of 12-5 pm. If you need to get somewhere at peak hours and don't want to walk, just relax in a taxi - it shouldn't cost more than four dollars.
Having avoided serious damage during the Second World War, Lviv has a beautiful Old Town to visit - many buildings are over 500 years old. The city offers many museums, gardens, and cathedrals. For snowsports, some of the best slopes are only 60 miles away. A day trip including transport, rentals, and lift tickets should be around 25 bucks. It’s no surprise that coliving is so carefree here.
The city is experiencing a boom in the cafe, bar and restaurant sector. It’s really easy to find great fare anywhere you go be it local or foreign cuisine. Try some of the city’s Nastoyanky (infused vodka) bars.
The climate is cool, with cold winters and mild summers. Winter daytime highs are just around freezing (low 30s) while summers are in the mid-70s. The city doesn’t have heavy precipitation with only two to three inches per month; the brief light snowfalls are quite nice.
Here are some fun facts about Lviv:
- This city belonged to Poland before WWII
- The kerosene lamp was invented here by accident in 1853
- The first book ever printed in Ukraine was done so in Lviv in 1574
- Ivan Franco National University is the first University in Ukraine
- Other firsts of the nation happened here including the nation’s first railway, theatre, and brewery
- Lviv has a thriving and rapidly growing IT hub for both Ukraine and Eastern Europe - workers in town created Skype’s mobile version
Finding affordable housing in Lviv can be tough...