Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kharkiv and Kyiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Kharkiv: $722 a month against $996 in Kyiv, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kharkiv, Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine
Kharkiv
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$722
/mo nomad
Kyiv
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kharkiv and in Kyiv

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kharkiv and in Kyiv actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $722 per month in Kharkiv vs $996 in Kyiv, rent included.

  • Kharkiv $722
  • Kyiv $996

A couple spends around $1,072 per month in Kharkiv vs $1,575 in Kyiv, rent included.

  • Kharkiv $1,072
  • Kyiv $1,575

A family of three spends $1,421 per month in Kharkiv vs $2,153 in Kyiv, rent included.

  • Kharkiv $1,421
  • Kyiv $2,153

Kharkiv is about 27% cheaper than Kyiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kharkiv and Kyiv are more affordable than the global median – Kharkiv 47% lower, Kyiv 27% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.54 ₴298
$10.78 ₴491
-39.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.03 ₴1,368
$32.91 ₴1,499
-8.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.82 ₴220
$7.54 ₴343
-36.07%
Cappuccino
$1.64 ₴74.9
$1.81 ₴82.3
-9.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 ₴47.57
$0.76 ₴34.82
36.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₴22.61
$0.59 ₴26.70
-15.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.96 ₴43.90
$1.34 ₴60.9
-28.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 ₴75.9
$1.99 ₴90.7
-16.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 ₴49.49
$1.34 ₴60.9
-18.66%
White Bread (500g)
$0.68 ₴31.03
$0.83 ₴37.71
-18.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 ₴55.6
$1.49 ₴67.8
-18.12%
Eggs
$1.65 ₴75.0
$2.03 ₴92.6
-18.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.34 ₴380
$10.09 ₴460
-17.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.07 ₴185
$5.11 ₴233
-20.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.14 ₴325
$8.65 ₴394
-17.46%
Apples (1kg)
$1.33 ₴60.4
$1.21 ₴55.2
9.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 ₴68.8
$1.56 ₴71.2
-3.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 ₴71.4
$1.84 ₴83.9
-14.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 ₴95.8
$2.69 ₴123
-21.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ₴32.88
$0.58 ₴26.23
24.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.54 ₴24.72
$0.45 ₴20.45
20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 ₴54.8
$1.48 ₴67.5
-18.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₴27.26
$0.64 ₴29.26
-6.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.72 ₴124
$3.35 ₴153
-18.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.32 ₴197
$5.42 ₴247
-20.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ₴37.80
$0.91 ₴41.51
-8.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 ₴54.4
$1.35 ₴61.5
-11.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.69 ₴31.24
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.38 ₴564
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.34 ₴61.1
$2.21 ₴100
-39.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 ₴14.52
$0.45 ₴20.69
-28.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.13 ₴97.2
$4.70 ₴214
-54.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 ₴82.0
$1.82 ₴82.7
-1.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K ₴1.4M
$30.9K ₴1.4M
-2.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K ₴1.1M
$25.2K ₴1.1M
-5.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.7 ₴4,359
$96.8 ₴4,410
-1.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.93 ₴270
$6.86 ₴312
-13.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.78 ₴309
$6.30 ₴287
7.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.11 ₴1,098
$37.13 ₴1,691
-35.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.50 ₴615
$18.04 ₴822
-25.17%
Cinema Ticket
$4.62 ₴210
$5.60 ₴255
-17.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$274 ₴12.5K
$424 ₴19.3K
-35.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,659 ₴121.1K
$15.1K ₴688.1K
-82.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.5 ₴2,526
$73.2 ₴3,334
-24.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.95 ₴1,910
$39.13 ₴1,782
7.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.9 ₴4,002
$94.9 ₴4,322
-7.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 ₴4,739
$118 ₴5,379
-11.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$274 ₴12.5K
$647 ₴29.5K
-57.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$188 ₴8,540
$337 ₴15.3K
-44.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$496 ₴22.6K
$1,386 ₴63.1K
-64.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$206 ₴9,368
$651 ₴29.7K
-68.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,043 ₴47.5K
$2,590 ₴117.9K
-59.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$595 ₴27.1K
$1,160 ₴52.8K
-48.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kharkiv
Kyiv
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$516 ₴23.5K
$820 ₴37.3K
-37.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
17.89
17.88
0.06%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kharkiv: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kharkiv
$188
Kyiv
$337 79.7% $149
Groceries & Markets
Kharkiv
$159
Kyiv
$188 18.4% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Kharkiv
$130
Kyiv
$146 12.5% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kharkiv
$108
Kyiv
$110 1.4% $1.5
Eating Out
Kharkiv
$101
Kyiv
$147 45.4% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Kharkiv
$33
Kyiv
$48 44.9% $15
Getting Around
Kharkiv
$2.9 *
Kyiv
$20 567% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Kharkiv versus $647 in Kyiv. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 59% higher in Kyiv. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Kharkiv versus $33 in Kyiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $159 vs $188 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇦 Kharkiv
🇺🇦 Kyiv
🕒 Local time
12:06 12:06 PM
12:06 12:06 PM
Same time as Kharkiv
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,447,652
2,908,249 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 50.68 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kharkiv Kyiv 410 km
From you
  • Kharkiv
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Kharkiv vs Kyiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kharkiv or Kyiv?
Kyiv costs about 38% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kharkiv and in Kyiv?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,083 per month in Kharkiv and $1,494 in Kyiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kharkiv or Kyiv?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kharkiv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $647 in Kyiv.
How do dining costs compare in Kharkiv and in Kyiv?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Kharkiv and $33 in Kyiv. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kharkiv or in Kyiv?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Kyiv, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $800/month in Kharkiv or in Kyiv?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kharkiv, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Kyiv at $996. In Kharkiv it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kyiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kharkiv or Kyiv?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kharkiv costs $722 versus $996 in Kyiv. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Kharkiv or to Kyiv?
If budget matters most, go with Kharkiv. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kyiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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