Cost of Living Comparison Between Kharkiv and Poltava Cost of Living Comparison Between Kharkiv and Poltava

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $691 per month in Kharkiv vs $483 in Poltava, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,079 per month in Kharkiv vs $816 in Poltava, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,467 per month in Kharkiv vs $1,149 in Poltava, rent included.

Kharkiv costs about 43% more than Poltava, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Kharkiv and Poltava are more affordable than the global median – Kharkiv 50% lower, Poltava 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 ₴300

$5.74 ₴256

17.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.20 ₴1,390

$33.69 ₴1,501

-7.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 ₴226

$6.91 ₴308

-26.77%

Cappuccino

$1.55 ₴69.2

$1.72 ₴76.6

-9.88%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₴47.87

$0.79 ₴35.18

35.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₴22.95

$0.55 ₴24.65

-5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₴43.72

$0.95 ₴42.46

3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₴76.5

$2.07 ₴92.2

-16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₴50.0

$1.09 ₴48.51

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 ₴30.78

$0.77 ₴34.13

-10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 ₴55.5

$1.49 ₴66.3

-16.11%

Eggs

$1.74 ₴77.7

$2.04 ₴90.7

-14.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 ₴367

$9.56 ₴426

-13.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 ₴192

$5.37 ₴239

-19.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 ₴330

$6.71 ₴299

10.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ₴62.9

$1.19 ₴53.0

18.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₴70.1

$1.50 ₴66.7

4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ₴75.7

$1.83 ₴81.3

-7.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ₴92.3

$1.33 ₴59.2

55.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₴31.87

$0.47 ₴20.82

53.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 ₴23.53

$0.28 ₴12.55

89.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₴54.6

$1.40 ₴62.3

-12.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₴25.52

$0.66 ₴29.31

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 ₴124

$3.44 ₴153

-19.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.42 ₴197

$5.11 ₴228

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₴35.21

$0.85 ₴37.73

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₴58.5

$1.43 ₴63.7

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₴11.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ₴61.3

$2.22 ₴98.9

-37.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₴14.53

$0.44 ₴19.51

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ₴103

$4.36 ₴194

-47.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 ₴78.4

$1.36 ₴60.8

29.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.6K ₴1.3M

$29.2K ₴1.3M

1.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.4K ₴997.4K

$22.3K ₴993.0K

0.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$97.1 ₴4,325

$63.5 ₴2,830

52.83%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.08 ₴271

$4.31 ₴192

41.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.31 ₴326

$4.79 ₴213

52.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.27 ₴992

$17.48 ₴779

27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.36 ₴684

$5.51 ₴245

178.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 ₴214

$3.16 ₴141

51.90%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$289 ₴12.9K

$283 ₴12.6K

2.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,857 ₴127.3K

$14.9K ₴661.8K

-80.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ₴2,519

$63.0 ₴2,806

-10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₴1,819

$40.53 ₴1,806

0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 ₴4,170

$66.5 ₴2,963

40.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 ₴4,368

$84.7 ₴3,773

15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ₴11.1K

$320 ₴14.2K

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₴6,423

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 ₴23.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 ₴9,385

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,058 ₴47.1K

$899 ₴40.1K

17.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 ₴25.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$537 ₴23.9K

$418 ₴18.6K

28.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.89

18.25

-1.97%

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

Last update for Kharkiv: September 7, 2026

Last update for Poltava: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $249 in Kharkiv versus $320 in Poltava. 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 28% higher in Kharkiv, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Kharkiv versus $34.00 in Poltava. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $170 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Poltava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kharkiv costs about 43% more than Poltava, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,036 per month in Kharkiv and $724 in Poltava. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Poltava, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Kharkiv and $34.00 in Poltava. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Kharkiv – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $691 in Kharkiv and $483 in Poltava, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Poltava costs $483 versus $691 in Kharkiv. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Poltava. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kharkiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.