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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $690 per month in Kharkiv vs $643 in Poltava, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,079 per month in Kharkiv vs $1,007 in Poltava, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,468 per month in Kharkiv vs $1,371 in Poltava, rent included.

Kharkiv costs about 7% more than Poltava, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kharkiv and Poltava are more affordable than the global median – Kharkiv 49% lower, Poltava 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 ₴335

$5.72 ₴257

30.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.08 ₴1,217

$24.15 ₴1,085

12.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 ₴265

$4.51 ₴203

30.60%

Cappuccino

$1.32 ₴59.3

$1.30 ₴58.6

1.54%

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

$0.61 ₴27.55

$0.62 ₴27.89

-1.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₴17.93

$0.45 ₴20.25

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₴44.06

$0.88 ₴39.47

11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₴69.8

$1.67 ₴75.0

-7.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₴49.18

$0.95 ₴42.61

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 ₴25.92

$0.65 ₴29.09

-10.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ₴55.4

$1.24 ₴55.8

-0.81%

Eggs

$1.57 ₴70.7

$1.66 ₴74.7

-5.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 ₴370

$8.00 ₴359

3.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ₴181

$3.76 ₴169

7.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 ₴300

$5.26 ₴236

26.81%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 ₴40.04

$0.80 ₴35.83

11.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₴76.0

$1.20 ₴54.1

40.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₴85.6

$1.29 ₴58.0

47.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ₴97.1

$1.54 ₴69.0

40.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₴29.87

$0.39 ₴17.63

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₴24.85

$0.55 ₴24.68

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₴44.30

$0.71 ₴31.69

39.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₴26.24

$0.57 ₴25.70

1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₴116

$2.09 ₴94.1

23.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 ₴205

$5.07 ₴228

-10.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₴34.31

$0.85 ₴38.11

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₴59.0

$1.61 ₴72.5

-18.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₴15.42

$0.23 ₴10.29

47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.34 ₴644

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ₴63.5

$1.89 ₴85.1

-25.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₴10.25

$0.15 ₴6.57

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 ₴127

$4.38 ₴197

-35.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₴60.5

$1.29 ₴58.0

4.65%

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

$26.6K ₴1.2M

$27.5K ₴1.2M

-3.12%

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

$23.6K ₴1.1M

$20.3K ₴912.1K

16.25%

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

$114 ₴5,121

$92.5 ₴4,153

23.30%

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

$5.49 ₴247

$4.31 ₴194

27.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.04 ₴271

$4.94 ₴222

22.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 ₴1,113

$13.30 ₴597

86.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 ₴696

$9.21 ₴414

68.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 ₴220

$4.75 ₴213

3.16%

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

$353 ₴15.9K

$275 ₴12.4K

28.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,242 ₴145.7K

$7,732 ₴347.4K

-58.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ₴2,537

$69.5 ₴3,123

-18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.17 ₴1,850

$26.46 ₴1,189

55.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 ₴3,782

$79.1 ₴3,555

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₴4,523

$81.9 ₴3,679

22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$186 ₴8,356

$260 ₴11.7K

-28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 ₴5,908

$159 ₴7,122

-17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 ₴16.5K

$440 ₴19.8K

-16.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ₴11.0K

$312 ₴14.0K

-21.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,058 ₴47.5K

$906 ₴40.7K

16.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 ₴27.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ₴22.6K

$457 ₴20.5K

10.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.5

-2.86%

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

Last update for Kharkiv: June 9, 2026

Last update for Poltava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $186 in Kharkiv versus $260 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 10% 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 $27.00 in Kharkiv versus $24.00 in Poltava. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $140 – making Poltava 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 7% more than Poltava, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,035 per month in Kharkiv and $965 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 $27.00 in Kharkiv and $24.00 in Poltava. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Kharkiv, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $690 in Kharkiv and $643 in Poltava, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Poltava costs $643 versus $690 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.