Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Kharkiv

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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
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Kyiv Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kharkiv
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Kharkiv Living Index

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Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$996

/mo nomad

Kharkiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyiv and in Kharkiv

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

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

Kyiv $996
Kharkiv $722

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

Kyiv $1,575
Kharkiv $1,072

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

Kyiv $2,153
Kharkiv $1,421

Kyiv costs about 38% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 ₴491

$6.54 ₴298

64.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.91 ₴1,499

$30.03 ₴1,368

9.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₴343

$4.82 ₴220

56.43%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₴82.3

$1.64 ₴74.9

10.37%

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

$0.76 ₴34.82

$1.04 ₴47.57

-26.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.70

$0.50 ₴22.61

18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₴60.9

$0.96 ₴43.90

39.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₴90.7

$1.67 ₴75.9

19.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₴60.9

$1.09 ₴49.49

22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₴37.71

$0.68 ₴31.03

22.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ₴67.8

$1.22 ₴55.6

22.13%

Eggs

$2.03 ₴92.6

$1.65 ₴75.0

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ₴460

$8.34 ₴380

20.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ₴233

$4.07 ₴185

25.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 ₴394

$7.14 ₴325

21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₴55.2

$1.33 ₴60.4

-9.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₴71.2

$1.51 ₴68.8

3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₴83.9

$1.57 ₴71.4

17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 ₴123

$2.10 ₴95.8

28.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₴26.23

$0.72 ₴32.88

-19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₴20.45

$0.54 ₴24.72

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₴67.5

$1.20 ₴54.8

23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₴29.26

$0.60 ₴27.26

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₴153

$2.72 ₴124

23.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 ₴247

$4.32 ₴197

25.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₴41.51

$0.83 ₴37.80

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₴61.5

$1.19 ₴54.4

13.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₴31.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 ₴564

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₴100

$1.34 ₴61.1

64.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₴20.69

$0.32 ₴14.52

40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 ₴214

$2.13 ₴97.2

120.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 ₴82.7

$1.80 ₴82.0

1.11%

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

$30.9K ₴1.4M

$30.3K ₴1.4M

2.19%

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

$25.2K ₴1.1M

$23.7K ₴1.1M

6.07%

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

$96.8 ₴4,410

$95.7 ₴4,359

1.16%

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

$6.86 ₴312

$5.93 ₴270

15.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.30 ₴287

$6.78 ₴309

-7.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 ₴1,691

$24.11 ₴1,098

54.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 ₴822

$13.50 ₴615

33.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 ₴255

$4.62 ₴210

21.21%

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

$424 ₴19.3K

$274 ₴12.5K

55.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₴688.1K

$2,659 ₴121.1K

468.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 ₴3,334

$55.5 ₴2,526

31.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.13 ₴1,782

$41.95 ₴1,910

-6.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 ₴4,322

$87.9 ₴4,002

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₴5,379

$104 ₴4,739

13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₴29.5K

$274 ₴12.5K

136.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₴15.3K

$188 ₴8,540

79.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₴63.1K

$496 ₴22.6K

179.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ₴29.7K

$206 ₴9,368

216.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,590 ₴117.9K

$1,043 ₴47.5K

148.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 ₴52.8K

$595 ₴27.1K

94.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ₴37.3K

$516 ₴23.5K

58.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.88

17.89

-0.06%

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

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kyiv

$337 33.8%

Kharkiv

$188 26% 44.3% $149

Groceries & Markets

Kyiv

$188 18.9%

Kharkiv

$159 22% 15.6% $29

Eating Out

Kyiv

$147 14.7%

Kharkiv

$101 14% 31.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Kyiv

$146 14.7%

Kharkiv

$130 18% 11.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyiv

$110 11%

Kharkiv

$108 15% 1.4% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kyiv

$48 4.9%

Kharkiv

$33 4.6% 31% $15

Getting Around

Kyiv

$20 2%

Kharkiv

$2.9 * 0.4% 85% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Kyiv versus $274 in Kharkiv. 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 $33 in Kyiv versus $30 in Kharkiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $159 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🇺🇦 Kharkiv

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

Same time as Kyiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,908,249 Capital

1,447,652

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Kyiv vs Kharkiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,494 per month in Kyiv and $1,083 in Kharkiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kharkiv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $647 in Kyiv.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Kyiv and $30 in Kharkiv. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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.

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.

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.

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.