Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Poltava Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Poltava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $986 in Kyiv versus $643 in Poltava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,485 in Kyiv versus $1,007 in Poltava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,984 in Kyiv versus $1,371 in Poltava.

Living in Kyiv is roughly 53% more expensive than Poltava, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 27% lower, Poltava 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 ₴369

$5.72 ₴257

43.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.19 ₴1,401

$24.15 ₴1,085

29.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 ₴267

$4.51 ₴203

31.71%

Cappuccino

$1.62 ₴72.7

$1.30 ₴58.6

24.62%

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

$0.62 ₴27.89

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₴20.53

$0.45 ₴20.25

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₴50.4

$0.88 ₴39.47

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₴82.4

$1.67 ₴75.0

9.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 ₴58.3

$0.95 ₴42.61

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₴35.03

$0.65 ₴29.09

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 ₴82.7

$1.24 ₴55.8

48.39%

Eggs

$1.96 ₴88.2

$1.66 ₴74.7

18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 ₴445

$8.00 ₴359

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₴197

$3.76 ₴169

16.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 ₴345

$5.26 ₴236

46.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 ₴46.03

$0.80 ₴35.83

27.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₴71.6

$1.20 ₴54.1

32.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 ₴79.5

$1.29 ₴58.0

37.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₴104

$1.54 ₴69.0

50.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₴38.43

$0.39 ₴17.63

120.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₴26.85

$0.55 ₴24.68

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ₴61.6

$0.71 ₴31.69

92.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₴24.34

$0.57 ₴25.70

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₴132

$2.09 ₴94.1

40.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ₴258

$5.07 ₴228

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₴40.70

$0.85 ₴38.11

7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₴73.0

$1.61 ₴72.5

0.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₴9.65

$0.23 ₴10.29

-8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.62 ₴432

$14.34 ₴644

-32.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 ₴94.2

$1.89 ₴85.1

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₴15.69

$0.15 ₴6.57

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 ₴191

$4.38 ₴197

-2.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₴64.0

$1.29 ₴58.0

10.08%

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

$31.2K ₴1.4M

$27.5K ₴1.2M

13.76%

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

$25.0K ₴1.1M

$20.3K ₴912.1K

22.97%

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

$111 ₴4,989

$92.5 ₴4,153

20.12%

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

$5.65 ₴254

$4.31 ₴194

31.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.96 ₴313

$4.94 ₴222

40.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ₴1,665

$13.30 ₴597

178.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.42 ₴738

$9.21 ₴414

78.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 ₴211

$4.75 ₴213

-1.05%

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

$377 ₴16.9K

$275 ₴12.4K

37.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,761 ₴348.7K

$7,732 ₴347.4K

0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 ₴3,080

$69.5 ₴3,123

-1.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.94 ₴1,614

$26.46 ₴1,189

35.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₴4,630

$79.1 ₴3,555

30.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₴5,119

$81.9 ₴3,679

39.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 ₴27.0K

$260 ₴11.7K

131.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₴15.7K

$159 ₴7,122

120.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₴57.9K

$440 ₴19.8K

192.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 ₴27.7K

$312 ₴14.0K

97.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,621 ₴117.7K

$906 ₴40.7K

189.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,148 ₴51.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₴34.0K

$457 ₴20.5K

65.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.34

17.5

10.51%

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

Last update for Kyiv: June 7, 2026

Last update for Poltava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Kyiv and $260 in Poltava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 66% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kyiv vs $24.00 in Poltava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $140 per month, with Poltava cheaper across the board.

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 Poltava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poltava is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kyiv pays 66% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $602 in Kyiv versus $260 in Poltava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Kyiv. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Poltava – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $31.00 in Kyiv. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Poltava versus $986 in Kyiv, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Poltava but tight or insufficient in Kyiv. The gap between the two cities makes Poltava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Poltava is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kyiv, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kyiv and Poltava are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Poltava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Kyiv. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.