Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Poltava

For one person, living is cheaper in Poltava: $786 a month against $996 in Kyiv, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
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Kyiv Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Poltava
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Poltava Living Index

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Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$996

/mo nomad

Poltava

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyiv and in Poltava

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 Poltava actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Kyiv versus $786 in Poltava.

Kyiv $996
Poltava $786

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,575 in Kyiv versus $1,005 in Poltava.

Kyiv $1,575
Poltava $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,153 in Kyiv versus $1,225 in Poltava.

Kyiv $2,153
Poltava $1,225

Living in Kyiv is roughly 27% more expensive than in Poltava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 27% lower, Poltava 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 ₴492

$5.39 ₴246

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.91 ₴1,501

$32.94 ₴1,502

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₴344

$7.71 ₴352

-2.20%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₴82.4

$1.70 ₴77.7

6.47%

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

$0.76 ₴34.87

$0.72 ₴32.82

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.73

$0.54 ₴24.48

9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₴61.0

$0.95 ₴43.52

41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₴90.8

$1.99 ₴90.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₴60.9

$1.12 ₴50.9

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₴37.76

$0.75 ₴34.29

10.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ₴67.9

$1.44 ₴65.4

3.47%

Eggs

$2.03 ₴92.8

$2.04 ₴93.0

-0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ₴460

$9.55 ₴435

5.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ₴233

$5.28 ₴241

-3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 ₴394

$6.50 ₴296

33.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₴55.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₴71.3

$1.49 ₴67.8

4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₴84.0

$1.78 ₴81.0

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 ₴123

$1.34 ₴60.9

100.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₴26.26

$0.42 ₴19.22

38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₴20.48

$0.27 ₴12.44

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₴67.6

$1.44 ₴65.5

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₴29.30

$0.61 ₴27.77

4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₴153

$3.30 ₴150

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 ₴247

$4.81 ₴219

12.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₴41.57

$0.79 ₴36.02

15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₴61.6

$1.36 ₴62.1

-0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₴31.29

$0.47 ₴21.35

46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 ₴565

$29.07 ₴1,326

-57.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₴101

$2.16 ₴98.4

2.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₴20.72

$0.45 ₴20.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 ₴214

$4.68 ₴214

0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 ₴82.8

$1.42 ₴64.7

28.17%

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

$30.9K ₴1.4M

$30.1K ₴1.4M

2.86%

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

$25.2K ₴1.1M

$24.4K ₴1.1M

3.10%

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

$96.8 ₴4,416

$60.6 ₴2,764

59.79%

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

$6.86 ₴313

$4.97 ₴227

38.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.30 ₴287

$4.66 ₴212

35.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 ₴1,693

$28.05 ₴1,279

32.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 ₴823

$7.30 ₴333

147.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 ₴255

$3.00 ₴137

86.67%

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

$424 ₴19.4K

$279 ₴12.7K

52.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₴689.0K

$14.8K ₴673.7K

2.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 ₴3,338

$62.4 ₴2,847

17.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.13 ₴1,784

$39.59 ₴1,805

-1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 ₴4,328

$64.5 ₴2,940

47.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₴5,387

$84.3 ₴3,842

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₴29.5K

$303 ₴13.8K

113.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₴15.4K

$265 ₴12.1K

26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₴63.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ₴29.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,590 ₴118.1K

$1,202 ₴54.8K

115.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 ₴52.9K

$826 ₴37.7K

40.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ₴37.4K

$416 ₴19.0K

96.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.88

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

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Last update for Poltava: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyiv

$337 33.8%

Poltava

$265 33.8% 21.2% $71

Groceries & Markets

Kyiv

$188 18.9%

Poltava

$167 21.3% 11.2% $21

Eating Out

Kyiv

$147 14.7%

Poltava

$101 12.8% 31.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Kyiv

$146 14.7%

Poltava

$113 14.4% 22.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyiv

$110 11%

Poltava

$70 8.9% 36.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Kyiv

$48 4.9%

Poltava

$34 4.3% 29.5% $14

Getting Around

Kyiv

$20 2%

Poltava

$35 4.5% 80.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Kyiv and $303 in Poltava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 97% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33 in Kyiv vs $33 in Poltava. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $167, with Poltava cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🇺🇦 Poltava

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

Same time as Kyiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,908,249 Capital

297,600

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.19 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

100 UAH = 2.19 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 Poltava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poltava is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Kyiv, 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: $647 in Kyiv versus $303 in Poltava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in Kyiv versus $279 in Poltava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Kyiv runs roughly 57% less than in Poltava. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Poltava wins on affordability, Kyiv on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.