Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poltava and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Poltava: $750 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Poltava
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Poltava Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Poltava

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$750

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poltava and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $750 per month in Poltava vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Poltava $750
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $954 per month in Poltava vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Poltava $954
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,157 per month in Poltava vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Poltava $1,157
Budapest $3,429

Poltava is about 54% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Poltava sits 44% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.45 ₴245

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-60.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.82 ₴1,473

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-46.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ₴356

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-22.28%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₴75.6

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-48.47%

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

$0.77 ₴34.71

$2.14 Ft 690

-64.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.44

$1.78 Ft 577

-66.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₴42.20

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-74.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₴88.5

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-47.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ₴48.39

$1.15 Ft 371

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₴34.23

$1.79 Ft 578

-57.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ₴66.9

$2.49 Ft 804

-40.16%

Eggs

$1.95 ₴87.6

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 ₴430

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.23 ₴235

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 ₴297

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-54.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 ₴55.9

$1.83 Ft 591

-31.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₴69.0

$2.05 Ft 661

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ₴82.3

$2.37 Ft 765

-22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₴58.9

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-66.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ₴20.45

$0.99 Ft 320

-53.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 ₴12.67

$1.00 Ft 322

-72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ₴65.2

$1.58 Ft 511

-8.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₴29.37

$0.67 Ft 216

-2.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₴152

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-57.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ₴225

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-19.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₴35.16

$1.27 Ft 411

-38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₴64.1

$2.03 Ft 654

-29.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₴14.20

$1.52 Ft 490

-78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 ₴102

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-31.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ₴18.80

$1.37 Ft 442

-69.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ₴196

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-78.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₴66.7

$1.82 Ft 589

-18.13%

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

$28.7K ₴1.3M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-3.54%

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

$21.8K ₴976.8K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-35.64%

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

$62.4 ₴2,800

$171 Ft 55.3K

-63.55%

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

$4.89 ₴220

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-79.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.67 ₴209

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-79.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.06 ₴900

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-70.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.36 ₴330

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-61.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₴139

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-66.67%

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

$277 ₴12.4K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-48.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₴677.5K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-9.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 ₴2,756

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-38.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 ₴1,779

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-8.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₴2,943

$110 Ft 35.7K

-40.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 ₴3,842

$119 Ft 38.4K

-28.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 ₴14.0K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-62.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₴11.8K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$881 ₴39.6K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-84.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 ₴18.9K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-74.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.88

6.45

177.21%

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

Last update for Poltava: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poltava

$263 35%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 137% $359

Groceries & Markets

Poltava

$169 22.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 52.9% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Poltava

$113 15.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 47.7% $54

Eating Out

Poltava

$102 13.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 119% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poltava

$72 9.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 203% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Poltava

$26 3.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 228% $60

Getting Around

Poltava

$5.6 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 686% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $311 in Poltava versus $830 in Budapest. 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 292% higher in Budapest, 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 $33.00 in Poltava versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $258 – making Poltava the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Poltava

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

1 h behind Poltava

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,600

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to UAH in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Poltava Budapest 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Poltava
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Poltava vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,125 per month in Poltava and $2,428 in Budapest. 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 $33.00 in Poltava and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Poltava, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Poltava it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Poltava – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.