Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poltava and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Poltava: $784 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Poltava
Learn more

Poltava Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Poltava

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$784

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poltava and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $784 per month in Poltava vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Poltava $784
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,003 per month in Poltava vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Poltava $1,003
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,222 per month in Poltava vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Poltava $1,222
Istanbul $3,212

Poltava is about 48% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Poltava sits 42% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 ₴245

$11.81 ₺592

-54.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.27 ₴1,469

$54.9 ₺2,754

-41.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₴343

$9.26 ₺465

-18.57%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₴77.7

$4.30 ₺216

-60.23%

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

$0.78 ₴35.44

$1.77 ₺89.0

-55.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.65

$0.56 ₺28.32

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ₴43.28

$4.69 ₺235

-79.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₴91.4

$7.12 ₺357

-71.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₴54.0

$1.25 ₺62.7

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₴34.16

$0.88 ₺44.17

-14.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 ₴66.9

$2.20 ₺111

-33.18%

Eggs

$1.93 ₴88.0

$2.43 ₺122

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 ₴420

$10.48 ₺526

-12.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ₴233

$5.31 ₺267

-3.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.75 ₴307

$21.10 ₺1,058

-68.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₴53.4

$1.86 ₺93.1

-37.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₴69.3

$2.30 ₺115

-33.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 ₴85.4

$1.22 ₺61.0

54.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₴61.4

$1.80 ₺90.2

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ₴20.87

$0.69 ₺34.83

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.27 ₴12.41

$0.64 ₺32.16

-57.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ₴65.9

$1.36 ₺68.0

6.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₴29.98

$0.58 ₺28.94

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₴160

$2.34 ₺117

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ₴228

$13.03 ₺653

-61.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₴37.68

$2.36 ₺118

-64.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₴64.0

$3.32 ₺166

-57.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₴22.32

$0.88 ₺44.07

-44.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.85 ₴1,314

$66.1 ₺3,316

-56.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₴97.3

$1.28 ₺64.4

67.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₴23.94

$0.85 ₺42.80

-37.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 ₴220

$11.09 ₺556

-56.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₴66.8

$1.48 ₺74.0

-0.68%

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

$30.1K ₴1.4M

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-38.16%

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

$25.0K ₴1.1M

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-40.46%

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

$61.3 ₴2,789

$92.7 ₺4,650

-33.93%

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

$4.72 ₴215

$11.20 ₺562

-57.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.00 ₴182

$15.89 ₺797

-74.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.72 ₴1,308

$74.7 ₺3,745

-61.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 ₴325

$22.95 ₺1,151

-68.85%

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 ₴142

$8.05 ₺404

-61.24%

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

$272 ₴12.4K

$948 ₺47.6K

-71.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,852 ₴175.4K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-89.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 ₴2,783

$53.9 ₺2,702

13.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 ₴1,830

$41.49 ₺2,081

-3.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ₴2,975

$101 ₺5,060

-35.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 ₴3,722

$91.3 ₺4,580

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ₴13.8K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₴12.0K

$625 ₺31.3K

-57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,181 ₴53.8K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-60.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$842 ₴38.3K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-51.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$459 ₴20.9K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-59.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

40.42

-55.89%

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

Last update for Poltava: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poltava

$264 33.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 137% $361

Groceries & Markets

Poltava

$168 21.4%

Istanbul

$258 17% 53.5% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Poltava

$112 14.3%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 15.8% $18

Eating Out

Poltava

$100 12.8%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 120% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poltava

$70 8.9%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 71.2% $50

Getting Around

Poltava

$36 4.5%

Istanbul

$75 5% 111% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Poltava

$35 4.5%

Istanbul

$91 6% 160% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $304 in Poltava versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Poltava versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $258 – making Poltava the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Poltava

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

1 h ahead of Poltava

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,600

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.96 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 51.12 UAH (100 UAH = 1.96 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to UAH in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Poltava Istanbul 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Poltava
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,177 per month in Poltava and $2,278 in Istanbul. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $304 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $272 per month in Poltava and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Poltava. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.