Cost of Living Comparison Between Poltava and Kharkiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Poltava and Kharkiv

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $483 per month in Poltava vs $691 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A couple spends around $816 per month in Poltava vs $1,079 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,149 per month in Poltava vs $1,467 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Poltava is about 30% cheaper than Kharkiv, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Poltava and Kharkiv are more affordable than the global median – Poltava 65% lower, Kharkiv 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 ₴256

$6.74 ₴300

-14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.69 ₴1,501

$31.20 ₴1,390

7.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ₴308

$5.06 ₴226

36.56%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ₴76.6

$1.55 ₴69.2

10.97%

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

$0.79 ₴35.18

$1.07 ₴47.87

-26.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₴24.65

$0.52 ₴22.95

5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ₴42.46

$0.98 ₴43.72

-3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₴92.2

$1.72 ₴76.5

20.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₴48.51

$1.12 ₴50.0

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₴34.13

$0.69 ₴30.78

11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ₴66.3

$1.25 ₴55.5

19.20%

Eggs

$2.04 ₴90.7

$1.74 ₴77.7

17.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 ₴426

$8.24 ₴367

16.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 ₴239

$4.31 ₴192

24.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ₴299

$7.40 ₴330

-9.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₴53.0

$1.41 ₴62.9

-15.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₴66.7

$1.57 ₴70.1

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ₴81.3

$1.70 ₴75.7

7.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 ₴59.2

$2.07 ₴92.3

-35.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ₴20.82

$0.72 ₴31.87

-34.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 ₴12.55

$0.53 ₴23.53

-47.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₴62.3

$1.23 ₴54.6

13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₴29.31

$0.57 ₴25.52

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₴153

$2.78 ₴124

23.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ₴228

$4.42 ₴197

15.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₴37.73

$0.79 ₴35.21

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₴63.7

$1.31 ₴58.5

9.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₴11.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 ₴98.9

$1.38 ₴61.3

60.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ₴19.51

$0.33 ₴14.53

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ₴194

$2.31 ₴103

88.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₴60.8

$1.76 ₴78.4

-22.73%

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

$29.2K ₴1.3M

$29.6K ₴1.3M

-1.24%

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

$22.3K ₴993.0K

$22.4K ₴997.4K

-0.44%

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

$63.5 ₴2,830

$97.1 ₴4,325

-34.57%

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

$4.31 ₴192

$6.08 ₴271

-29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.79 ₴213

$7.31 ₴326

-34.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.48 ₴779

$22.27 ₴992

-21.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.51 ₴245

$15.36 ₴684

-64.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 ₴141

$4.80 ₴214

-34.17%

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

$283 ₴12.6K

$289 ₴12.9K

-2.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₴661.8K

$2,857 ₴127.3K

420.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ₴2,806

$56.5 ₴2,519

11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 ₴1,806

$40.83 ₴1,819

-0.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 ₴2,963

$93.6 ₴4,170

-28.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 ₴3,773

$98.0 ₴4,368

-13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₴14.2K

$249 ₴11.1K

28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₴6,423

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 ₴23.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 ₴9,385

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$899 ₴40.1K

$1,058 ₴47.1K

-14.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 ₴25.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$418 ₴18.6K

$537 ₴23.9K

-22.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

17.89

2.01%

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

Last update for Poltava: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Poltava versus $249 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 28% higher in Kharkiv, 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 $34.00 in Poltava versus $31.00 in Kharkiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $163 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kharkiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kharkiv costs about 43% more than Poltava, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $724 per month in Poltava and $1,036 in Kharkiv. 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 $34.00 in Poltava and $31.00 in Kharkiv. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Kharkiv – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $483 in Poltava and $691 in Kharkiv, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Poltava costs $483 versus $691 in Kharkiv. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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