Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poltava and Kharkiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Kharkiv: $722 a month against $786 in Poltava, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Poltava
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Poltava Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kharkiv
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Kharkiv Living Index

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Poltava

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$786

/mo nomad

Kharkiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poltava and in Kharkiv

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

A single person spends $786 per month in Poltava vs $722 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Poltava $786
Kharkiv $722

A couple spends around $1,005 per month in Poltava vs $1,072 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Poltava $1,005
Kharkiv $1,072

A family of three spends $1,225 per month in Poltava vs $1,421 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Poltava $1,225
Kharkiv $1,421

Poltava costs about 9% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Poltava and Kharkiv are more affordable than the global median – Poltava 42% lower, Kharkiv 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 ₴246

$6.54 ₴298

-17.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.94 ₴1,502

$30.03 ₴1,369

9.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 ₴352

$4.82 ₴220

59.96%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ₴77.7

$1.64 ₴75.0

3.66%

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

$0.72 ₴32.82

$1.04 ₴47.63

-30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₴24.48

$0.50 ₴22.64

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ₴43.52

$0.96 ₴43.96

-1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₴90.9

$1.67 ₴76.0

19.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₴50.9

$1.09 ₴49.56

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₴34.29

$0.68 ₴31.07

10.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ₴65.4

$1.22 ₴55.7

18.03%

Eggs

$2.04 ₴93.0

$1.65 ₴75.1

23.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 ₴435

$8.34 ₴380

14.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 ₴241

$4.07 ₴186

29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.50 ₴296

$7.14 ₴326

-8.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₴55.3

$1.33 ₴60.5

-9.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 ₴67.8

$1.51 ₴68.9

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ₴81.0

$1.57 ₴71.5

13.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ₴60.9

$2.10 ₴95.9

-36.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 ₴19.22

$0.72 ₴32.93

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.27 ₴12.44

$0.54 ₴24.76

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ₴65.5

$1.20 ₴54.9

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₴27.77

$0.60 ₴27.30

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₴150

$2.72 ₴124

21.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.81 ₴219

$4.32 ₴197

11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₴36.02

$0.83 ₴37.86

-4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₴62.1

$1.19 ₴54.5

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₴21.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.07 ₴1,326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₴98.4

$1.34 ₴61.2

61.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₴20.70

$0.32 ₴14.54

40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 ₴214

$2.13 ₴97.3

119.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₴64.7

$1.80 ₴82.1

-21.11%

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

$30.1K ₴1.4M

$30.3K ₴1.4M

-0.65%

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

$24.4K ₴1.1M

$23.7K ₴1.1M

2.88%

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

$60.6 ₴2,764

$95.7 ₴4,365

-36.69%

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

$4.97 ₴227

$5.93 ₴271

-16.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.66 ₴212

$6.78 ₴309

-31.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.05 ₴1,279

$24.11 ₴1,099

16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.30 ₴333

$13.50 ₴616

-45.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 ₴137

$4.62 ₴211

-35.06%

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

$279 ₴12.7K

$274 ₴12.5K

1.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ₴673.7K

$2,659 ₴121.2K

455.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ₴2,847

$55.5 ₴2,529

12.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.59 ₴1,805

$41.95 ₴1,913

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.5 ₴2,940

$87.9 ₴4,007

-26.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₴3,842

$104 ₴4,745

-19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 ₴13.8K

$274 ₴12.5K

10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₴12.1K

$188 ₴8,551

41.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₴22.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 ₴9,381

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 ₴54.8K

$1,043 ₴47.5K

15.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$826 ₴37.7K

$595 ₴27.1K

38.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 ₴19.0K

$516 ₴23.5K

-19.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.88

17.89

-0.06%

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

Last update for Poltava: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poltava

$265 33.8%

Kharkiv

$188 26% 29.4% $78

Groceries & Markets

Poltava

$167 21.3%

Kharkiv

$159 22% 4.9% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Poltava

$113 14.4%

Kharkiv

$130 18% 15.4% $17

Eating Out

Poltava

$101 12.8%

Kharkiv

$101 14% 0.3% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poltava

$70 8.9%

Kharkiv

$108 15% 54.4% $38

Getting Around

Poltava

$35 4.5%

Kharkiv

$2.9 * 0.4% 91.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Poltava

$34 4.3%

Kharkiv

$33 4.6% 2.1% $0.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $303 in Poltava versus $274 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 24% higher in Kharkiv, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Poltava versus $30 in Kharkiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $159 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Poltava

🇺🇦 Kharkiv

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

Same time as Poltava

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,600

1,447,652

💱 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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Poltava Kharkiv 130 km

From you

Poltava
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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 Kharkiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poltava costs about 9% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,178 per month in Poltava and $1,083 in Kharkiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kharkiv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $303 in Poltava.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Poltava and $30 in Kharkiv. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Poltava, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Kharkiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $722 in Kharkiv to $786 in Poltava. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.