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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $650 per month in Poltava vs $678 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,012 per month in Poltava vs $1,067 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,374 per month in Poltava vs $1,456 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Poltava is about 4% cheaper than Kharkiv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Poltava and Kharkiv are more affordable than the global median – Poltava 51% lower, Kharkiv 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 ₴253

$7.08 ₴312

-18.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.97 ₴1,057

$27.07 ₴1,193

-11.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₴206

$6.20 ₴273

-24.68%

Cappuccino

$1.29 ₴56.9

$1.29 ₴57.0

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

$0.64 ₴28.07

$0.65 ₴28.60

-1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₴20.19

$0.44 ₴19.35

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ₴38.86

$1.01 ₴44.58

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₴72.3

$1.53 ₴67.6

7.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₴44.82

$1.11 ₴48.97

-8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 ₴29.14

$0.58 ₴25.42

13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ₴56.6

$1.27 ₴56.1

0.79%

Eggs

$1.71 ₴75.4

$1.61 ₴71.0

6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 ₴362

$7.95 ₴351

3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ₴167

$4.04 ₴178

-6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.31 ₴234

$6.56 ₴289

-19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$0.78 ₴34.23

$0.84 ₴36.86

-7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ₴53.0

$1.61 ₴71.1

-25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ₴56.2

$1.91 ₴84.0

-33.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₴67.9

$2.26 ₴99.7

-31.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 ₴17.59

$0.62 ₴27.25

-35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₴24.24

$0.52 ₴22.71

5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₴28.89

$0.99 ₴43.63

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴25.81

$0.57 ₴25.31

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 ₴89.9

$2.60 ₴115

-21.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 ₴226

$4.66 ₴205

10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₴39.25

$0.81 ₴35.76

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₴70.3

$1.33 ₴58.4

20.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₴11.06

$0.37 ₴16.52

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.29 ₴630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ₴87.4

$1.43 ₴63.1

38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₴7.87

$0.25 ₴11.09

-28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 ₴197

$2.86 ₴126

56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₴57.6

$1.35 ₴59.3

-2.96%

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

$27.1K ₴1.2M

$27.4K ₴1.2M

-1.22%

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

$20.3K ₴894.2K

$23.8K ₴1.1M

-14.92%

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

$93.5 ₴4,122

$115 ₴5,065

-18.62%

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

$4.54 ₴200

$5.53 ₴244

-17.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.82 ₴212

$6.20 ₴273

-22.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.63 ₴601

$25.49 ₴1,124

-46.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.32 ₴411

$15.57 ₴686

-40.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 ₴209

$4.89 ₴215

-3.27%

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

$269 ₴11.9K

$354 ₴15.6K

-23.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,611 ₴335.4K

$3,237 ₴142.7K

135.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ₴3,078

$56.2 ₴2,475

24.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.97 ₴1,145

$40.60 ₴1,789

-36.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 ₴3,411

$83.4 ₴3,676

-7.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ₴3,669

$103 ₴4,524

-18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₴11.5K

$183 ₴8,075

42.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₴6,960

$130 ₴5,713

21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ₴19.2K

$365 ₴16.1K

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 ₴14.1K

$244 ₴10.8K

30.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$904 ₴39.8K

$1,086 ₴47.8K

-16.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$594 ₴26.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 ₴19.6K

$459 ₴20.2K

-3.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.5

2.94%

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

Last update for Poltava: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Poltava versus $183 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 3% 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 $24.00 in Poltava versus $27.00 in Kharkiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $155 – making Poltava 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 4% more than Poltava, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $974 per month in Poltava and $1,017 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 $24.00 in Poltava and $27.00 in Kharkiv. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Kharkiv, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $650 in Poltava and $678 in Kharkiv, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Poltava costs $650 versus $678 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.