Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poltava and Kyiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Poltava: $786 a month against $996 in Kyiv, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Poltava
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Poltava Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
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Kyiv Living Index

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Poltava

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$786

/mo nomad

Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poltava and in Kyiv

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $786 in Poltava versus $996 in Kyiv.

Poltava $786
Kyiv $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,005 in Poltava versus $1,575 in Kyiv.

Poltava $1,005
Kyiv $1,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,225 in Poltava versus $2,153 in Kyiv.

Poltava $1,225
Kyiv $2,153

Living in Poltava costs roughly 21% less than in Kyiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Poltava 42% lower, Kyiv 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 ₴246

$10.78 ₴492

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.94 ₴1,502

$32.91 ₴1,501

0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 ₴352

$7.54 ₴344

2.25%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ₴77.7

$1.81 ₴82.4

-6.08%

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

$0.72 ₴32.82

$0.76 ₴34.87

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₴24.48

$0.59 ₴26.73

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ₴43.52

$1.34 ₴61.0

-29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₴90.9

$1.99 ₴90.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₴50.9

$1.34 ₴60.9

-16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₴34.29

$0.83 ₴37.76

-9.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ₴65.4

$1.49 ₴67.9

-3.36%

Eggs

$2.04 ₴93.0

$2.03 ₴92.8

0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 ₴435

$10.09 ₴460

-5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 ₴241

$5.11 ₴233

3.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.50 ₴296

$8.65 ₴394

-24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₴55.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 ₴67.8

$1.56 ₴71.3

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ₴81.0

$1.84 ₴84.0

-3.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ₴60.9

$2.69 ₴123

-50.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 ₴19.22

$0.58 ₴26.26

-27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.27 ₴12.44

$0.45 ₴20.48

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ₴65.5

$1.48 ₴67.6

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₴27.77

$0.64 ₴29.30

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₴150

$3.35 ₴153

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.81 ₴219

$5.42 ₴247

-11.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₴36.02

$0.91 ₴41.57

-13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₴62.1

$1.35 ₴61.6

0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₴21.35

$0.69 ₴31.29

-31.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.07 ₴1,326

$12.38 ₴565

134.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₴98.4

$2.21 ₴101

-2.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₴20.70

$0.45 ₴20.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 ₴214

$4.70 ₴214

-0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₴64.7

$1.82 ₴82.8

-21.98%

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

$30.1K ₴1.4M

$30.9K ₴1.4M

-2.78%

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

$24.4K ₴1.1M

$25.2K ₴1.1M

-3.00%

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

$60.6 ₴2,764

$96.8 ₴4,416

-37.42%

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

$4.97 ₴227

$6.86 ₴313

-27.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.66 ₴212

$6.30 ₴287

-26.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.05 ₴1,279

$37.13 ₴1,693

-24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.30 ₴333

$18.04 ₴823

-59.53%

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 ₴137

$5.60 ₴255

-46.43%

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

$279 ₴12.7K

$424 ₴19.4K

-34.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ₴673.7K

$15.1K ₴689.0K

-2.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ₴2,847

$73.2 ₴3,338

-14.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.59 ₴1,805

$39.13 ₴1,784

1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.5 ₴2,940

$94.9 ₴4,328

-32.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₴3,842

$118 ₴5,387

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 ₴13.8K

$647 ₴29.5K

-53.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₴12.1K

$337 ₴15.4K

-21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₴63.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ₴29.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 ₴54.8K

$2,590 ₴118.1K

-53.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$826 ₴37.7K

$1,160 ₴52.9K

-28.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 ₴19.0K

$820 ₴37.4K

-49.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.88

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

Last update for Poltava: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poltava

$265 33.8%

Kyiv

$337 33.8% 26.9% $71

Groceries & Markets

Poltava

$167 21.3%

Kyiv

$188 18.9% 12.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Poltava

$113 14.4%

Kyiv

$146 14.7% 29.8% $34

Eating Out

Poltava

$101 12.8%

Kyiv

$147 14.7% 45.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poltava

$70 8.9%

Kyiv

$110 11% 56.6% $40

Getting Around

Poltava

$35 4.5%

Kyiv

$20 2% 44.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Poltava

$34 4.3%

Kyiv

$48 4.9% 41.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $303 in Poltava and $647 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 97% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33 in Poltava vs $33 in Kyiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $188 per month, with Poltava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Poltava

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

Same time as Poltava

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,600

2,908,249 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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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 Kyiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poltava is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Poltava. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $303 in Poltava versus $647 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Poltava versus $424 in Kyiv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Kyiv runs roughly 57% less than in Poltava. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Poltava wins on affordability, Kyiv on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.