Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poltava and Lviv

For one person, living is cheaper in Poltava: $786 a month against $1,052 in Lviv, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Poltava, Ukraine
Lviv, Ukraine
Poltava
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$786
/mo nomad
Lviv
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$1,052
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poltava and in Lviv

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $786 in Poltava versus $1,052 in Lviv.

  • Poltava $786
  • Lviv $1,052

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,005 in Poltava versus $1,596 in Lviv.

  • Poltava $1,005
  • Lviv $1,596

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,225 in Poltava versus $2,140 in Lviv.

  • Poltava $1,225
  • Lviv $2,140

Living in Poltava costs roughly 25% less than in Lviv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Poltava 42% lower, Lviv 23% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.39 ₴246
$6.70 ₴306
-19.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.94 ₴1,502
$35.52 ₴1,620
-7.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.71 ₴352
$6.49 ₴296
18.80%
Cappuccino
$1.70 ₴77.7
$2.23 ₴102
-23.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₴32.82
$1.37 ₴62.4
-47.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₴24.48
$1.33 ₴60.7
-59.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.95 ₴43.52
$2.36 ₴107
-59.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ₴90.9
$2.98 ₴136
-33.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 ₴50.9
$1.22 ₴55.6
-8.20%
White Bread (500g)
$0.75 ₴34.29
$0.87 ₴39.66
-13.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 ₴65.4
$1.72 ₴78.4
-16.28%
Eggs
$2.04 ₴93.0
$2.09 ₴95.1
-2.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.55 ₴435
$8.97 ₴409
6.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.28 ₴241
$4.74 ₴216
11.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.50 ₴296
$7.48 ₴341
-13.10%
Apples (1kg)
$1.21 ₴55.3
$1.32 ₴60.4
-8.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 ₴67.8
$1.59 ₴72.5
-6.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ₴81.0
$1.70 ₴77.3
4.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 ₴60.9
$2.48 ₴113
-45.97%
Potato (1kg)
$0.42 ₴19.22
$0.81 ₴36.78
-48.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.27 ₴12.44
$0.53 ₴24.03
-49.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 ₴65.5
$1.52 ₴69.2
-5.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ₴27.77
$0.56 ₴25.72
8.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 ₴150
$3.15 ₴144
4.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.81 ₴219
$6.63 ₴302
-27.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ₴36.02
$0.91 ₴41.28
-13.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 ₴62.1
$1.61 ₴73.3
-15.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.47 ₴21.35
$0.53 ₴24.23
-11.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.07 ₴1,326
$19.67 ₴897
47.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.16 ₴98.4
$2.86 ₴130
-24.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.45 ₴20.70
$0.32 ₴14.39
40.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.68 ₴214
$4.10 ₴187
14.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ₴64.7
$1.73 ₴79.1
-17.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.1K ₴1.4M
$31.0K ₴1.4M
-2.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K ₴1.1M
$24.3K ₴1.1M
0.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.6 ₴2,764
$84.4 ₴3,849
-28.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.97 ₴227
$5.95 ₴271
-16.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$4.66 ₴212
$7.46 ₴340
-37.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.05 ₴1,279
$29.30 ₴1,336
-4.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.30 ₴333
$13.91 ₴635
-47.52%
Cinema Ticket
$3.00 ₴137
$4.92 ₴224
-39.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$279 ₴12.7K
$334 ₴15.3K
-16.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ₴673.7K
$7,023 ₴320.2K
110.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ₴2,847
$86.5 ₴3,943
-27.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.59 ₴1,805
$42.20 ₴1,924
-6.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.5 ₴2,940
$94.5 ₴4,307
-31.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.3 ₴3,842
$97.9 ₴4,465
-13.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$303 ₴13.8K
$590 ₴26.9K
-48.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$265 ₴12.1K
$435 ₴19.8K
-38.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,088 ₴49.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$718 ₴32.8K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,202 ₴54.8K
$2,025 ₴92.3K
-40.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$826 ₴37.7K
$1,295 ₴59.0K
-36.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Poltava
Lviv
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$416 ₴19.0K
$636 ₴29.0K
-34.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
17.88
14.67
21.88%

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

Last update for Poltava: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lviv: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Poltava
$265
Lviv
$435 63.7% $169
Groceries & Markets
Poltava
$167
Lviv
$182 8.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Poltava
$113
Lviv
$144 28% $32
Eating Out
Poltava
$101
Lviv
$128 27.7% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poltava
$70
Lviv
$98 39.3% $28
Getting Around
Poltava
$35
Lviv
$26 25.8% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Poltava
$34
Lviv
$39 14.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $303 in Poltava and $590 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lviv pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33 in Poltava vs $36 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $182 per month, with Poltava cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇦 Poltava
🇺🇦 Lviv
🕒 Local time
17:13 5:13 PM
17:13 5:13 PM
Same time as Poltava
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
297,600
728,350
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 45.6 UAH (100 UAH = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 50.89 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Poltava Lviv 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Poltava
  • Lviv

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 Lviv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Poltava and in Lviv?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $786 in Poltava and $1,052 in Lviv, so Poltava is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 35% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Poltava and in Lviv?
Rent for a central apartment: $303 in Poltava versus $590 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Poltava and Lviv?
Childcare runs $279 in Poltava versus $334 in Lviv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lviv. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Poltava and Lviv?
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.
Is Poltava or Lviv safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Poltava and Lviv are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Poltava and Lviv?
It comes down to priorities – Poltava wins on affordability, Lviv on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Poltava vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?