Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sumy and Kharkiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Kharkiv: $722 a month against $941 in Sumy, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Sumy
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Sumy Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kharkiv
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Kharkiv Living Index

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Sumy

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$941

/mo nomad

Kharkiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sumy 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 Sumy and in Kharkiv actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $941 per month in Sumy vs $722 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Sumy $941
Kharkiv $722

A couple spends around $1,610 per month in Sumy vs $1,072 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Sumy $1,610
Kharkiv $1,072

A family of three spends $2,279 per month in Sumy vs $1,421 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Sumy $2,279
Kharkiv $1,421

Sumy costs about 30% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sumy and Kharkiv are more affordable than the global median – Sumy 31% lower, Kharkiv 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 ₴496

$6.54 ₴298

66.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.99 ₴1,502

$30.03 ₴1,367

9.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₴341

$4.82 ₴219

55.39%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₴81.7

$1.64 ₴74.8

9.76%

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

$0.78 ₴35.63

$1.04 ₴47.56

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₴24.28

$0.50 ₴22.60

6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₴60.7

$0.96 ₴43.90

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₴88.4

$1.67 ₴75.9

16.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ₴58.1

$1.09 ₴49.48

16.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ₴38.32

$0.68 ₴31.02

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ₴64.8

$1.22 ₴55.6

16.39%

Eggs

$1.95 ₴88.6

$1.65 ₴75.0

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 ₴461

$8.34 ₴380

21.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ₴241

$4.07 ₴185

29.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 ₴385

$7.14 ₴325

18.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ₴53.7

$1.33 ₴60.4

-11.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₴68.6

$1.51 ₴68.8

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 ₴82.3

$1.57 ₴71.4

15.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 ₴122

$2.10 ₴95.8

28.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₴26.53

$0.72 ₴32.88

-19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₴20.12

$0.54 ₴24.72

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₴67.4

$1.20 ₴54.8

23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴26.89

$0.60 ₴27.26

-1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ₴130

$2.72 ₴124

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ₴249

$4.32 ₴197

26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₴38.84

$0.83 ₴37.80

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₴43.65

$1.19 ₴54.4

-19.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₴14.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.23 ₴420

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₴100

$1.34 ₴61.1

64.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ₴20.95

$0.32 ₴14.52

43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 ₴191

$2.13 ₴97.2

97.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₴71.5

$1.80 ₴82.0

-12.78%

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

$30.6K ₴1.4M

$30.3K ₴1.4M

0.88%

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

$24.1K ₴1.1M

$23.7K ₴1.1M

1.40%

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

$99.1 ₴4,510

$95.7 ₴4,358

3.49%

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

$6.80 ₴310

$5.93 ₴270

14.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.53 ₴297

$6.78 ₴309

-3.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.27 ₴1,378

$24.11 ₴1,098

25.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.95 ₴954

$13.50 ₴615

55.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.60 ₴164

$4.62 ₴210

-22.08%

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

$229 ₴10.4K

$274 ₴12.5K

-16.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ₴682.6K

$2,659 ₴121.0K

463.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 ₴3,262

$55.5 ₴2,525

29.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 ₴1,384

$41.95 ₴1,910

-27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 ₴4,306

$87.9 ₴4,001

7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₴5,264

$104 ₴4,738

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₴24.8K

$274 ₴12.5K

98.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 ₴13.8K

$188 ₴8,538

61.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 ₴45.2K

$496 ₴22.6K

100.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 ₴37.4K

$206 ₴9,366

299.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,081 ₴49.2K

$1,043 ₴47.5K

3.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$845 ₴38.5K

$595 ₴27.1K

41.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$378 ₴17.2K

$516 ₴23.5K

-26.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.9

17.89

-11.12%

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

Last update for Sumy: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sumy

$303 32.2%

Kharkiv

$188 26% 38.1% $116

Groceries & Markets

Sumy

$185 19.7%

Kharkiv

$159 22% 14.2% $26

Eating Out

Sumy

$147 15.6%

Kharkiv

$101 14% 31.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Sumy

$141 14.9%

Kharkiv

$130 18% 7.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sumy

$112 12%

Kharkiv

$108 15% 3.5% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Sumy

$37 4%

Kharkiv

$33 4.6% 11% $4.1

Getting Around

Sumy

$15 1.6%

Kharkiv

$2.9 * 0.4% 80.4% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Sumy 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 37% 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 Sumy versus $30 in Kharkiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $159 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Sumy

🇺🇦 Kharkiv

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

Same time as Sumy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,633

1,447,652

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sumy Kharkiv 140 km

From you

Sumy
Kharkiv

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

Sumy vs Kharkiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sumy costs about 30% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,411 per month in Sumy 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 $544 in Sumy.

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

Groceries cost about 17% more in Sumy, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kharkiv, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Sumy at $941. In Kharkiv it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sumy it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kharkiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $722 in Kharkiv to $941 in Sumy. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.