How Much Does It Cost to Live In Poland?
Poland is one of the larger countries in Central Europe, and its big cities like Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Krakow are huge tourist destinations in Europe and therefore attract many people.
There is no arguing Poland is significantly poorer than most European western counties.
However, even though you earn less, the cost of living is lower too.
The most expensive aspect of living in Poland is accommodation, and if you want to rent an apartment while on a tight budget, you’ll have to look somewhere outside of the major cities.
Poland : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
The food in Polish restaurants is excellent – both traditional Polish cuisine and international cuisine Poland offers are of an excellent standard and very well priced.
This means that if you want to have a decent meal in an inexpensive restaurant, you can eat for around 7$.
There’s always street food too as well as international fast-food chains.
MARKETS
Food is actually one of the things Polish people pride themselves on having extremely healthy, organic, and delicious food.
No wonder, really, since the country is to a large extent agriculture-strong.
This is why you can easily find healthy, non-processed, tasty, and cheap food there, both in supermarkets as well as in open markets, directly from the farmers.
TRANSPORTATION
Poland has a good public transport system and offers many transport options between the major cities.
As for public transport within the cities – it is very well organized and affordable for all.
For example, a one-way ticket for public transport costs less than a dollar, while a monthly pass costs around 25$.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
As far as utilities go, your bills won’t be exactly small, but the prices are not through the roof either.
It mostly depends on the size of your apartment and how much electricity you spend.
Basic utilities like electricity, water, gas, and garbage services in an apartment of 85m2 will cost you around 210$.
During winter, the bills might go up because of the heating.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Poland is really full of family-friendly opportunities and is a good ground for social activities.
There are obviously cinemas, theaters, and similar facilities, but also a lot of sports grounds, places to exercise, and parks, large and small.
Membership in a gym or a fitness club will cost you 28$, while a cinema ticket costs around 6$, depending on the seat and the day of the week.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Make no mistake, the fact that many things are cheap in this country does not mean that you’ll buy clothes and shoes for nothing.
If you venture to any of Poland’s many shopping malls, expect prices of Western European standards.
That means buying quality jeans for no less than 75$ and running sneakers from brands like Nike for 70$.
RENT PER MONTH
As mentioned before, rent is the single most expensive aspect of living in Poland, though it varies significantly, depending on where you want to live.
Big cities like Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Krakow attract many people yearly, so don’t be shocked to see a studio for nearly 600$ per month.
If you want to save some money, look for an apartment outside of the city, and your rent will drop to around 350$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Poland
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $6.90 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $2.76 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.17 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.76 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.95 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.46 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $0.92 |
| Monthly Pass | $25.07 |
| Gasoline | $1.54 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $207.53 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.06 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $13.23 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $28.53 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $15.03 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $5.75 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $70.36 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $32.94 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $68.93 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $604.19 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $502.28 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $954.09 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Poland?
As expected in any country where rent is unusually high, people spend the most money on food and rent.
This happens only in countries where rent is a very expensive living aspect, and here, almost the same percentage of one’s income goes on rent as it does on food.
Apart from rent and food, utilities have a somewhat higher percentage than in most other countries, which means that electricity bills are higher than average.
Restaurants and transportation are also significant expenses for the people of Poland.
Average Costs Breakdown
Poland: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
The trouble with Poland is that most people living here earn less than what’s the average monthly salary.
For example, the average monthly net salary in Poland is around 1,066.25$, yet most people earn only around 500$ or less, which is problematic because most of this money will go for food and accommodation costs.
The only way to live a comfortable life (not a luxurious one, mind you) – which means having enough for decent clothing, holidays abroad, or a good car – is to have a high-paying job.
In other words, for you to attain a standard of living that is easily achievable in the Western world, you need a very good job in Poland.
Poland Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Poland Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Cost of Living by City in Poland
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Bydgoszcz | 38.54 |
| Gdansk | 42.82 |
| Gdynia | 41.22 |
| Katowice | 37.48 |
| Krakow (Cracow) | 39.53 |
| Lodz | 37.13 |
| Lublin | 36.12 |
| Poznan | 38.99 |
| Szczecin | 37.35 |
| Warsaw | 42.32 |
| Wroclaw | 40 |
Hell
Poland is hell to live, wages are too low to live well or rent a flat, buying your own one is too expensive and even mortgage debit is pure scam with 8% tax per year. You barely can live single, so you have to find a partner or stay with family. Socialism is too big so poor people dont even want to work. Actually imigrants from Ukraine taking our jobs so none employer want to pay more wage than minimum.