Cost of living in Warsaw
The strongest salary market in Central Europe with metro-grade transit at roughly a third of Western European rents.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $1,000, Food $485, Transport $77, Utilities $170, Healthcare $18, Lifestyle $114, Other $69.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $1,000
Salary and tax in Warsaw
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $5,773 | $9,084 | $2,095 | 37.1% | $163 |
| $75,000 | $16,973 | $17,033 | $3,416 | 45.3% | $1,484 |
| $120,000 | $31,373 | $27,252 | $5,115 | 48.9% | $3,183 |
| $200,000 | $56,973 | $45,420 | $8,134 | 51.2% | $6,202 |
- B2B contracting on the 12% IP Box or lump-sum regimes is far more common for tech workers.
People who actually live in Warsaw
Quality of life
A year of weather in Warsaw
Average monthly temperature in Warsaw: January 1.6 degrees, February 2 degrees, March 5.8 degrees, April 10.4 degrees, May 14.4 degrees, June 19 degrees, July 20.8 degrees, August 20.4 degrees, September 17.6 degrees, October 10 degrees, November 4 degrees, December 2.2 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived33%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated67%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Warsaw
| Item | USD | PLN |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $1,000 | PLN 3,928 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $750 | PLN 2,946 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $1,800 | PLN 7,070 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $1,300 | PLN 5,106 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $3,200 | PLN 12,569 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $220 | PLN 864 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $15 | PLN 59 |
| Mobile plan | $12 | PLN 47 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $287 | PLN 1,127 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $11 | PLN 43 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $57 | PLN 224 |
| Coffee | $3.96 | PLN 16 |
| Beer in a bar | $4.52 | PLN 18 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $35 | PLN 137 |
| Taxi, per km | $1.16 | PLN 4.56 |
| Petrol, per litre | $1.60 | PLN 6.28 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $60 | PLN 236 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $30 | PLN 118 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $500 | PLN 1,964 |
| International school, per year | $16,000 | PLN 62,845 |
| Gym membership | $30 | PLN 118 |
| Cinema ticket | $8.00 | PLN 31 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
Poland Business Harbour and national work visas. No dedicated nomad visa; the IP Box regime is popular with contractors.
1 USD ≈ PLN 3.93
Europe/Warsaw
continental climate
Compare Warsaw with…
Getting set up in Warsaw
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Warsaw — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Warsaw?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $1,932 a month, of which $1,000 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $2,581, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $4,793.
Is Warsaw expensive?
On our index Warsaw scores 30 where New York is 100 — about 70% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $1,500 a month covers 0.8× that budget.
What salary do you need in Warsaw?
To cover the single-adult budget of $1,932 a month after tax, you need roughly $35,500 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Warsaw?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $1,000 a month, $750 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $1,800 central and $1,300 further out.
Can you work remotely from Warsaw?
Poland Business Harbour and national work visas. No dedicated nomad visa; the IP Box regime is popular with contractors.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.