Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Warsaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,434 a month against $2,031 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
Learn more

Bialystok Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
Learn more

Warsaw Living Index

Jump to prices

Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,434

/mo nomad

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,031

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bialystok and in Warsaw

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bialystok and in Warsaw actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,434 per month in Bialystok vs $2,031 in Warsaw, rent included.

Bialystok $1,434
Warsaw $2,031

A couple spends around $2,029 per month in Bialystok vs $2,883 in Warsaw, rent included.

Bialystok $2,029
Warsaw $2,883

A family of three spends $2,625 per month in Bialystok vs $3,735 in Warsaw, rent included.

Bialystok $2,625
Warsaw $3,735

Bialystok is about 29% cheaper than Warsaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bialystok and Warsaw sit above the global median – Bialystok by 5%, Warsaw by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.61 zł 37.91

$11.51 zł 45.40

-16.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.44 zł 179

$60.0 zł 236

-24.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 zł 35.37

$10.17 zł 40.11

-11.80%

Cappuccino

$3.60 zł 14.21

$4.26 zł 16.80

-15.49%

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

$1.81 zł 7.13

$2.22 zł 8.75

-18.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 zł 6.10

$2.20 zł 8.66

-29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 zł 13.26

$4.67 zł 18.42

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 zł 11.91

$5.10 zł 20.09

-40.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 zł 3.97

$1.04 zł 4.09

-2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 zł 4.00

$1.49 zł 5.89

-32.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 zł 8.40

$1.55 zł 6.11

37.42%

Eggs

$3.75 zł 14.79

$3.84 zł 15.15

-2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 zł 35.44

$8.98 zł 35.41

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 zł 22.47

$6.41 zł 25.26

-11.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 zł 44.49

$14.32 zł 56.5

-21.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.91

$1.16 zł 4.59

6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 zł 7.16

$1.71 zł 6.74

6.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.45

$1.67 zł 6.57

-1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 zł 7.89

$4.07 zł 16.04

-50.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.11

$0.91 zł 3.60

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 zł 4.54

$0.91 zł 3.61

26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 zł 4.62

$1.45 zł 5.74

-19.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 zł 2.40

$0.64 zł 2.53

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 zł 20.14

$6.28 zł 24.78

-18.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 zł 24.46

$6.49 zł 25.57

-4.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 zł 4.53

$1.10 zł 4.35

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 zł 5.79

$1.73 zł 6.81

-15.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 zł 4.93

$1.13 zł 4.46

10.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.13 zł 131

$27.61 zł 109

19.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 zł 8.12

$2.62 zł 10.31

-21.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 zł 2.73

$1.23 zł 4.86

-43.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.56 zł 49.54

$12.79 zł 50.4

-1.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 zł 6.23

$1.69 zł 6.65

-6.51%

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

$30.4K zł 119.9K

$30.9K zł 121.7K

-1.51%

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

$28.3K zł 111.4K

$29.5K zł 116.3K

-4.21%

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

$302 zł 1,190

$345 zł 1,360

-12.43%

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

$8.14 zł 32.10

$8.92 zł 35.17

-8.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.99 zł 70.9

$15.86 zł 62.5

13.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.77 zł 173

$46.80 zł 185

-6.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.81 zł 106

$27.37 zł 108

-2.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.16 zł 32.17

$8.94 zł 35.26

-8.72%

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

$353 zł 1,392

$592 zł 2,333

-40.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 zł 16.6K

$14.6K zł 57.8K

-71.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.9 zł 386

$105 zł 415

-6.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 zł 143

$39.69 zł 157

-8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 zł 337

$104 zł 408

-17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 zł 351

$111 zł 438

-19.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 zł 2,201

$1,136 zł 4,478

-50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 zł 1,871

$938 zł 3,698

-49.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 zł 3,201

$2,147 zł 8,465

-62.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 zł 2,639

$1,463 zł 5,771

-54.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 zł 11.1K

$5,917 zł 23.3K

-52.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,240 zł 8,834

$3,905 zł 15.4K

-42.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,454 zł 5,734

$2,097 zł 8,267

-30.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

6.69

5.68%

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

Last update for Bialystok: October 26, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bialystok

$474 33.1%

Warsaw

$938 46.2% 97.6% $463

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bialystok

$328 22.9%

Warsaw

$370 18.2% 12.7% $42

Groceries & Markets

Bialystok

$205 14.3%

Warsaw

$232 11.4% 13% $27

Eating Out

Bialystok

$183 12.8%

Warsaw

$225 11.1% 22.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Bialystok

$139 9.7%

Warsaw

$162 8% 16.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bialystok

$60 4.2%

Warsaw

$65 3.2% 7.6% $4.6

Getting Around

Bialystok

$44 3%

Warsaw

$41 2% 6.3% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $558 in Bialystok versus $1,136 in Warsaw. 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 44% higher in Warsaw. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bialystok versus $60 in Warsaw. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $232 – making Bialystok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

Same time as Bialystok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,554

1,861,599 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bialystok Warsaw 180 km

From you

Bialystok
Warsaw

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

Bialystok vs Warsaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Warsaw costs about 42% more than Bialystok, 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 $2,151 per month in Bialystok and $3,047 in Warsaw. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bialystok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $558 there versus $1,136 in Warsaw.

Kindergarten costs $353 per month in Bialystok and $592 in Warsaw. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Warsaw, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,434 in Bialystok and $2,031 in Warsaw. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bialystok – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bialystok. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Warsaw makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.