Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Poland

Name: Poland
Address: PL

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,547 in Poland, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Poland
Learn more

Poland Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Poland

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $1,547 in Poland.

China $800
Poland $1,547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $2,218 in Poland.

China $1,266
Poland $2,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $2,889 in Poland.

China $1,731
Poland $2,889

China ($462–$1,256) and Poland ($1,127–$2,051) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 48% less than in Poland on average.

China (41% below) and Poland (14% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$10.33 zł 40.15

-71.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$48.22 zł 187

-53.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$9.00 zł 34.97

-40.78%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$3.71 zł 14.41

-18.06%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$2.08 zł 8.10

-76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.84 zł 7.14

-83.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$3.74 zł 14.52

-71.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$4.16 zł 16.16

-45.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$1.03 zł 4.01

69.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$1.34 zł 5.22

20.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.43 zł 5.54

-30.77%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$3.41 zł 13.25

-54.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$8.49 zł 32.99

56.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$6.67 zł 25.91

-49.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$12.29 zł 47.75

-7.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$1.17 zł 4.56

55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.68 zł 6.53

-25.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.76 zł 6.84

-11.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$2.90 zł 11.27

-55.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$0.90 zł 3.49

-21.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$0.99 zł 3.85

-13.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$1.32 zł 5.12

-50.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.63 zł 2.45

-6.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$5.68 zł 22.07

-33.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$6.81 zł 26.45

72.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.14 zł 4.43

-20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$1.57 zł 6.09

3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.16 zł 4.50

-73.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$29.96 zł 116

-24.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$2.28 zł 8.87

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$1.02 zł 3.96

-63.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$13.06 zł 50.8

-44.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.63 zł 6.33

-23.31%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$30.6K zł 119.0K

-36.67%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$28.4K zł 110.5K

-39.83%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$293 zł 1,138

-81.06%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$9.32 zł 36.19

-11.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$17.23 zł 66.9

-36.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$38.55 zł 150

4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$25.96 zł 101

-43.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$7.51 zł 29.17

-9.99%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$426 zł 1,654

9.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$8,913 zł 34.6K

120.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$82.4 zł 320

-43.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$38.26 zł 149

-5.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$89.6 zł 348

-14.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$99.1 zł 385

-20.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$708 zł 2,752

-44.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$580 zł 2,252

-58.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$1,156 zł 4,493

-28.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$892 zł 3,466

-47.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$3,641 zł 14.1K

24.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$2,529 zł 9,825

-9.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$1,635 zł 6,352

-34.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

6.8

-49.12%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Poland: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Poland

$580 37.5% 142% $340

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Poland

$216 14% 3.6% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Poland

$139 9% 30.1% $32

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Poland

$197 12.7% 122% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Poland

$320 20.7% 327% $245

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Poland

$54 3.5% 0.6% $0.3

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Poland

$42 2.7% 53.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $619 in Poland. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,173 in Warsaw.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $1,348 in Poland. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 107% higher in Poland.

Dining out costs 95% more in Poland.

Public transport is 76% more expensive in Poland.

Salaries are 55% higher in Poland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇵🇱 Poland

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

38,382,576

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Poland 6,940 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Poland

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

China vs Poland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $1,547 in Poland, there's a 93% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $619 in Poland and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Poland it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Poland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.