Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Poland

For one person, living is cheaper in Poland: $1,547 a month against $1,825 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. The total is higher in Italy despite lower rent and utilities.

🇮🇹 Italy
$1,825
/mo nomad
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,547
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,825 in Italy versus $1,547 in Poland.

  • Italy $1,825
  • Poland $1,547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,790 in Italy versus $2,218 in Poland.

  • Italy $2,790
  • Poland $2,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,756 in Italy versus $2,889 in Poland.

  • Italy $3,756
  • Poland $2,889

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,044 to $2,560, compared to $1,127–$2,051 in Poland. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Living in Italy is roughly 18% more expensive than in Poland on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 35% above, Poland 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Poland
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.90 €17.70
$10.33 zł 40.15
92.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1 €68.6
$48.22 zł 187
59.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.41 €10.15
$9.00 zł 34.97
26.78%
Cappuccino
$2.01 €1.78
$3.71 zł 14.41
-45.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 €2.78
$2.08 zł 8.10
50.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.24
$1.84 zł 7.14
-23.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.76 €5.12
$3.74 zł 14.52
54.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73 €5.10
$4.16 zł 16.16
37.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Poland
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 €1.44
$1.03 zł 4.01
57.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.34 zł 5.22
77.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.92 €2.60
$1.43 zł 5.54
104.20%
Eggs
$4.17 €3.70
$3.41 zł 13.25
22.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.28 €15.37
$8.49 zł 32.99
103.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.73 €11.32
$6.67 zł 25.91
90.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.39 €18.13
$12.29 zł 47.75
65.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 €2.32
$1.17 zł 4.56
123.08%
Banana (1kg)
$2.12 €1.88
$1.68 zł 6.53
26.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.76 zł 6.84
49.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.34 €2.97
$2.90 zł 11.27
15.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 €1.79
$0.90 zł 3.49
124.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$0.99 zł 3.85
90.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.32 zł 5.12
18.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.63 zł 2.45
-12.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.84 €6.08
$5.68 zł 22.07
20.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.64 €6.80
$6.81 zł 26.45
12.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.14 zł 4.43
57.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.14
$1.57 zł 6.09
52.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Poland
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.16 zł 4.50
60.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.27 €38.49
$29.96 zł 116
44.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.64 €5.01
$2.28 zł 8.87
147.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.02 zł 3.96
67.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 €29.39
$13.06 zł 50.8
152.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.87
$1.63 zł 6.33
29.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K €31.8K
$30.6K zł 119.0K
16.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K €33.3K
$28.4K zł 110.5K
31.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Poland
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 €204
$293 zł 1,138
-21.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 €10.32
$9.32 zł 36.19
24.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.40 €27.04
$17.23 zł 66.9
76.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Poland
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.9 €47.96
$38.55 zł 150
39.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.24 €21.56
$25.96 zł 101
-6.63%
Cinema Ticket
$10.58 €9.41
$7.51 zł 29.17
40.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Poland
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 €485
$426 zł 1,654
28.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.3K
$8,913 zł 34.6K
29.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Poland
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.4 €78.7
$82.4 zł 320
7.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.60 €35.22
$38.26 zł 149
3.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €89.8
$89.6 zł 348
12.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €118
$99.1 zł 385
34.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Poland
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$799 €711
$708 zł 2,752
12.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$624 €555
$580 zł 2,252
7.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,423 €1,266
$1,156 zł 4,493
23.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,030 €916
$892 zł 3,466
15.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,601 €3,203
$3,641 zł 14.1K
-1.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,270 €2,019
$2,529 zł 9,825
-10.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Poland
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,893 €1,684
$1,635 zł 6,352
15.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.56
6.8
-47.65%

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

Last update for Italy: October 18, 2026

Last update for Poland: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$624
Poland
$580 7.2% $45
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$350
Poland
$216 38.2% $134
Eating Out
Italy
$276
Poland
$197 28.6% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$272
Poland
$320 17.6% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163
Poland
$139 14.6% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$75
Poland
$54 28.7% $22
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Poland
$42 35.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $724 in Italy, $619 in Poland. Capital cities: $1,191 in Rome vs $1,173 in Warsaw.

National salary averages: $1,892 in Italy, $1,348 in Poland. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 78% more in Italy.

Public transport is 37% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 40% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇵🇱 Poland
🕒 Local time
08:58 8:58 AM
08:58 8:58 AM
Same time as Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
38,382,576
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Italy Poland 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • 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
Italy vs Poland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Poland?
At $1,825 per month in Italy and $1,547 in Poland, there's a 18% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Poland: 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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $724 in Italy and $619 in Poland. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget in Italy or in Poland?
In Poland, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or to Poland?
It depends on what you're after: Poland wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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