Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Suzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Suzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,464 in Olsztyn versus $971 in Suzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,997 in Olsztyn versus $1,597 in Suzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,531 in Olsztyn versus $2,223 in Suzhou.

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 51% more expensive than Suzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Olsztyn is 9% above, Suzhou is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.65 zł 38.84

$4.23 ¥28.59

151.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 zł 169

$41.28 ¥279

12.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 zł 27.37

$5.71 ¥38.61

31.52%

Cappuccino

$2.96 zł 10.80

$3.93 ¥26.54

-24.68%

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

$1.69 zł 6.16

$1.66 ¥11.22

1.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 zł 6.69

$0.74 ¥4.97

148.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 zł 11.94

$4.26 ¥28.82

-23.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 zł 13.93

$5.70 ¥38.52

-32.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.03

$2.43 ¥16.44

-54.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 zł 4.82

$2.50 ¥16.93

-47.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 zł 5.46

$1.15 ¥7.81

30.43%

Eggs

$3.45 zł 12.59

$1.98 ¥13.37

74.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 zł 32.40

$20.82 ¥141

-57.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 zł 21.92

$3.71 ¥25.09

61.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 zł 36.69

$7.76 ¥52.5

29.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.00

$2.14 ¥14.49

-48.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 zł 5.75

$1.63 ¥11.02

-3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 zł 7.43

$1.58 ¥10.69

29.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 zł 10.14

$1.36 ¥9.22

104.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 zł 2.89

$0.69 ¥4.63

14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.50

$1.18 ¥7.95

5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 zł 4.19

$0.99 ¥6.68

16.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.46

$0.50 ¥3.39

36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 zł 20.30

$4.20 ¥28.38

32.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 zł 29.68

$10.30 ¥69.7

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 zł 3.71

$0.93 ¥6.29

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.23

$2.78 ¥18.81

-38.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 zł 4.08

$0.29 ¥1.96

286.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.10 zł 98.8

$41.59 ¥281

-34.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.21

$1.76 ¥11.91

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 zł 2.69

$0.35 ¥2.37

111.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.79 zł 50.3

$8.46 ¥57.2

63.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 zł 6.48

$1.18 ¥7.99

50.85%

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

$32.8K zł 119.4K

$21.2K ¥143.2K

54.68%

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

$30.8K zł 112.3K

$23.3K ¥157.8K

32.04%

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

$271 zł 989

$117 ¥794

131.20%

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

$9.10 zł 33.18

$14.88 ¥101

-38.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 zł 63.7

$11.54 ¥78.0

51.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 zł 119

$63.8 ¥431

-48.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 zł 59.6

$19.08 ¥129

-14.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 zł 29.18

$6.88 ¥46.50

16.42%

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

$133 zł 486

$787 ¥5,324

-83.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K zł 56.8K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

-7.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 zł 350

$54.1 ¥365

77.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.72 zł 170

$35.30 ¥239

32.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 zł 302

$72.1 ¥487

15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 zł 394

$93.1 ¥629

16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 zł 2,332

$408 ¥2,758

56.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 zł 2,007

$204 ¥1,379

169.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 zł 3,568

$971 ¥6,566

0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 zł 2,218

$528 ¥3,572

15.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,992 zł 14.6K

$5,287 ¥35.7K

-24.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,823 zł 10.3K

$2,783 ¥18.8K

1.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,472 zł 5,364

$1,339 ¥9,055

9.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

3.86

50.52%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: June 1, 2026

Last update for Suzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Olsztyn and $408 in Suzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Olsztyn vs $41.00 in Suzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $245, with Olsztyn cheaper for home cooking.

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

Olsztyn vs Suzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Olsztyn pays 10% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $640 in Olsztyn versus $408 in Suzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Suzhou – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $46.00 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $971 in Suzhou versus $1,464 in Olsztyn, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suzhou but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. The gap between the two cities makes Suzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Olsztyn and Suzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Suzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.