Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Warsaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Olsztyn: $1,816 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index

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Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,816

/mo nomad

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,816 in Olsztyn versus $2,032 in Warsaw.

Olsztyn $1,816
Warsaw $2,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,678 in Olsztyn versus $2,918 in Warsaw.

Olsztyn $2,678
Warsaw $2,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Olsztyn versus $3,804 in Warsaw.

Olsztyn $3,540
Warsaw $3,804

Living in Olsztyn costs roughly 11% less than in Warsaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olsztyn 34% above, Warsaw 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 zł 49.88

$11.51 zł 44.72

11.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 zł 196

$60.6 zł 236

-16.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 zł 34.67

$10.00 zł 38.87

-10.80%

Cappuccino

$3.31 zł 12.85

$4.17 zł 16.22

-20.62%

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

$2.51 zł 9.75

$2.27 zł 8.81

10.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 zł 7.26

$2.21 zł 8.61

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 zł 11.59

$4.60 zł 17.87

-35.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 zł 15.18

$5.01 zł 19.47

-21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.09

$1.05 zł 4.07

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 zł 4.90

$1.52 zł 5.90

-17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.52

$1.54 zł 6.00

-7.79%

Eggs

$3.85 zł 14.95

$3.76 zł 14.60

2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 zł 37.77

$8.55 zł 33.22

13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 zł 28.51

$6.29 zł 24.43

16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 zł 58.5

$14.54 zł 56.5

3.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 zł 4.77

$1.17 zł 4.55

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 zł 6.25

$1.73 zł 6.73

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.99

$1.71 zł 6.66

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 zł 13.32

$4.04 zł 15.71

-15.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.78

$0.91 zł 3.53

6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.54

$0.86 zł 3.34

36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 zł 5.32

$1.39 zł 5.39

-1.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.64

$0.69 zł 2.67

-1.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 zł 21.32

$6.19 zł 24.04

-11.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 zł 28.84

$6.46 zł 25.10

14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 zł 4.39

$1.10 zł 4.28

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$1.63 zł 6.35

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$1.11 zł 4.31

-5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 zł 100

$28.52 zł 111

-9.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 zł 8.09

$2.47 zł 9.58

-15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 zł 2.88

$1.31 zł 5.08

-43.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 zł 39.67

$12.87 zł 50.0

-20.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.43

$1.75 zł 6.80

-5.14%

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

$31.4K zł 121.9K

$30.7K zł 119.4K

2.09%

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

$29.5K zł 114.4K

$30.8K zł 119.5K

-4.24%

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

$329 zł 1,277

$341 zł 1,324

-3.59%

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

$10.17 zł 39.53

$9.00 zł 34.95

13.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.00 zł 73.8

$16.19 zł 62.9

17.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 zł 197

$45.81 zł 178

10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.47 zł 87.3

$27.81 zł 108

-19.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 zł 35.42

$9.04 zł 35.12

0.88%

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

$378 zł 1,467

$594 zł 2,306

-36.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K zł 53.4K

$14.3K zł 55.6K

-3.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 zł 399

$109 zł 424

-5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.59 zł 189

$40.12 zł 156

21.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 zł 402

$104 zł 405

-0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 zł 406

$111 zł 431

-5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 zł 3,900

$1,181 zł 4,587

-14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 zł 2,892

$942 zł 3,659

-20.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 zł 6,546

$2,074 zł 8,056

-18.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 zł 5,221

$1,533 zł 5,958

-12.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,690 zł 14.3K

$5,932 zł 23.0K

-37.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,548 zł 9,898

$3,836 zł 14.9K

-33.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,374 zł 5,338

$2,049 zł 7,959

-32.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

6.68

12.57%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: October 10, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olsztyn

$744 41%

Warsaw

$942 46.4% 26.5% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olsztyn

$358 19.7%

Warsaw

$366 18% 2.3% $8.2

Groceries & Markets

Olsztyn

$238 13.1%

Warsaw

$231 11.4% 2.9% $7

Eating Out

Olsztyn

$209 11.5%

Warsaw

$223 11% 6.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Olsztyn

$162 8.9%

Warsaw

$164 8.1% 1.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Olsztyn

$69 3.8%

Warsaw

$64 3.1% 7.3% $5

Getting Around

Olsztyn

$36 2%

Warsaw

$42 2.1% 17.3% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in Olsztyn and $1,181 in Warsaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 49% 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: $50.0 in Olsztyn vs $61.0 in Warsaw. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $231, with Warsaw cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

Same time as Olsztyn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,675

1,861,599 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Warsaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olsztyn is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Warsaw. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,004 in Olsztyn versus $1,181 in Warsaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Warsaw pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Olsztyn – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $61.0 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,816 in Olsztyn versus $2,032 in Warsaw, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Olsztyn but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Olsztyn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Olsztyn is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Warsaw, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Olsztyn and Warsaw 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 Olsztyn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.