Cost of Living Comparison Between Poland and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Poland and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,429 in Poland versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Poland versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,717 in Poland versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Poland is roughly 101% more expensive than in China on average.

Poland (7% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Poland: monthly costs span $1,137 to $2,025, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in Poland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 zł 41.90

$2.86 ¥19.32

286.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.66 zł 185

$23.44 ¥158

107.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 zł 33.58

$4.84 ¥32.70

82.85%

Cappuccino

$3.77 zł 14.30

$3.11 ¥21.03

21.22%

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

$1.97 zł 7.48

$0.44 ¥2.99

347.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.48

$0.29 ¥1.99

489.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 zł 14.68

$0.98 ¥6.63

294.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 zł 15.52

$2.05 ¥13.86

99.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 zł 4.08

$1.84 ¥12.45

-41.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 zł 5.21

$1.62 ¥10.92

-15.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 zł 5.68

$0.93 ¥6.27

61.29%

Eggs

$3.45 zł 13.09

$1.63 ¥11.01

111.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 zł 35.46

$13.15 ¥88.8

-28.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 zł 24.88

$3.26 ¥22.06

101.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 zł 46.96

$10.62 ¥71.8

16.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.19

$1.80 ¥12.17

-38.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.56

$1.30 ¥8.76

33.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.85

$1.46 ¥9.88

23.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 zł 10.97

$1.20 ¥8.13

140.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.76

$0.76 ¥5.13

30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.42

$0.88 ¥5.93

31.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 zł 4.95

$0.57 ¥3.86

128.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.63

$0.54 ¥3.62

27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 zł 20.34

$3.42 ¥23.14

56.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 zł 25.27

$11.75 ¥79.4

-43.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 zł 4.35

$0.80 ¥5.39

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.25

$1.62 ¥10.94

1.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.20

$0.43 ¥2.93

158.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.50 zł 123

$20.47 ¥138

58.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 zł 8.99

$1.36 ¥9.22

74.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 zł 3.10

$0.35 ¥2.39

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 zł 51.2

$6.50 ¥43.90

107.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 zł 6.71

$1.12 ¥7.58

58.04%

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

$33.7K zł 127.7K

$19.5K ¥131.6K

72.92%

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

$30.8K zł 116.9K

$16.9K ¥113.9K

82.74%

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

$300 zł 1,139

$51.7 ¥349

480.64%

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

$9.90 zł 37.55

$10.17 ¥68.7

-2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.96 zł 64.4

$11.16 ¥75.4

51.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.41 zł 146

$39.62 ¥268

-3.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.64 zł 82.1

$14.53 ¥98.2

48.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 zł 31.27

$6.38 ¥43.12

29.15%

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

$392 zł 1,487

$407 ¥2,752

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,923 zł 37.6K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-44.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 zł 313

$45.53 ¥308

81.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.07 zł 156

$32.31 ¥218

27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 zł 347

$72.6 ¥490

25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 zł 383

$74.4 ¥503

35.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 zł 2,967

$443 ¥2,992

76.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 zł 2,409

$258 ¥1,745

145.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 zł 4,838

$910 ¥6,152

40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 zł 3,812

$543 ¥3,672

84.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,698 zł 14.0K

$4,934 ¥33.3K

-25.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,698 zł 10.2K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

12.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 zł 6,257

$1,065 ¥7,194

54.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.91

4.06

70.20%

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

Last update for Poland: July 14, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $648 in Poland, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,135 in Warsaw vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,384 in Poland, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 126% higher in Poland.

Dining out costs 105% more in Poland.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in Poland.

Salaries are 62% higher in Poland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

Poland vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $1,581 in Poland, there's a 83% 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 simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Poland is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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.