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: $1,430 in Poland versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,076 in Poland versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Poland versus $1,551 in China.

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

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

Poland ($1,157–$2,040) and China ($520–$1,209) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.70 zł 39.03

$2.81 ¥19.01

280.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.62 zł 181

$23.30 ¥158

112.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 zł 32.11

$5.01 ¥33.93

75.85%

Cappuccino

$3.71 zł 13.53

$3.01 ¥20.42

23.26%

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

$1.92 zł 7.01

$0.45 ¥3.03

326.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 zł 6.47

$0.29 ¥1.97

510.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 zł 13.98

$0.95 ¥6.42

303.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 zł 15.18

$2.05 ¥13.90

102.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 zł 3.98

$1.76 ¥11.89

-38.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 zł 4.96

$1.62 ¥11.00

-16.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 zł 5.66

$0.95 ¥6.46

63.16%

Eggs

$3.41 zł 12.43

$1.56 ¥10.57

118.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 zł 33.24

$13.06 ¥88.4

-30.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 zł 23.84

$3.28 ¥22.21

99.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.46 zł 45.44

$10.65 ¥72.1

17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 zł 4.05

$1.78 ¥12.05

-37.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.51

$1.24 ¥8.43

44.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 zł 6.49

$1.50 ¥10.13

18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 zł 10.90

$1.15 ¥7.80

160.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.53

$0.75 ¥5.08

29.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 zł 4.06

$0.86 ¥5.82

29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 zł 4.71

$0.62 ¥4.17

108.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 zł 2.31

$0.56 ¥3.82

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 zł 19.51

$3.51 ¥23.80

52.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 zł 25.84

$11.66 ¥79.0

-39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 zł 4.15

$0.80 ¥5.41

42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 zł 6.26

$1.66 ¥11.26

3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 zł 4.08

$0.43 ¥2.93

160.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.16 zł 117

$20.86 ¥141

54.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 zł 9.08

$1.37 ¥9.28

81.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 zł 3.07

$0.35 ¥2.39

140.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.56 zł 49.44

$6.63 ¥44.90

104.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 zł 6.23

$1.14 ¥7.71

50.00%

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

$33.9K zł 123.6K

$19.2K ¥129.9K

76.71%

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

$31.6K zł 115.1K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

88.20%

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

$299 zł 1,092

$51.2 ¥347

485.03%

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

$9.62 zł 35.09

$10.16 ¥68.8

-5.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.72 zł 61.0

$11.51 ¥78.0

45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 zł 138

$40.53 ¥275

-6.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.69 zł 79.1

$15.05 ¥102

44.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 zł 30.28

$6.10 ¥41.33

36.07%

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

$396 zł 1,445

$402 ¥2,724

-1.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,943 zł 36.3K

$17.7K ¥119.7K

-43.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 zł 306

$45.57 ¥309

84.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 zł 148

$33.26 ¥225

21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 zł 325

$72.6 ¥492

22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 zł 368

$74.5 ¥504

35.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 zł 2,883

$429 ¥2,908

84.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 zł 2,363

$257 ¥1,742

151.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 zł 4,823

$895 ¥6,065

47.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 zł 3,698

$541 ¥3,667

87.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,832 zł 14.0K

$5,015 ¥34.0K

-23.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,813 zł 10.3K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

13.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,697 zł 6,188

$1,055 ¥7,143

60.89%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $648 in Poland, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,161 in Warsaw vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,447 in Poland, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 127% higher in Poland.

Dining out costs 105% more in Poland.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in Poland.

Salaries are 68% higher in Poland, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $1,599 in Poland, there's a 85% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.