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: $1,468 in Poland versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,138 in Poland versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Poland versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Poland is roughly 104% more expensive than in China on average.

Poland (7% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Poland: monthly costs span $937 to $2,184, compared to $458–$1,247 in China. City choice carries more weight in Poland.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.79 zł 40.02

$2.90 ¥19.42

272.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 zł 186

$22.13 ¥148

126.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 zł 35.25

$5.31 ¥35.57

79.10%

Cappuccino

$3.78 zł 14.00

$2.99 ¥20.04

26.42%

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

$2.19 zł 8.11

$0.48 ¥3.21

356.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 zł 7.21

$0.30 ¥2.03

546.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 zł 14.82

$1.02 ¥6.82

292.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 zł 14.73

$2.21 ¥14.81

79.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 zł 4.04

$1.74 ¥11.66

-37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 zł 4.97

$1.68 ¥11.23

-20.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 zł 5.76

$0.96 ¥6.43

61.46%

Eggs

$3.60 zł 13.35

$1.54 ¥10.33

133.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 zł 34.64

$13.51 ¥90.5

-30.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 zł 24.80

$3.48 ¥23.32

92.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 zł 49.08

$11.34 ¥76.0

16.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 zł 4.40

$1.88 ¥12.57

-36.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.34

$1.29 ¥8.67

32.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.53

$1.52 ¥10.17

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 zł 10.88

$1.27 ¥8.52

131.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.21

$0.72 ¥4.83

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 zł 4.03

$0.88 ¥5.89

23.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 zł 5.00

$0.61 ¥4.06

121.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.58

$0.55 ¥3.72

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 zł 20.92

$3.73 ¥25.01

51.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 zł 25.21

$11.87 ¥79.5

-42.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 zł 4.40

$0.90 ¥6.03

32.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 zł 6.09

$1.68 ¥11.26

-2.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 zł 4.49

$0.29 ¥1.94

317.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.86 zł 118

$22.23 ¥149

43.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 zł 8.87

$1.52 ¥10.17

57.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 zł 4.08

$0.37 ¥2.48

197.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.27 zł 49.19

$7.33 ¥49.10

81.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.14

$1.22 ¥8.19

36.07%

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

$32.4K zł 120.0K

$19.3K ¥129.4K

67.64%

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

$28.6K zł 106.2K

$17.1K ¥114.7K

67.27%

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

$308 zł 1,143

$53.8 ¥360

473.20%

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

$9.52 zł 35.28

$8.71 ¥58.4

9.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.79 zł 66.0

$10.93 ¥73.2

62.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 zł 149

$40.74 ¥273

-1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.21 zł 101

$14.53 ¥97.3

87.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.28 zł 30.72

$6.55 ¥43.87

26.41%

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

$442 zł 1,640

$457 ¥3,062

-3.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,493 zł 35.2K

$19.5K ¥130.6K

-51.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 zł 328

$45.62 ¥306

93.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 zł 149

$35.90 ¥241

11.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 zł 349

$76.1 ¥510

23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 zł 379

$76.4 ¥512

33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 zł 2,775

$385 ¥2,578

94.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 zł 2,289

$239 ¥1,601

158.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 zł 4,534

$840 ¥5,627

45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 zł 3,568

$484 ¥3,242

98.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,724 zł 13.8K

$4,581 ¥30.7K

-18.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,742 zł 10.2K

$2,266 ¥15.2K

20.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,688 zł 6,260

$1,065 ¥7,137

58.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

3.47

96.54%

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

Last update for Poland: August 31, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $642 in Poland, $294 in China. Capital cities: $1,250 in Warsaw vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,408 in Poland, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 118% higher in Poland.

Dining out costs 105% more in Poland.

Public transport is 76% more expensive in Poland.

Salaries are 63% 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 $853 per month in China and $1,561 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.