Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poland and the United Kingdom

For one person, living is cheaper in Poland: $1,547 a month against $2,478 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇵🇱 Poland
$1,547
/mo nomad
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,478
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Poland and in the United Kingdom

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Poland and in the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,547 per month in Poland vs $2,478 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Poland $1,547
  • United Kingdom $2,478

A couple spends around $2,218 per month in Poland vs $3,608 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Poland $2,218
  • United Kingdom $3,608

A family of three spends $2,889 per month in Poland vs $4,739 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Poland $2,889
  • United Kingdom $4,739

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,143–$4,049) than in Poland ($1,127–$2,051), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Poland is roughly 38% lower than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both Poland and the United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Poland by 14%, the United Kingdom by 83%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.33 zł 40.15
$21.61 £16.21
-52.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.22 zł 187
$87.7 £65.8
-45.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.00 zł 34.97
$10.82 £8.12
-16.82%
Cappuccino
$3.71 zł 14.41
$4.77 £3.58
-22.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 zł 8.10
$2.64 £1.98
-21.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 zł 7.14
$1.88 £1.41
-2.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.74 zł 14.52
$6.59 £4.94
-43.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 zł 16.16
$6.56 £4.92
-36.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 zł 4.01
$1.64 £1.23
-37.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 zł 5.22
$1.65 £1.23
-18.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 zł 5.54
$2.23 £1.68
-35.87%
Eggs
$3.41 zł 13.25
$4.06 £3.05
-16.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.49 zł 32.99
$9.64 £7.23
-11.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.67 zł 25.91
$9.14 £6.86
-27.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.29 zł 47.75
$14.77 £11.08
-16.79%
Apples (1kg)
$1.17 zł 4.56
$2.92 £2.19
-59.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 zł 6.53
$1.65 £1.24
1.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 zł 6.84
$2.80 £2.10
-37.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.90 zł 11.27
$3.32 £2.49
-12.65%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 zł 3.49
$1.81 £1.36
-50.28%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 zł 3.85
$1.56 £1.17
-36.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 zł 5.12
$1.24 £0.93
6.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 zł 2.45
$1.66 £1.25
-62.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.68 zł 22.07
$23.79 £17.85
-76.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.81 zł 26.45
$10.46 £7.85
-34.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 zł 4.43
$2.94 £2.21
-61.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 zł 6.09
$3.39 £2.54
-53.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.16 zł 4.50
$3.51 £2.63
-66.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.96 zł 116
$104 £78.3
-71.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.28 zł 8.87
$5.42 £4.06
-57.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 zł 3.96
$2.40 £1.80
-57.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.06 zł 50.8
$27.06 £20.30
-51.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 zł 6.33
$1.96 £1.47
-16.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.6K zł 119.0K
$38.7K £29.0K
-20.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K zł 110.5K
$41.2K £30.9K
-31.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$293 zł 1,138
$323 £242
-9.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.32 zł 36.19
$18.55 £13.92
-49.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.23 zł 66.9
$42.14 £31.61
-59.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.55 zł 150
$46.76 £35.08
-17.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.96 zł 101
$17.95 £13.47
44.62%
Cinema Ticket
$7.51 zł 29.17
$13.85 £10.39
-45.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$426 zł 1,654
$1,725 £1,294
-75.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,913 zł 34.6K
$22.6K £16.9K
-60.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.4 zł 320
$92.8 £69.6
-11.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.26 zł 149
$46.58 £34.94
-17.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.6 zł 348
$102 £76.5
-12.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.1 zł 385
$102 £76.6
-2.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$708 zł 2,752
$1,348 £1,011
-47.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$580 zł 2,252
$1,098 £824
-47.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,156 zł 4,493
$2,160 £1,620
-46.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$892 zł 3,466
$1,745 £1,309
-48.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,641 zł 14.1K
$5,578 £4,184
-34.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,529 zł 9,825
$4,418 £3,315
-42.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Poland
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,635 zł 6,352
$3,358 £2,519
-51.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.8
5.32
27.82%

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

Last update for Poland: October 17, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Poland
$580
United Kingdom
$1.1K 89.4% $518
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poland
$320
United Kingdom
$384 20.1% $64
Groceries & Markets
Poland
$216
United Kingdom
$305 41.1% $89
Eating Out
Poland
$197
United Kingdom
$327 65.9% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Poland
$139
United Kingdom
$155 11% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Poland
$54
United Kingdom
$74 39% $21
Getting Around
Poland
$42
United Kingdom
$136 224% $94

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $619 in Poland vs $1,265 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,173 in Warsaw and $2,852 in London.

Average salary: $1,348 in Poland vs $3,250 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 104% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 102% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 193% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 141% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Poland
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🕒 Local time
08:18 8:18 AM
07:18 7:18 AM
1 h behind Poland
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,382,576
67,326,569
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Poland United Kingdom 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Poland
  • United Kingdom

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Poland and the United Kingdom compare in cost of living?
Poland is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 60% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Poland and the United Kingdom?
Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,265 versus $619 in Poland.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Poland or the United Kingdom?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Poland, adding to the overall 60% price gap.
How far does $3,000 go in Poland compared to the United Kingdom?
$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Poland, but in the United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Poland and in the United Kingdom?
Poland is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Poland vs other spots: cost of living compared

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