Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poland and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Poland: $1,547 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Poland
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Poland Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇵🇱 Poland

$1,547

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,547 per month in Poland vs $2,727 in the United States, rent included.

Poland $1,547
United States $2,727

A couple spends around $2,218 per month in Poland vs $4,009 in the United States, rent included.

Poland $2,218
United States $4,009

A family of three spends $2,889 per month in Poland vs $5,291 in the United States, rent included.

Poland $2,889
United States $5,291

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in Poland ($1,127–$2,051), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Poland is roughly 43% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Poland and the United States are pricier than the global median – Poland by 14%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 zł 40.15

$19.73 $19.73

-47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.22 zł 187

$81.0 $81.0

-40.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 zł 34.97

$11.98 $11.98

-24.87%

Cappuccino

$3.71 zł 14.41

$5.59 $5.59

-33.63%

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

$2.08 zł 8.10

$2.78 $2.78

-25.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 zł 7.14

$2.10 $2.10

-12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 zł 14.52

$5.98 $5.98

-37.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 zł 16.16

$7.92 $7.92

-47.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 zł 4.01

$1.03 $1.03

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 zł 5.22

$3.75 $3.75

-64.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 zł 5.54

$4.46 $4.46

-67.94%

Eggs

$3.41 zł 13.25

$4.34 $4.34

-21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 zł 32.99

$12.75 $12.75

-33.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 zł 25.91

$12.27 $12.27

-45.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.29 zł 47.75

$17.29 $17.29

-28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.56

$5.31 $5.31

-77.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 zł 6.53

$1.67 $1.67

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.84

$4.32 $4.32

-59.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 zł 11.27

$5.03 $5.03

-42.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 zł 3.49

$2.81 $2.81

-67.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.85

$3.05 $3.05

-67.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 zł 5.12

$2.22 $2.22

-40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 zł 2.45

$2.35 $2.35

-73.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 zł 22.07

$10.92 $10.92

-47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 zł 26.45

$14.87 $14.87

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 zł 4.43

$2.10 $2.10

-45.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 zł 6.09

$3.62 $3.62

-56.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 zł 4.50

$2.46 $2.46

-52.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.96 zł 116

$65.7 $65.7

-54.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 zł 8.87

$3.58 $3.58

-36.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.96

$1.90 $1.90

-46.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 zł 50.8

$29.51 $29.51

-55.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 zł 6.33

$1.02 $1.02

59.80%

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

$30.6K zł 119.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

8.22%

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

$28.4K zł 110.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

9.55%

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

$293 zł 1,138

$221 $221

32.67%

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

$9.32 zł 36.19

$61.3 $61.3

-84.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.23 zł 66.9

$73.3 $73.3

-76.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 zł 150

$44.89 $44.89

-14.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.96 zł 101

$22.65 $22.65

14.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 zł 29.17

$15.16 $15.16

-50.46%

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

$426 zł 1,654

$1,471 $1,471

-71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,913 zł 34.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

-64.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 zł 320

$53.5 $53.5

53.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.26 zł 149

$43.76 $43.76

-12.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 zł 348

$92.0 $92.0

-2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 zł 385

$114 $114

-13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 zł 2,752

$1,654 $1,654

-57.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 zł 2,252

$1,332 $1,332

-56.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 zł 4,493

$2,669 $2,669

-56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 zł 3,466

$2,207 $2,207

-59.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,641 zł 14.1K

$3,054 $3,054

19.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,529 zł 9,825

$2,522 $2,522

0.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,635 zł 6,352

$4,391 $4,391

-62.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.55

3.82%

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 States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poland

$580 37.5%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 130% $753

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poland

$320 20.7%

United States

$355 13% 11.2% $36

Groceries & Markets

Poland

$216 14%

United States

$413 15.1% 90.8% $196

Eating Out

Poland

$197 12.7%

United States

$326 12% 65.7% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Poland

$139 9%

United States

$137 5% 1.9% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Poland

$54 3.5%

United States

$75 2.8% 40.4% $22

Getting Around

Poland

$42 2.7%

United States

$89 3.3% 111% $47

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $619 in Poland vs $1,612 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,173 in Warsaw and $2,743 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $1,348 in Poland vs $4,548 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 160% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 83% more in the United States.

Salaries are 237% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Poland

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

6 h behind Poland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,382,576

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Poland United States 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Poland
United States

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poland is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 76% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $619 in Poland.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Poland, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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.