Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecin and Warsaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecin: $1,343 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Szczecin
Learn more

Szczecin Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
Learn more

Warsaw Living Index

Jump to prices

Szczecin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,343

/mo nomad

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Szczecin and in Warsaw

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,343 in Szczecin versus $2,032 in Warsaw.

Szczecin $1,343
Warsaw $2,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,997 in Szczecin versus $2,918 in Warsaw.

Szczecin $1,997
Warsaw $2,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,651 in Szczecin versus $3,804 in Warsaw.

Szczecin $2,651
Warsaw $3,804

Living in Szczecin costs roughly 34% less than in Warsaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Szczecin is 1% below, Warsaw is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.13 zł 35.49

$11.51 zł 44.72

-20.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.70 zł 178

$60.6 zł 236

-24.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 zł 31.94

$10.00 zł 38.87

-17.80%

Cappuccino

$2.96 zł 11.50

$4.17 zł 16.22

-29.02%

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

$1.86 zł 7.22

$2.27 zł 8.81

-18.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 zł 5.42

$2.21 zł 8.61

-37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 zł 11.70

$4.60 zł 17.87

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 zł 11.53

$5.01 zł 19.47

-40.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 zł 3.56

$1.05 zł 4.07

-12.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 zł 5.01

$1.52 zł 5.90

-15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$1.54 zł 6.00

-28.57%

Eggs

$3.35 zł 13.02

$3.76 zł 14.60

-10.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 zł 36.22

$8.55 zł 33.22

9.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 zł 24.99

$6.29 zł 24.43

2.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 zł 50.1

$14.54 zł 56.5

-11.35%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 zł 3.46

$1.17 zł 4.55

-23.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.50

$1.73 zł 6.73

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$1.71 zł 6.66

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 zł 9.03

$4.04 zł 15.71

-42.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 zł 3.28

$0.91 zł 3.53

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$0.86 zł 3.34

20.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$1.39 zł 5.39

-20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 zł 2.17

$0.69 zł 2.67

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 zł 20.43

$6.19 zł 24.04

-15.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 zł 24.05

$6.46 zł 25.10

-4.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 zł 4.13

$1.10 zł 4.28

-3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 zł 5.71

$1.63 zł 6.35

-9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 zł 3.04

$1.11 zł 4.31

-29.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 zł 98.9

$28.52 zł 111

-10.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.70

$2.47 zł 9.58

-19.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 zł 3.40

$1.31 zł 5.08

-33.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.65 zł 49.15

$12.87 zł 50.0

-1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 zł 6.37

$1.75 zł 6.80

-6.29%

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

$30.0K zł 116.6K

$30.7K zł 119.4K

-2.32%

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

$27.9K zł 108.5K

$30.8K zł 119.5K

-9.16%

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

$241 zł 937

$341 zł 1,324

-29.28%

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

$12.23 zł 47.52

$9.00 zł 34.95

35.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.03 zł 73.9

$16.19 zł 62.9

17.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.45 zł 118

$45.81 zł 178

-33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.3 zł 196

$27.81 zł 108

80.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 zł 24.32

$9.04 zł 35.12

-30.75%

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

$335 zł 1,301

$594 zł 2,306

-43.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,493 zł 29.1K

$14.3K zł 55.6K

-47.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 zł 268

$109 zł 424

-36.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.31 zł 137

$40.12 zł 156

-11.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 zł 310

$104 zł 405

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 zł 352

$111 zł 431

-18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 zł 2,339

$1,181 zł 4,587

-49.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 zł 1,922

$942 zł 3,659

-47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,415

$2,074 zł 8,056

-45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 zł 3,240

$1,533 zł 5,958

-45.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,284 zł 12.8K

$5,932 zł 23.0K

-44.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 zł 9,102

$3,836 zł 14.9K

-38.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,556 zł 6,046

$2,049 zł 7,959

-24.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.68

2.10%

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

Last update for Szczecin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szczecin

$495 36.8%

Warsaw

$942 46.4% 90.3% $447

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szczecin

$272 20.3%

Warsaw

$366 18% 34.4% $94

Groceries & Markets

Szczecin

$207 15.4%

Warsaw

$231 11.4% 11.4% $24

Eating Out

Szczecin

$167 12.5%

Warsaw

$223 11% 33.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Szczecin

$124 9.2%

Warsaw

$164 8.1% 32.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Szczecin

$43 3.2%

Warsaw

$64 3.1% 48.7% $21

Getting Around

Szczecin

$35 2.6%

Warsaw

$42 2.1% 20.1% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Szczecin and $1,181 in Warsaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Szczecin vs $61.0 in Warsaw for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $231 per month, with Szczecin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Szczecin

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

Same time as Szczecin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

387,700

1,861,599 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Szczecin Warsaw 450 km

From you

Szczecin
Warsaw

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

Szczecin vs Warsaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szczecin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Warsaw. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $602 in Szczecin versus $1,181 in Warsaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,343 per month in Szczecin versus $2,032 in Warsaw – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Szczecin runs roughly 12% less than in Warsaw. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,343 in Szczecin versus $2,032 in Warsaw, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szczecin but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Szczecin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Warsaw, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Szczecin and Warsaw are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Szczecin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.