Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Poland

For one person, living is cheaper in Poland: $1,526 a month against $2,453 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,453
/mo nomad
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,526
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,453 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,526 in Poland, rent included.

  • United Kingdom $2,453
  • Poland $1,526

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in the United Kingdom vs $2,201 in Poland, rent included.

  • United Kingdom $3,548
  • Poland $2,201

A family of three spends $4,643 per month in the United Kingdom vs $2,876 in Poland, rent included.

  • United Kingdom $4,643
  • Poland $2,876

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,131–$3,986) than in Poland ($1,081–$2,032), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United Kingdom is about 61% higher than in Poland on average.

Both the United Kingdom and Poland are pricier than the global median – the United Kingdom by 82%, Poland by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 £15.62
$10.10 zł 39.23
106.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.3 £64.7
$47.67 zł 185
80.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.76 £8.07
$8.87 zł 34.44
21.31%
Cappuccino
$4.87 £3.65
$3.50 zł 13.58
39.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 £1.91
$2.04 zł 7.94
25.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 £1.39
$1.91 zł 7.43
-3.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.75 £5.06
$3.92 zł 15.23
72.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.49 £4.87
$4.01 zł 15.60
61.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.02 zł 3.95
60.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 £1.24
$1.28 zł 4.96
29.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 £1.63
$1.47 zł 5.72
47.62%
Eggs
$4.02 £3.01
$3.39 zł 13.16
18.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.40 £7.05
$8.45 zł 32.82
11.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.99 £6.74
$6.41 zł 24.90
40.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.55 £10.92
$12.23 zł 47.52
18.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 £2.17
$1.12 zł 4.36
158.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.62 zł 6.28
-1.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 £2.08
$1.67 zł 6.47
66.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.54
$2.76 zł 10.73
22.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 £1.34
$0.82 zł 3.19
117.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.03 zł 4.00
57.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.25 zł 4.87
-1.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 £1.24
$0.65 zł 2.53
155.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.67 £17.76
$5.43 zł 21.10
335.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.67 £8.00
$6.44 zł 25.03
65.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.06 £2.30
$1.08 zł 4.21
183.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.50
$1.63 zł 6.32
104.29%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.34 £2.51
$1.09 zł 4.25
206.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$103 £77.1
$30.56 zł 119
236.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.44 £4.08
$2.35 zł 9.15
131.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.36 £1.77
$1.05 zł 4.07
124.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.17 £19.63
$12.82 zł 49.80
104.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.46
$1.65 zł 6.41
18.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.5K
$30.8K zł 119.5K
23.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.5K
$27.8K zł 108.2K
45.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 £236
$292 zł 1,135
7.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.88 £13.41
$9.46 zł 36.74
89.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.77 £32.09
$17.30 zł 67.2
147.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.93 £33.71
$37.59 zł 146
19.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.98 £13.49
$25.48 zł 99.0
-29.43%
Cinema Ticket
$13.06 £9.80
$7.58 zł 29.46
72.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,753 £1,315
$417 zł 1,621
320.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.5K £16.9K
$8,872 zł 34.5K
153.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.4 £67.8
$83.1 zł 323
8.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.49 £34.13
$38.49 zł 150
18.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 £75.9
$86.4 zł 335
17.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 £76.4
$98.4 zł 382
3.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,339 £1,005
$695 zł 2,700
92.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,096 £822
$570 zł 2,214
92.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,152 £1,615
$1,133 zł 4,401
90.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 £1,275
$907 zł 3,523
87.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,551 £4,165
$3,524 zł 13.7K
57.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,374 £3,282
$2,518 zł 9,784
73.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Poland
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,324 £2,494
$1,622 zł 6,303
104.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
6.8
-21.76%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 13, 2026

Last update for Poland: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K
Poland
$570 48% $527
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$375
Poland
$319 15% $56
Eating Out
United Kingdom
$322
Poland
$193 40.1% $129
Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$303
Poland
$211 30.4% $92
Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$153
Poland
$138 9.6% $15
Getting Around
United Kingdom
$133
Poland
$43 68.1% $91
Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$71
Poland
$53 25.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,252 in the United Kingdom vs $613 in Poland. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,869 in London and $1,181 in Warsaw.

Average salary: $3,228 in the United Kingdom vs $1,343 in Poland. 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 190% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 140% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇵🇱 Poland
🕒 Local time
19:42 7:42 PM
20:42 8:42 PM
1 h ahead of the United Kingdom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,326,569
38,382,576
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

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

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
United Kingdom vs Poland: 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 61% 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 $1,252 versus $613 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 61% 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.

United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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