Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Poland

Name: Poland
Address: PL

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.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Poland
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Poland Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 States and in Poland actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

United States $2,727
Poland $1,547

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

United States $4,009
Poland $2,218

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

United States $5,291
Poland $2,889

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 the United States is about 76% higher than in Poland on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$10.33 zł 40.15

91.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$48.22 zł 187

67.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$9.00 zł 34.97

33.11%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.71 zł 14.41

50.67%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.08 zł 8.10

33.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.84 zł 7.14

14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.74 zł 14.52

59.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$4.16 zł 16.16

90.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.03 zł 4.01

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.34 zł 5.22

179.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.43 zł 5.54

211.89%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$3.41 zł 13.25

27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.49 zł 32.99

50.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$6.67 zł 25.91

83.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$12.29 zł 47.75

40.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.17 zł 4.56

353.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.68 zł 6.53

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.76 zł 6.84

145.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.90 zł 11.27

73.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.90 zł 3.49

212.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.99 zł 3.85

208.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.32 zł 5.12

68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.63 zł 2.45

273.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$5.68 zł 22.07

92.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$6.81 zł 26.45

118.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.14 zł 4.43

84.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.57 zł 6.09

130.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.16 zł 4.50

112.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$29.96 zł 116

119.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.28 zł 8.87

57.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.02 zł 3.96

86.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$13.06 zł 50.8

125.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.63 zł 6.33

-37.42%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$30.6K zł 119.0K

-7.60%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$28.4K zł 110.5K

-8.72%

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

$221 $221

$293 zł 1,138

-24.63%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$9.32 zł 36.19

557.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$17.23 zł 66.9

325.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$38.55 zł 150

16.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$25.96 zł 101

-12.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$7.51 zł 29.17

101.86%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$426 zł 1,654

245.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$8,913 zł 34.6K

180.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$82.4 zł 320

-35.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$38.26 zł 149

14.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$89.6 zł 348

2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$99.1 zł 385

15.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$708 zł 2,752

133.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$580 zł 2,252

129.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$1,156 zł 4,493

130.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$892 zł 3,466

147.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$3,641 zł 14.1K

-16.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$2,529 zł 9,825

-0.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$1,635 zł 6,352

168.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.8

-3.68%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for Poland: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Poland

$580 37.5% 56.5% $753

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Poland

$216 14% 47.6% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Poland

$320 20.7% 10.1% $36

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Poland

$197 12.7% 39.6% $129

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Poland

$139 9% 1.9% $2.6

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Poland

$42 2.7% 52.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Poland

$54 3.5% 28.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,548 in the United States vs $1,348 in Poland. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇵🇱 Poland

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

02:26 2:26 AM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

38,382,576

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

PLN to USD in detail →

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

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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 States vs Poland: 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.