Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $482 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index

Jump to prices

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Warsaw versus $482 in Arak.

Warsaw $2,032
Arak $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,918 in Warsaw versus $758 in Arak.

Warsaw $2,918
Arak $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,804 in Warsaw versus $1,034 in Arak.

Warsaw $3,804
Arak $1,034

Living in Warsaw is roughly 321% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Warsaw is 50% above, Arak is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 44.72

$3.71 $3.71

210.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 zł 236

$12.65 $12.65

379.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 zł 38.87

$4.09 $4.09

144.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Cappuccino

$4.17 zł 16.22

$1.36 $1.36

206.62%

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

$2.27 zł 8.81

$0.48 $0.48

372.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 zł 8.61

$1.73 $1.73

27.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 zł 17.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 zł 19.47

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$0.55 $0.55

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$0.57 $0.57

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$1.90 $1.90

-18.95%

Eggs

$3.76 zł 14.60

$1.22 $1.22

208.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 zł 33.22

$2.16 $2.16

295.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 zł 24.43

$2.56 $2.56

145.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 zł 56.5

$10.32 $10.32

40.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.55

$0.79 $0.79

48.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.73

$1.02 $1.02

69.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.66

$0.63 $0.63

171.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 zł 15.71

$0.51 $0.51

692.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.53

$0.44 $0.44

106.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.34

$0.41 $0.41

109.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 zł 5.39

$0.48 $0.48

189.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.67

$0.30 $0.30

130.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 zł 24.04

$2.54 $2.54

143.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.46 zł 25.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.35

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.31

$0.10 $0.10

1010.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.52 zł 111

$9.52 $9.52

199.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 zł 9.58

$0.25 $0.25

888.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 zł 5.08

$0.12 $0.12

991.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.87 zł 50.0

$1.03 $1.03

1149.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 zł 6.80

$0.09 $0.09

1844.44%

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

$30.7K zł 119.4K

$49.8K $49.8K

-38.29%

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

$30.8K zł 119.5K

$34.4K $34.4K

-10.48%

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

$341 zł 1,324

$9.84 $9.84

3364.43%

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

$9.00 zł 34.95

$1.49 $1.49

504.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.19 zł 62.9

$3.75 $3.75

331.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.81 zł 178

$9.87 $9.87

364.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 zł 108

$24.01 $24.01

15.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 zł 35.12

$1.12 $1.12

707.14%

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

$594 zł 2,306

$83.5 $83.5

611.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K zł 55.6K

$2,319 $2,319

517.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 zł 424

$13.43 $13.43

711.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 zł 156

$8.95 $8.95

348.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 405

$80.9 $80.9

28.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 431

$51.4 $51.4

115.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 zł 4,587

$295 $295

300.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 zł 3,659

$211 $211

346.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 zł 8,056

$806 $806

157.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 zł 5,958

$359 $359

327.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,932 zł 23.0K

$1,354 $1,354

338.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 zł 14.9K

$656 $656

484.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 zł 7,959

$368 $368

456.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

18.5

-63.89%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$942 46.4%

Arak

$211 43.7% 77.6% $731

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$366 18%

Arak

$15 3.1% 95.9% $351

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$231 11.4%

Arak

$97 20.1% 58.1% $134

Eating Out

Warsaw

$223 11%

Arak

$67 13.9% 69.9% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$164 8.1%

Arak

$70 14.4% 57.5% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$64 3.1%

Arak

$12 2.5% 81% $52

Getting Around

Warsaw

$42 2.1%

Arak

$11 2.2% 74.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,181 in Warsaw and $295 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 457% 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: $61.0 in Warsaw vs $13.00 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $97.0 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

526,200

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Warsaw Arak 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Warsaw
Arak

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

Warsaw vs Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 321% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 457% higher in Warsaw, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,181 in Warsaw versus $295 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,032 per month in Warsaw versus $482 in Arak – a 321% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 200% less than in Warsaw. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Arak versus $2,032 in Warsaw, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Arak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arak 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, Warsaw and Arak 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 Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 321% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.