Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Bialystok

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,434 a month against $2,031 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,031

/mo nomad

Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Bialystok

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

A single person spends $2,031 per month in Warsaw vs $1,434 in Bialystok, rent included.

Warsaw $2,031
Bialystok $1,434

A couple spends around $2,883 per month in Warsaw vs $2,029 in Bialystok, rent included.

Warsaw $2,883
Bialystok $2,029

A family of three spends $3,735 per month in Warsaw vs $2,625 in Bialystok, rent included.

Warsaw $3,735
Bialystok $2,625

Warsaw costs about 42% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Warsaw and Bialystok sit above the global median – Warsaw by 49%, Bialystok by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 45.51

$9.61 zł 38.01

19.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 zł 237

$45.44 zł 180

31.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 zł 40.20

$8.97 zł 35.46

13.38%

Cappuccino

$4.26 zł 16.85

$3.60 zł 14.25

18.33%

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

$2.22 zł 8.77

$1.81 zł 7.15

22.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 zł 8.68

$1.55 zł 6.11

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 zł 18.47

$3.36 zł 13.30

38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 zł 20.14

$3.02 zł 11.94

68.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 zł 4.10

$1.01 zł 3.98

2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 zł 5.90

$1.01 zł 4.01

47.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 zł 6.12

$2.13 zł 8.42

-27.23%

Eggs

$3.84 zł 15.18

$3.75 zł 14.83

2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 zł 35.50

$8.99 zł 35.52

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 zł 25.33

$5.70 zł 22.52

12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 zł 56.6

$11.28 zł 44.60

26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.60

$1.24 zł 4.92

-6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.75

$1.82 zł 7.18

-6.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.59

$1.64 zł 6.47

1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 zł 16.08

$2.00 zł 7.91

103.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.61

$1.04 zł 4.12

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.62

$1.15 zł 4.55

-20.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 zł 5.75

$1.17 zł 4.63

23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 zł 2.54

$0.61 zł 2.41

4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.84

$5.11 zł 20.19

22.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 zł 25.64

$6.20 zł 24.52

4.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.36

$1.15 zł 4.54

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 zł 6.82

$1.47 zł 5.81

17.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 zł 4.47

$1.25 zł 4.94

-9.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 zł 109

$33.13 zł 131

-16.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 zł 10.34

$2.06 zł 8.14

27.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 zł 4.87

$0.69 zł 2.74

78.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.79 zł 50.5

$12.56 zł 49.66

1.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.67

$1.58 zł 6.25

6.96%

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

$30.9K zł 122.0K

$30.4K zł 120.2K

1.53%

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

$29.5K zł 116.6K

$28.3K zł 111.7K

4.39%

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

$345 zł 1,363

$302 zł 1,193

14.20%

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

$8.92 zł 35.26

$8.14 zł 32.18

9.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 zł 62.7

$17.99 zł 71.1

-11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 zł 185

$43.77 zł 173

6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.37 zł 108

$26.81 zł 106

2.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 zł 35.35

$8.16 zł 32.25

9.56%

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

$592 zł 2,339

$353 zł 1,396

67.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K zł 57.9K

$4,215 zł 16.7K

247.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 zł 416

$97.9 zł 387

7.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 zł 157

$36.30 zł 143

9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 409

$85.5 zł 338

21.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 439

$89.0 zł 352

24.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,489

$558 zł 2,206

103.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 zł 3,707

$474 zł 1,876

97.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 zł 8,486

$812 zł 3,209

164.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 zł 5,785

$669 zł 2,645

118.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 zł 23.4K

$2,817 zł 11.1K

110.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,905 zł 15.4K

$2,240 zł 8,855

74.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,097 zł 8,288

$1,454 zł 5,748

44.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

7.07

-5.37%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$938 46.2%

Bialystok

$474 33.1% 49.4% $463

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$370 18.2%

Bialystok

$328 22.9% 11.2% $42

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$232 11.4%

Bialystok

$205 14.3% 11.5% $27

Eating Out

Warsaw

$225 11.1%

Bialystok

$183 12.8% 18.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$162 8%

Bialystok

$139 9.7% 14.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$65 3.2%

Bialystok

$60 4.2% 7.1% $4.6

Getting Around

Warsaw

$41 2%

Bialystok

$44 3% 6.7% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,136 in Warsaw versus $558 in Bialystok. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Warsaw. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Warsaw versus $45 in Bialystok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $205 – making Bialystok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

297,554

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Warsaw Bialystok 180 km

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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

Warsaw vs Bialystok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Warsaw costs about 42% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,047 per month in Warsaw and $2,151 in Bialystok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bialystok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $558 there versus $1,136 in Warsaw.

Kindergarten costs $592 per month in Warsaw and $353 in Bialystok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Warsaw, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,031 in Warsaw and $1,434 in Bialystok. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bialystok – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bialystok. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Warsaw makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.