Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Bydgoszcz Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Bydgoszcz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,040 in Warsaw versus $1,474 in Bydgoszcz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Warsaw versus $2,272 in Bydgoszcz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Warsaw versus $3,069 in Bydgoszcz.

Living in Warsaw is roughly 38% more expensive than Bydgoszcz, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 52% above, Bydgoszcz 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 zł 40.35

$11.69 zł 42.71

-5.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 zł 212

$67.4 zł 246

-13.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 zł 35.59

$7.97 zł 29.10

22.21%

Cappuccino

$4.29 zł 15.67

$4.00 zł 14.60

7.25%

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

$2.11 zł 7.72

$2.33 zł 8.51

-9.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 zł 6.63

$1.88 zł 6.86

-3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 zł 16.26

$3.95 zł 14.45

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 zł 17.11

$3.85 zł 14.08

21.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 zł 4.20

$1.07 zł 3.91

7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 zł 4.98

$1.50 zł 5.50

-9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.71

$1.76 zł 6.42

4.55%

Eggs

$3.63 zł 13.26

$3.38 zł 12.33

7.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 zł 36.94

$10.37 zł 37.86

-2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 zł 25.49

$7.02 zł 25.64

-0.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 zł 53.2

$14.49 zł 53.0

0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 zł 4.72

$1.35 zł 4.94

-4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.52

$1.62 zł 5.90

10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 zł 7.07

$1.64 zł 5.98

18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 zł 13.24

$4.26 zł 15.55

-15.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 zł 3.87

$0.93 zł 3.39

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.30

$1.17 zł 4.29

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 zł 5.26

$1.31 zł 4.77

9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 zł 2.44

$0.67 zł 2.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 zł 19.33

$5.03 zł 18.37

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 zł 30.29

$8.69 zł 31.74

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 zł 5.21

$1.11 zł 4.05

28.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 zł 6.88

$1.59 zł 5.82

18.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 zł 4.24

$1.06 zł 3.86

9.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.77 zł 109

$28.74 zł 105

3.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 zł 9.62

$2.20 zł 8.04

19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 zł 3.57

$0.71 zł 2.61

38.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 zł 49.04

$10.67 zł 38.99

25.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 zł 6.24

$1.71 zł 6.26

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

$33.4K zł 122.0K

$33.2K zł 121.4K

0.52%

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

$33.6K zł 122.7K

$31.6K zł 115.4K

6.34%

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

$357 zł 1,305

$232 zł 847

54.09%

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

$10.03 zł 36.65

$8.68 zł 31.70

15.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.56 zł 64.1

$17.15 zł 62.7

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.87 zł 164

$38.10 zł 139

17.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.23 zł 107

$20.55 zł 75.1

42.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 zł 35.43

$7.88 zł 28.80

23.10%

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

$580 zł 2,117

$451 zł 1,647

28.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K zł 57.2K

$5,504 zł 20.1K

184.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.2 zł 363

$97.7 zł 357

1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 zł 172

$38.09 zł 139

23.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 zł 338

$110 zł 403

-16.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 404

$128 zł 466

-13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 zł 4,241

$704 zł 2,573

64.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 zł 3,250

$499 zł 1,824

78.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 zł 7,427

$1,200 zł 4,384

69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 zł 5,576

$896 zł 3,273

70.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,283 zł 23.0K

$3,080 zł 11.3K

104.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,074 zł 14.9K

$2,294 zł 8,379

77.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,228 zł 8,140

$1,598 zł 5,837

39.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

6.4

17.97%

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

Last update for Warsaw: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bydgoszcz: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,161 in Warsaw and $704 in Bydgoszcz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 39% 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: $58.0 in Warsaw vs $67.0 in Bydgoszcz. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $245, with Bydgoszcz cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bydgoszcz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bydgoszcz wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Warsaw. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bydgoszcz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Warsaw pays 39% more on average, 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: $1,161 in Warsaw versus $704 in Bydgoszcz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $580 in Warsaw versus $451 in Bydgoszcz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Warsaw. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,474 in Bydgoszcz versus $2,040 in Warsaw, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bydgoszcz but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Bydgoszcz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bydgoszcz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,474 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bydgoszcz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Warsaw and Bydgoszcz 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 Bydgoszcz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.