Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Bydgoszcz

For one person, living is cheaper in Bydgoszcz: $1,461 a month against $2,051 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
Learn more

Warsaw Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Bydgoszcz
Learn more

Bydgoszcz Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,051

/mo nomad

Bydgoszcz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Bydgoszcz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,051 in Warsaw versus $1,461 in Bydgoszcz.

Warsaw $2,051
Bydgoszcz $1,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,950 in Warsaw versus $2,221 in Bydgoszcz.

Warsaw $2,950
Bydgoszcz $2,221

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,850 in Warsaw versus $2,981 in Bydgoszcz.

Warsaw $3,850
Bydgoszcz $2,981

Living in Warsaw is roughly 40% more expensive than in Bydgoszcz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 51% above, Bydgoszcz 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 zł 44.39

$12.16 zł 47.25

-6.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 zł 241

$63.0 zł 245

-1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 zł 40.03

$7.78 zł 30.21

32.39%

Cappuccino

$4.22 zł 16.38

$3.42 zł 13.29

23.39%

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

$2.21 zł 8.59

$2.10 zł 8.17

5.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 zł 8.54

$1.70 zł 6.61

29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 zł 17.84

$3.87 zł 15.02

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 zł 19.46

$3.67 zł 14.25

36.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$1.04 zł 4.06

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.71

$1.68 zł 6.54

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 zł 6.29

$0.97 zł 3.77

67.01%

Eggs

$3.92 zł 15.22

$3.86 zł 14.98

1.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 zł 35.28

$9.19 zł 35.72

-1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 zł 24.82

$6.94 zł 26.95

-7.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 zł 56.3

$11.97 zł 46.52

21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.55

$1.36 zł 5.30

-13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 zł 6.81

$1.69 zł 6.56

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.84

$1.54 zł 6.00

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 zł 15.87

$3.17 zł 12.30

28.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 zł 3.51

$0.93 zł 3.62

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 zł 3.64

$1.32 zł 5.12

-28.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 zł 5.48

$1.13 zł 4.38

24.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 zł 2.74

$0.66 zł 2.57

6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 zł 24.76

$5.67 zł 22.02

12.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 zł 25.16

$8.13 zł 31.59

-20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 zł 4.51

$1.07 zł 4.16

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 zł 6.71

$1.43 zł 5.55

20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 zł 4.51

$0.95 zł 3.71

22.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.24 zł 110

$27.75 zł 108

1.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 zł 9.91

$2.14 zł 8.30

19.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 zł 4.90

$0.78 zł 3.04

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.94 zł 50.3

$10.08 zł 39.18

28.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 zł 6.86

$1.55 zł 6.03

13.55%

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

$30.6K zł 119.0K

$30.7K zł 119.2K

-0.14%

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

$30.5K zł 118.4K

$29.7K zł 115.2K

2.78%

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

$340 zł 1,323

$282 zł 1,095

20.81%

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

$9.07 zł 35.22

$7.93 zł 30.83

14.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.28 zł 63.3

$18.87 zł 73.3

-13.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.15 zł 183

$39.69 zł 154

18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.50 zł 111

$16.79 zł 65.2

69.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 zł 35.02

$7.71 zł 29.97

16.86%

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

$599 zł 2,327

$329 zł 1,278

82.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K zł 55.7K

$5,120 zł 19.9K

180.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 zł 414

$82.1 zł 319

29.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 zł 153

$36.18 zł 141

8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 zł 416

$89.4 zł 347

19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 433

$101 zł 392

10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 zł 4,557

$678 zł 2,633

73.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$956 zł 3,713

$491 zł 1,907

94.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 zł 8,170

$1,116 zł 4,336

88.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 zł 6,056

$896 zł 3,481

73.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,040 zł 23.5K

$2,864 zł 11.1K

110.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,932 zł 15.3K

$2,164 zł 8,409

81.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,093 zł 8,133

$1,497 zł 5,817

39.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.89

-3.05%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bydgoszcz: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$956 46.6%

Bydgoszcz

$491 33.6% 48.6% $465

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$366 17.8%

Bydgoszcz

$309 21.1% 15.6% $57

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$235 11.5%

Bydgoszcz

$226 15.5% 3.9% $9.2

Eating Out

Warsaw

$224 10.9%

Bydgoszcz

$204 13.9% 8.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$164 8%

Bydgoszcz

$139 9.5% 15.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$65 3.2%

Bydgoszcz

$55 3.8% 15.4% $10

Getting Around

Warsaw

$42 2%

Bydgoszcz

$38 2.6% 9.9% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,173 in Warsaw and $678 in Bydgoszcz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 40% 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: $62.0 in Warsaw vs $63.0 in Bydgoszcz. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $226, with Bydgoszcz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇵🇱 Bydgoszcz

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

359,428

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Warsaw Bydgoszcz 220 km

From you

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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 Bydgoszcz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bydgoszcz wins on cost – living expenses run 40% 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.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $1,173 in Warsaw versus $678 in Bydgoszcz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Warsaw versus $329 in Bydgoszcz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Warsaw. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,461 in Bydgoszcz versus $2,051 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 $1,461 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 40% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.