Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Elblag

For one person, living is cheaper in Elblag: $1,457 a month against $2,031 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Elblag
Learn more

Elblag Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,031

/mo nomad

Elblag

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Elblag

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Warsaw versus $1,457 in Elblag.

Warsaw $2,031
Elblag $1,457

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,883 in Warsaw versus $2,110 in Elblag.

Warsaw $2,883
Elblag $2,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,735 in Warsaw versus $2,762 in Elblag.

Warsaw $3,735
Elblag $2,762

Living in Warsaw is roughly 39% more expensive than in Elblag, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 49% above, Elblag 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 45.51

$12.10 zł 47.82

-4.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 zł 237

$27.08 zł 107

121.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 zł 40.20

$7.47 zł 29.52

36.14%

Cappuccino

$4.26 zł 16.85

$3.53 zł 13.94

20.68%

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

$2.22 zł 8.77

$2.17 zł 8.58

2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 zł 8.68

$1.64 zł 6.50

34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 zł 18.47

$3.13 zł 12.38

49.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 zł 20.14

$3.76 zł 14.85

35.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 zł 4.10

$0.99 zł 3.93

5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 zł 5.90

$1.62 zł 6.40

-8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 zł 6.12

$0.91 zł 3.60

70.33%

Eggs

$3.84 zł 15.18

$3.70 zł 14.63

3.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 zł 35.50

$8.91 zł 35.22

0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 zł 25.33

$6.94 zł 27.43

-7.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 zł 56.6

$11.75 zł 46.47

21.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.60

$1.36 zł 5.36

-14.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.75

$1.73 zł 6.83

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.59

$1.60 zł 6.34

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 zł 16.08

$3.20 zł 12.63

27.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.61

$0.75 zł 2.95

21.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.62

$1.32 zł 5.20

-31.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 zł 5.75

$1.15 zł 4.56

26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 zł 2.54

$0.53 zł 2.11

20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.84

$4.21 zł 16.63

49.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 zł 25.64

$6.50 zł 25.69

-0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.36

$0.53 zł 2.08

107.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 zł 6.82

$1.35 zł 5.34

28.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 zł 4.47

$1.01 zł 3.98

11.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 zł 109

$24.69 zł 97.6

11.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 zł 10.34

$2.10 zł 8.30

24.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 zł 4.87

$0.78 zł 3.10

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.79 zł 50.5

$10.19 zł 40.29

25.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.67

$1.53 zł 6.06

10.46%

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

$30.9K zł 122.0K

$30.8K zł 121.9K

0.16%

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

$29.5K zł 116.6K

$25.3K zł 100.1K

16.45%

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

$345 zł 1,363

$283 zł 1,120

21.71%

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

$8.92 zł 35.26

$8.14 zł 32.19

9.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 zł 62.7

$13.81 zł 54.6

14.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 zł 185

$42.10 zł 166

11.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.37 zł 108

$21.62 zł 85.5

26.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 zł 35.35

$5.47 zł 21.60

63.44%

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

$592 zł 2,339

$323 zł 1,278

83.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K zł 57.9K

$1,952 zł 7,715

650.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 zł 416

$80.7 zł 319

30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 zł 157

$36.60 zł 145

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 409

$87.3 zł 345

18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 439

$98.4 zł 389

12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,489

$604 zł 2,388

87.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 zł 3,707

$513 zł 2,028

82.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 zł 8,486

$992 zł 3,923

116.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 zł 5,785

$896 zł 3,540

63.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 zł 23.4K

$2,130 zł 8,420

177.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,905 zł 15.4K

$2,224 zł 8,791

75.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,097 zł 8,288

$1,295 zł 5,118

61.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.89

-2.90%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 25, 2026

Last update for Elblag: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$938 46.2%

Elblag

$513 35.2% 45.3% $425

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$370 18.2%

Elblag

$305 20.9% 17.4% $64

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$232 11.4%

Elblag

$215 14.8% 7.3% $17

Eating Out

Warsaw

$225 11.1%

Elblag

$200 13.7% 11.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$162 8%

Elblag

$136 9.4% 15.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$65 3.2%

Elblag

$53 3.6% 18% $12

Getting Around

Warsaw

$41 2%

Elblag

$35 2.4% 15.1% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Warsaw and $604 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 62% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Warsaw vs $27 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $215 per month, with Elblag cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇵🇱 Elblag

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

122,899

💱 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 Elblag 240 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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elblag is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $1,136 in Warsaw versus $604 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Warsaw. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Elblag – a meal for two runs $27 versus $60 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Warsaw and Elblag are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Elblag gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.