Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Elk

For one person, living is cheaper in Elk: $1,224 a month against $2,031 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Elk
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Elk Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,031

/mo nomad

Elk

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Elk

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

A single person spends $2,031 per month in Warsaw vs $1,224 in Elk, rent included.

Warsaw $2,031
Elk $1,224

A couple spends around $2,883 per month in Warsaw vs $1,852 in Elk, rent included.

Warsaw $2,883
Elk $1,852

A family of three spends $3,735 per month in Warsaw vs $2,479 in Elk, rent included.

Warsaw $3,735
Elk $2,479

Warsaw costs about 66% more than Elk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Warsaw sits 49% above the global median, while Elk is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 45.40

$9.07 zł 35.78

26.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 zł 236

$41.16 zł 162

45.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 zł 40.11

$7.70 zł 30.38

32.08%

Cappuccino

$4.26 zł 16.80

$3.01 zł 11.86

41.53%

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

$2.22 zł 8.75

$2.00 zł 7.87

11.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 zł 8.66

$1.58 zł 6.23

39.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 zł 18.42

$2.48 zł 9.79

88.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 zł 20.09

$3.80 zł 14.97

34.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 zł 4.09

$0.99 zł 3.91

5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 zł 5.89

$1.26 zł 4.98

18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 zł 6.11

$1.57 zł 6.21

-1.27%

Eggs

$3.84 zł 15.15

$2.40 zł 9.46

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 zł 35.41

$4.48 zł 17.66

100.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 zł 25.26

$6.05 zł 23.87

5.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 zł 56.5

$13.77 zł 54.3

3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.59

$1.07 zł 4.24

8.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.74

$1.64 zł 6.47

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.57

$1.54 zł 6.08

8.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 zł 16.04

$3.14 zł 12.37

29.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.60

$0.87 zł 3.42

4.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.61

$1.36 zł 5.37

-33.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 zł 5.74

$1.51 zł 5.97

-3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 zł 2.53

$0.54 zł 2.11

18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.78

$4.45 zł 17.56

41.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 zł 25.57

$7.09 zł 27.96

-8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.35

$1.24 zł 4.90

-11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 zł 6.81

$1.25 zł 4.93

38.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 zł 4.46

$0.69 zł 2.71

63.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 zł 109

$21.36 zł 84.2

29.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 zł 10.31

$2.06 zł 8.12

27.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 zł 4.86

$0.50 zł 1.96

146.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.79 zł 50.4

$6.23 zł 24.58

105.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.65

$1.53 zł 6.05

10.46%

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

$30.9K zł 121.7K

$30.2K zł 119.1K

2.25%

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

$29.5K zł 116.3K

$26.8K zł 105.5K

10.24%

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

$345 zł 1,360

$186 zł 732

85.79%

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

$8.92 zł 35.17

$6.97 zł 27.47

27.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 zł 62.5

$13.33 zł 52.6

18.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 zł 185

$28.98 zł 114

61.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.37 zł 108

$35.39 zł 140

-22.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 zł 35.26

$6.37 zł 25.12

40.35%

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

$592 zł 2,333

$299 zł 1,180

97.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K zł 57.8K

$5,039 zł 19.9K

190.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 zł 415

$84.6 zł 333

24.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 zł 157

$25.74 zł 101

54.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 408

$83.0 zł 327

24.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 438

$116 zł 456

-4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,478

$522 zł 2,058

117.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 zł 3,698

$442 zł 1,742

112.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 zł 8,465

$915 zł 3,608

134.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 zł 5,771

$772 zł 3,045

89.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 zł 23.3K

$2,147 zł 8,468

175.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,905 zł 15.4K

$1,891 zł 7,458

106.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,097 zł 8,267

$1,203 zł 4,743

74.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.21

7.73%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 25, 2026

Last update for Elk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$938 46.2%

Elk

$442 36.1% 52.9% $496

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$370 18.2%

Elk

$206 16.8% 44.3% $164

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$232 11.4%

Elk

$201 16.4% 13.2% $31

Eating Out

Warsaw

$225 11.1%

Elk

$166 13.6% 26.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$162 8%

Elk

$139 11.4% 14% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$65 3.2%

Elk

$42 3.4% 35.5% $23

Getting Around

Warsaw

$41 2%

Elk

$29 2.3% 30% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,136 in Warsaw versus $522 in Elk. 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 74% higher in Warsaw. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Warsaw versus $41 in Elk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $201 – making Elk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇵🇱 Elk

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

61,782

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Elk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Warsaw is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,047 per month in Warsaw and $1,837 in Elk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $522 there versus $1,136 in Warsaw.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Warsaw, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Warsaw and $41 in Elk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elk, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Warsaw at $2,031. In Elk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Warsaw it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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