Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaj: $816 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Karaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Warsaw versus $816 in Karaj.

Warsaw $2,032
Karaj $816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,918 in Warsaw versus $1,054 in Karaj.

Warsaw $2,918
Karaj $1,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,804 in Warsaw versus $1,292 in Karaj.

Warsaw $3,804
Karaj $1,292

Living in Warsaw is roughly 149% more expensive than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Warsaw is 50% above, Karaj is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 44.72

$3.79 $3.79

203.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 zł 236

$17.25 $17.25

251.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 zł 38.87

$3.92 $3.92

155.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

Cappuccino

$4.17 zł 16.22

$1.11 $1.11

275.68%

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

$2.27 zł 8.81

$0.46 $0.46

393.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 zł 8.61

$1.66 $1.66

33.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 zł 17.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 zł 19.47

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$0.70 $0.70

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$0.51 $0.51

198.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$2.07 $2.07

-25.60%

Eggs

$3.76 zł 14.60

$1.08 $1.08

248.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 zł 33.22

$4.31 $4.31

98.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 zł 24.43

$3.30 $3.30

90.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 zł 56.5

$10.38 $10.38

40.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.55

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.73

$1.68 $1.68

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.66

$0.75 $0.75

128.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 zł 15.71

$0.49 $0.49

724.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.53

$0.46 $0.46

97.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.34

$0.47 $0.47

82.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 zł 5.39

$0.57 $0.57

143.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.67

$0.19 $0.19

263.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 zł 24.04

$2.52 $2.52

145.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.46 zł 25.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.35

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.31

$0.19 $0.19

484.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.52 zł 111

$13.23 $13.23

115.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 zł 9.58

$0.31 $0.31

696.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 zł 5.08

$0.29 $0.29

351.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.87 zł 50.0

$2.66 $2.66

383.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 zł 6.80

$0.08 $0.08

2087.50%

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

$30.7K zł 119.4K

$49.4K $49.4K

-37.80%

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

$30.8K zł 119.5K

$44.9K $44.9K

-31.55%

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

$341 zł 1,324

$12.86 $12.86

2550.86%

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

$9.00 zł 34.95

$1.58 $1.58

469.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.19 zł 62.9

$3.69 $3.69

338.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.81 zł 178

$23.06 $23.06

98.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 zł 108

$10.06 $10.06

176.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 zł 35.12

$1.12 $1.12

707.14%

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

$594 zł 2,306

$108 $108

447.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K zł 55.6K

$817 $817

1652.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 zł 424

$25.45 $25.45

328.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 zł 156

$28.36 $28.36

41.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 405

$95.8 $95.8

8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 431

$74.5 $74.5

48.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 zł 4,587

$291 $291

305.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 zł 3,659

$480 $480

96.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 zł 8,056

$829 $829

150.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 zł 5,958

$467 $467

228.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,932 zł 23.0K

$1,249 $1,249

374.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 zł 14.9K

$528 $528

627.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 zł 7,959

$245 $245

737.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

-70.96%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$942 46.4%

Karaj

$480 58.8% 49% $462

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$366 18%

Karaj

$18 2.2% 95% $348

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$231 11.4%

Karaj

$112 13.7% 51.5% $119

Eating Out

Warsaw

$223 11%

Karaj

$64 7.8% 71.4% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$164 8.1%

Karaj

$101 12.4% 38.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$64 3.1%

Karaj

$25 3.1% 60.4% $39

Getting Around

Warsaw

$42 2.1%

Karaj

$16 1.9% 62.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,181 in Warsaw and $291 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 738% 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: $61.0 in Warsaw vs $17.00 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $112 per month, with Karaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

1,712,000

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Warsaw Karaj 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Warsaw
Karaj

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 Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Warsaw and Karaj differ by about 149% in total monthly costs ($2,032 vs $816 including rent). Karaj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 738% 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: $1,181 in Warsaw versus $291 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Warsaw. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karaj – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $61.0 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Karaj versus $2,032 in Warsaw, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karaj but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Karaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Karaj 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 Karaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.