Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $522 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Mahabad

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

A single person spends $2,032 per month in Warsaw vs $522 in Mahabad, rent included.

Warsaw $2,032
Mahabad $522

A couple spends around $2,918 per month in Warsaw vs $849 in Mahabad, rent included.

Warsaw $2,918
Mahabad $849

A family of three spends $3,804 per month in Warsaw vs $1,177 in Mahabad, rent included.

Warsaw $3,804
Mahabad $1,177

Warsaw costs about 289% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Warsaw sits 50% above the global median, while Mahabad is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 44.72

$2.97 $2.97

287.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 zł 236

$17.06 $17.06

255.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 zł 38.87

$4.06 $4.06

146.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 $0.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$4.17 zł 16.22

$1.13 $1.13

269.03%

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

$2.27 zł 8.81

$0.52 $0.52

336.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 zł 8.61

$0.94 $0.94

135.11%

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

$0.65 $0.65

61.54%

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

$1.18 $1.18

218.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 zł 33.22

$4.30 $4.30

98.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 zł 24.43

$3.21 $3.21

95.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 zł 56.5

$7.58 $7.58

91.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.55

$1.00 $1.00

17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.73

$1.55 $1.55

11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.66

$0.86 $0.86

98.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 zł 15.71

$0.61 $0.61

562.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.53

$0.54 $0.54

68.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.34

$0.47 $0.47

82.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 zł 5.39

$0.53 $0.53

162.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.67

$0.26 $0.26

165.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.92 $0.92

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

$2.14 $2.14

189.25%

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

$0.15 $0.15

640.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.52 zł 111

$8.76 $8.76

225.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 zł 9.58

$0.44 $0.44

461.36%

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

$2.87 $2.87

348.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 zł 6.80

$0.10 $0.10

1650.00%

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

$30.7K zł 119.4K

$47.7K $47.7K

-35.62%

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

$30.8K zł 119.5K

$47.6K $47.6K

-35.45%

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

$341 zł 1,324

$12.32 $12.32

2667.05%

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

$3.76 $3.76

330.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.81 zł 178

$18.63 $18.63

145.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 zł 108

$11.75 $11.75

136.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 zł 35.12

$1.97 $1.97

358.88%

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

$594 zł 2,306

$106 $106

457.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K zł 55.6K

$2,234 $2,234

540.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 zł 424

$23.20 $23.20

369.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 zł 156

$28.48 $28.48

40.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 405

$96.3 $96.3

8.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 431

$71.4 $71.4

55.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 zł 4,587

$264 $264

347.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 zł 3,659

$211 $211

345.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 zł 8,056

$728 $728

184.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 zł 5,958

$408 $408

275.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,932 zł 23.0K

$1,131 $1,131

424.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 zł 14.9K

$530 $530

623.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 zł 7,959

$253 $253

710.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

24.3

-72.51%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$942 46.4%

Mahabad

$211 40.5% 77.6% $731

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$366 18%

Mahabad

$18 3.4% 95.2% $348

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$231 11.4%

Mahabad

$105 20.1% 54.5% $126

Eating Out

Warsaw

$223 11%

Mahabad

$55 10.6% 75.2% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$164 8.1%

Mahabad

$99 18.9% 39.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$64 3.1%

Mahabad

$23 4.3% 64.7% $41

Getting Around

Warsaw

$42 2.1%

Mahabad

$11 2.2% 73.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,181 in Warsaw versus $264 in Mahabad. 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 710% higher in Warsaw, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Warsaw versus $17.00 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $105 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

00:41 12:41 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

208,541

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Mahabad 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Warsaw
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Warsaw is pricier by about 289%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,048 per month in Warsaw and $783 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $594 per month in Warsaw and $106 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Warsaw, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Warsaw at $2,032. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Warsaw it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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