Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Olsztyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Olsztyn: $1,703 a month against $1,995 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
Learn more

Olsztyn Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,995

/mo nomad

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Olsztyn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,995 in Warsaw versus $1,703 in Olsztyn.

Warsaw $1,995
Olsztyn $1,703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,866 in Warsaw versus $2,449 in Olsztyn.

Warsaw $2,866
Olsztyn $2,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Warsaw versus $3,196 in Olsztyn.

Warsaw $3,737
Olsztyn $3,196

Living in Warsaw is roughly 17% more expensive than in Olsztyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 48% above, Olsztyn 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 zł 45.75

$12.63 zł 49.94

-8.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 zł 245

$50.3 zł 199

22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 zł 39.36

$8.70 zł 34.40

14.37%

Cappuccino

$4.31 zł 17.04

$3.29 zł 12.99

31.00%

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

$2.32 zł 9.19

$2.48 zł 9.79

-6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 zł 8.97

$1.85 zł 7.30

22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 zł 17.97

$3.09 zł 12.21

46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 zł 20.48

$3.75 zł 14.84

38.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.20

$1.02 zł 4.04

3.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 zł 6.10

$1.25 zł 4.95

23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 zł 6.04

$1.38 zł 5.45

10.87%

Eggs

$3.80 zł 15.02

$3.87 zł 15.32

-1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 zł 35.06

$9.61 zł 38.02

-7.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 zł 26.89

$7.55 zł 29.87

-9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 zł 57.6

$14.51 zł 57.4

0.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.59

$1.19 zł 4.71

-2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 zł 6.73

$1.66 zł 6.55

2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.62

$1.82 zł 7.18

-8.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 zł 17.22

$3.44 zł 13.60

26.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 zł 3.70

$0.91 zł 3.60

3.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.59

$1.18 zł 4.67

-22.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 zł 5.65

$1.34 zł 5.31

6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.74

$0.72 zł 2.85

-4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 zł 24.34

$5.49 zł 21.69

12.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 zł 24.52

$7.81 zł 30.88

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 zł 4.33

$1.13 zł 4.48

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 zł 6.70

$1.56 zł 6.18

8.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 zł 4.47

$1.04 zł 4.11

8.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.41 zł 108

$25.18 zł 99.6

8.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 zł 10.16

$1.98 zł 7.82

29.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 zł 5.12

$0.73 zł 2.89

78.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.56 zł 49.65

$10.27 zł 40.62

22.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 zł 6.85

$1.64 zł 6.49

5.49%

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

$30.0K zł 118.7K

$31.2K zł 123.6K

-3.99%

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

$30.4K zł 120.1K

$28.9K zł 114.4K

5.07%

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

$329 zł 1,301

$336 zł 1,330

-2.21%

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

$9.08 zł 35.90

$9.64 zł 38.13

-5.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.00 zł 63.3

$18.98 zł 75.1

-15.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.70 zł 185

$45.06 zł 178

3.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 zł 110

$22.38 zł 88.5

24.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 zł 34.81

$8.70 zł 34.42

1.15%

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

$592 zł 2,342

$374 zł 1,477

58.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K zł 72.0K

$14.0K zł 55.4K

30.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 zł 415

$98.8 zł 391

6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.96 zł 154

$47.62 zł 188

-18.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 zł 427

$99.9 zł 395

8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 zł 444

$104 zł 409

8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 zł 4,547

$820 zł 3,242

40.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 zł 3,599

$638 zł 2,525

42.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 zł 8,478

$1,308 zł 5,173

63.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 zł 5,757

$1,025 zł 4,053

42.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,018 zł 23.8K

$3,616 zł 14.3K

66.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,852 zł 15.2K

$2,519 zł 9,961

52.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 zł 8,114

$1,491 zł 5,895

37.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

7.52

-11.17%

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

Last update for Warsaw: November 2, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$910 45.6%

Olsztyn

$638 37.5% 29.9% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$354 17.7%

Olsztyn

$365 21.4% 3.1% $11

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$236 11.8%

Olsztyn

$238 14% 0.7% $1.7

Eating Out

Warsaw

$226 11.3%

Olsztyn

$207 12.1% 8.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$164 8.2%

Olsztyn

$157 9.2% 3.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$64 3.2%

Olsztyn

$62 3.7% 2.8% $1.8

Getting Around

Warsaw

$41 2.1%

Olsztyn

$35 2.1% 14.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,150 in Warsaw and $820 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Warsaw vs $50 in Olsztyn. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $238, with Warsaw cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

174,675

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.226 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.226 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olsztyn is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,150 in Warsaw versus $820 in Olsztyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $592 in Warsaw versus $374 in Olsztyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Olsztyn – a meal for two runs $50 versus $62 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Olsztyn gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Olsztyn are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Olsztyn wins on affordability, Warsaw on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.