Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Szczecinek

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecinek: $1,475 a month against $2,031 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
Learn more

Warsaw Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Szczecinek
Learn more

Szczecinek Living Index

Jump to prices

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,031

/mo nomad

Szczecinek

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Warsaw and in Szczecinek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Warsaw versus $1,475 in Szczecinek.

Warsaw $2,031
Szczecinek $1,475

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,883 in Warsaw versus $2,128 in Szczecinek.

Warsaw $2,883
Szczecinek $2,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,735 in Warsaw versus $2,780 in Szczecinek.

Warsaw $3,735
Szczecinek $2,780

Living in Warsaw is roughly 38% more expensive than in Szczecinek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 49% above, Szczecinek 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 45.43

$11.46 zł 45.23

0.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 zł 237

$43.98 zł 174

36.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 zł 40.13

$8.70 zł 34.31

16.90%

Cappuccino

$4.26 zł 16.81

$3.46 zł 13.64

23.12%

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

$2.22 zł 8.76

$1.10 zł 4.33

101.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 zł 8.66

$0.84 zł 3.31

161.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 zł 18.43

$3.07 zł 12.10

52.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 zł 20.10

$1.44 zł 5.69

254.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 zł 4.10

$0.89 zł 3.50

16.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 zł 5.89

$1.19 zł 4.69

25.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 zł 6.11

$1.35 zł 5.34

14.81%

Eggs

$3.84 zł 15.16

$3.48 zł 13.74

10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 zł 35.43

$7.69 zł 30.35

16.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 zł 25.28

$6.10 zł 24.05

5.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 zł 56.5

$12.92 zł 51.0

10.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.59

$1.23 zł 4.83

-5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.74

$1.12 zł 4.43

52.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.57

$1.64 zł 6.48

1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 zł 16.05

$2.50 zł 9.88

62.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.60

$0.78 zł 3.06

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.61

$0.78 zł 3.09

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 zł 5.74

$1.27 zł 5.00

14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 zł 2.54

$0.70 zł 2.77

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.79

$5.73 zł 22.61

9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 zł 25.59

$7.64 zł 30.13

-15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.35

$1.14 zł 4.51

-3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 zł 6.81

$1.42 zł 5.58

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 zł 4.46

$1.03 zł 4.07

9.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 zł 109

$30.54 zł 120

-9.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 zł 10.32

$2.30 zł 9.06

13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 zł 4.86

$1.04 zł 4.12

18.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.79 zł 50.4

$11.32 zł 44.66

12.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.66

$1.44 zł 5.68

17.36%

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

$30.9K zł 121.8K

$31.1K zł 122.5K

-0.58%

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

$29.5K zł 116.4K

$28.4K zł 112.0K

3.93%

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

$345 zł 1,360

$295 zł 1,163

17.00%

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

$8.92 zł 35.19

$7.67 zł 30.28

16.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 zł 62.6

$18.39 zł 72.5

-13.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 zł 185

$37.56 zł 148

24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.37 zł 108

$23.63 zł 93.2

15.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 zł 35.28

$7.37 zł 29.09

21.30%

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

$592 zł 2,334

$205 zł 810

188.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K zł 57.8K

$7,514 zł 29.6K

94.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 zł 415

$77.6 zł 306

35.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 zł 157

$37.62 zł 148

5.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 408

$84.3 zł 333

22.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 438

$109 zł 432

1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,480

$541 zł 2,134

109.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 zł 3,700

$530 zł 2,092

76.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 zł 8,470

$1,031 zł 4,066

108.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 zł 5,774

$852 zł 3,362

71.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,917 zł 23.3K

$2,714 zł 10.7K

118.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,905 zł 15.4K

$2,178 zł 8,595

79.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,097 zł 8,272

$1,255 zł 4,952

67.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

4.2

59.29%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 25, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$938 46.2%

Szczecinek

$530 36% 43.4% $407

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$370 18.2%

Szczecinek

$321 21.7% 13.2% $49

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$232 11.4%

Szczecinek

$206 13.9% 11.4% $26

Eating Out

Warsaw

$225 11.1%

Szczecinek

$185 12.6% 17.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$162 8%

Szczecinek

$139 9.4% 14% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$65 3.2%

Szczecinek

$52 3.5% 19.1% $12

Getting Around

Warsaw

$41 2%

Szczecinek

$42 2.9% 3.1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Warsaw and $541 in Szczecinek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 67% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Warsaw vs $44 in Szczecinek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $206 per month, with Szczecinek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇵🇱 Szczecinek

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

39,705

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Warsaw Szczecinek 330 km

From you

Warsaw
Szczecinek

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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,031 in Warsaw and $1,475 in Szczecinek, so Szczecinek is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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 $541 in Szczecinek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,031 per month in Warsaw versus $1,475 in Szczecinek – Szczecinek is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Warsaw runs roughly 10% less than in Szczecinek. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,475 in Szczecinek versus $2,031 in Warsaw, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Szczecinek but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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