Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wroclaw and Szczecin

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecin: $1,397 a month against $1,715 in Wroclaw, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wroclaw, Poland
Szczecin, Poland
Wroclaw
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,715
/mo nomad
Szczecin
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,397
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wroclaw and in Szczecin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wroclaw and in Szczecin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,715 in Wroclaw versus $1,397 in Szczecin.

  • Wroclaw $1,715
  • Szczecin $1,397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,474 in Wroclaw versus $2,080 in Szczecin.

  • Wroclaw $2,474
  • Szczecin $2,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,233 in Wroclaw versus $2,763 in Szczecin.

  • Wroclaw $3,233
  • Szczecin $2,763

Living in Wroclaw is roughly 23% more expensive than in Szczecin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wroclaw 26% above, Szczecin 3% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.08 zł 39.76
$9.13 zł 35.98
10.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 zł 198
$46.47 zł 183
8.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.17 zł 40.11
$8.52 zł 33.59
19.37%
Cappuccino
$4.07 zł 16.03
$2.85 zł 11.23
42.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 zł 8.66
$1.85 zł 7.30
18.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 zł 7.33
$1.40 zł 5.53
32.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.94 zł 15.55
$3.01 zł 11.87
30.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 zł 20.43
$3.01 zł 11.89
72.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 zł 4.27
$0.87 zł 3.42
24.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 zł 5.85
$1.29 zł 5.10
14.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 zł 5.79
$1.05 zł 4.14
40.00%
Eggs
$4.09 zł 16.13
$3.21 zł 12.65
27.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.14 zł 36.05
$9.15 zł 36.08
-0.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.68 zł 26.34
$6.37 zł 25.10
4.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.24 zł 48.27
$12.80 zł 50.5
-4.38%
Apples (1kg)
$1.25 zł 4.94
$0.96 zł 3.78
30.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 zł 6.38
$1.62 zł 6.40
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.65 zł 6.52
$1.58 zł 6.23
4.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.60 zł 14.18
$2.30 zł 9.08
56.52%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 zł 3.79
$0.86 zł 3.38
11.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 zł 3.05
$1.03 zł 4.08
-25.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 zł 5.43
$1.11 zł 4.37
24.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 zł 2.74
$0.56 zł 2.20
23.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.14 zł 24.21
$5.18 zł 20.42
18.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 zł 29.50
$6.32 zł 24.92
18.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 zł 4.57
$1.07 zł 4.24
8.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 zł 6.96
$1.46 zł 5.74
21.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 zł 4.40
$0.73 zł 2.88
53.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.55 zł 109
$24.87 zł 98.1
10.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.47 zł 9.74
$2.01 zł 7.94
22.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 zł 3.87
$0.92 zł 3.63
6.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.07 zł 39.70
$12.66 zł 49.91
-20.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 zł 6.74
$1.65 zł 6.52
3.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K zł 122.2K
$30.6K zł 120.7K
1.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.7K zł 113.0K
$28.6K zł 112.8K
0.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$337 zł 1,330
$237 zł 934
42.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.66 zł 38.08
$11.99 zł 47.29
-19.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.51 zł 69.0
$18.74 zł 73.9
-6.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.60 zł 160
$34.52 zł 136
17.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.44 zł 124
$49.10 zł 194
-35.97%
Cinema Ticket
$9.00 zł 35.48
$7.50 zł 29.56
20.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 zł 1,877
$359 zł 1,417
32.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K zł 47.4K
$7,743 zł 30.5K
55.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 zł 368
$67.8 zł 267
37.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.54 zł 152
$34.22 zł 135
12.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 zł 366
$78.4 zł 309
18.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 zł 424
$91.4 zł 360
17.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$824 zł 3,248
$659 zł 2,600
24.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$668 zł 2,635
$551 zł 2,174
21.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,498 zł 5,907
$1,247 zł 4,919
20.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,103 zł 4,348
$945 zł 3,727
16.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,724 zł 18.6K
$3,380 zł 13.3K
39.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,272 zł 12.9K
$2,491 zł 9,823
31.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wroclaw
Szczecin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,711 zł 6,747
$1,570 zł 6,190
9.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
6.82
5.57%

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

Last update for Wroclaw: October 27, 2026

Last update for Szczecin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wroclaw
$668
Szczecin
$551 17.5% $117
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wroclaw
$364
Szczecin
$268 26.6% $97
Groceries & Markets
Wroclaw
$229
Szczecin
$205 10.2% $23
Eating Out
Wroclaw
$206
Szczecin
$167 19.1% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Wroclaw
$149
Szczecin
$122 18.1% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Wroclaw
$59
Szczecin
$50 15.5% $9.1
Getting Around
Wroclaw
$39
Szczecin
$34 12.6% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Wroclaw and $659 in Szczecin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wroclaw pays 9% 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: $50 in Wroclaw vs $46 in Szczecin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $205 per month, with Szczecin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Wroclaw
🇵🇱 Szczecin
🕒 Local time
00:54 12:54 AM
00:54 12:54 AM
Same time as Wroclaw
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
642,869
387,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.94 PLN (1 PLN = 0.254 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wroclaw Szczecin 310 km
From you
  • Wroclaw
  • Szczecin

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
Wroclaw vs Szczecin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Szczecin cheaper than Wroclaw?
Szczecin is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Wroclaw or Szczecin?
Average pay runs 9% higher in Wroclaw, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Wroclaw and Szczecin?
Rent for a central apartment: $824 in Wroclaw versus $659 in Szczecin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Wroclaw and in Szczecin?
All in, you’ll spend $1,715 per month in Wroclaw versus $1,397 in Szczecin – Szczecin is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Szczecin runs roughly 10% less than in Wroclaw. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Wroclaw or in Szczecin?
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.
Which city is safer, Wroclaw or Szczecin?
Safety-wise, Wroclaw and Szczecin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Szczecin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Wroclaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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