Living in Warsaw

In Warsaw, the median gross salary is €2,342 a month (2024) and unemployment is 1.3% (2023).

Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa) had 1,863,056 residents in 2021 across 517 km². Population density was 3,605 people per km² in 2024. Car density was 821 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2023. There were 1,096.4 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2023. A monthly estimate placed private kindergarten fees at €533 in July 2026. A monthly public-transport pass cost €25.09 at the operator's published fare in October 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-1019 sources

Population1,863,056people31 Mar 2021Official source · Population by territorial unit, 2021

Median gross salary2,342EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Wages and salaries in the national economy in Mazowieckie Voivodship in 2024

Average net rent21.38EUR/m²/month4 Aug 2026Independent source · Otodom

Unemployment rate1.3%country median 4.4% — 70% belowOfficial source · Registered unemployment rate for the Capital City of Warsaw as of 31 December 2023

Recorded crime2,970incidents per 100,000country median 2,452 — 21% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Poland — Statistical Yearbook of Warsaw 2024, Table 1 (31)

PM2.5, annual mean14.32µg/m³country median 16.0 — 10% belowOfficial source · Official statistics: PM2.5 — annual mean

Lower unemployment than 98% of Polish cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 75% of Polish cities that publish it and cleaner air than 67% of Polish cities that publish it.

Which Poland-wide rules apply when you move to Warsaw?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in PolandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Warsaw.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

In 2023, the city had 1,077,500 dwellings.

How much does it cost to rent in Warszawa?

Average net cold rent is 21.38 EUR/m² per month (2026), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

Average net rent (nettokalt): 21.38 EUR/m²/month · Otodom¹⁸

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€533

Utilities, 85 m² flat€302

Fitness club€43

Transport pass€25

Internet, 60 Mbps€18

Mobile plan, 10 GB€6

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.

Net rent across major citiesWarsaw highlighted among comparable cities

net rent, € / m² / month

Gdańsk€15.01

Gdynia€14.87

Szczecin€10.25

Katowice€8.83

Radom€3.27

Częstochowa€2.99

Show the other 6 cities

Poznań€8.54

Łódź€6.55

Bydgoszcz€4.41

Lublin€4.27

Białystok€3.99

Rzeszów€3.56

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	42.86 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Warschau¹⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	18.25 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Orange Światłowód na próbę — internet bez umowy terminowej⁹Official · national market
Private kindergarten, monthly	533 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Warschau¹⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	10.57 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Warschau¹⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	5.7 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Solo M — 10 GB¹⁴Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	25.09 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Bilety długookresowe w komunikacji miejskiej²Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	302.4 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Warschau¹⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	1,077,500 dwellings	31 Dec 2023	Registered unemployment rate for the Capital City of Warsaw as of 31 December 2023¹¹Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	21.38 EUR/m²/month	4 Aug 2026	Otodom¹⁸Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Is Warsaw a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker56%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 47–65%

Skilled employee67%strong on work, weak on housing · range 59–75%

Student37%strong on education, weak on work · range 29–45%

Family66%strong on family, weak on cost · range 58–74%

Retirement52%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 42–62%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 1,283 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 21.38 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2026

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 1,283 EUR a month, which is 55% of the published median gross salary of 2,342 (2024-12). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: 2026

Work and income

The city unemployment rate was 1.3% at the end of 2023.

What is the typical salary in Warszawa?

The median gross salary is about 2,342 EUR/month (2024-12). Source: Wages and salaries in the national economy in Mazowieckie Voivodship in 2024¹⁶

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

What is the unemployment rate in Warszawa?

The unemployment rate is 1.3 % (2023). Source: Registered unemployment rate for the Capital City of Warsaw as of 31 December 2023¹¹

Unemployment across cities in PolandUnemployment in Warsaw is 1.3%. Of 632 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 3 to under 4%.

125

120

0–11–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–13

Warsaw 1.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public employment offices	2 count	15 Sept 2026	Urząd Pracy m.st. Warszawy — offices¹⁵Official
Median gross salary	2,342 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Wages and salaries in the national economy in Mazowieckie Voivodship in 2024¹⁶Official
Unemployment rate	1.3 %country median 4.4%	31 Dec 2023	Registered unemployment rate for the Capital City of Warsaw as of 31 December 2023¹¹Official

What does a salary buy in Warsaw?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€123of €1,757 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€1,757
Rent, 60 m²€21.38/m² · market price · Otodom · 2026-08-04	− €1,283
Public transport pass€25 · official · Bilety długookresowe w komunikacji miejskiej · 2026-10-31	− €25
Utilities, 85 m²€302 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Warschau · 2026-07-31	− €302
Internet€18 · official · Orange Światłowód na próbę · 2026-10-31	− €18
Mobile plan€6 · official · Solo M · 2026-10-31	− €6
Left over	€123

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Warsaw Salary needed to live in Warsaw

Public employment offices in Warsaw

Urząd Pracy m.st. Warszawy lists 2 public employment offices in Warsaw (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Public Employment Services Poland — Public employment service

Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy / public employment offices

Job SearchTraining

Search jobs

Open the Poland service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	2 count	31 Aug 2026	Official public language-service provider/location register⁵Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 7 to 18, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: oddział przygotowawczy (preparatory unit; min 3 h/week Polish as foreign language within 20-26 h/week). How to enrol a child (gov.pl).

A country-wide rule for Poland; Warsaw's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Hospitals	28 count	15 Sept 2026	RPWDL 2.0 — Rejestr Podmiotów Wykonujących Działalność Leczniczą¹³Official
Pharmacies	564 count	15 Sept 2026	Apteki — Rejestr Aptek¹Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents	1,096 per 100,000	31 Dec 2023	Official statistics: total recorded incidents¹¹Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Warsaw when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

In 2023, the city had 55,198 crime incidents, equivalent to 2,970 incidents per 100,000 residents.

How safe is Warszawa?

Police recorded 2,970 incidents per 100,000 (2023). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Statistics Poland — Statistical Yearbook of Warsaw 2024, Table 1 (31)¹¹

Recorded crime across major citiesWarsaw highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Katowice4,141

Gdańsk3,165

Warsaw2,970

Wrocław2,879

Gdynia2,736

Kraków2,546

Poznań2,539

Szczecin2,519

Bydgoszcz2,423

Łódź2,401

Lublin2,363

Białystok1,708

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	2,970 incidents per 100,000country median 2,452	31 Dec 2023	Statistics Poland — Statistical Yearbook of Warsaw 2024, Table 1 (31)¹¹Official
Total recorded incidents	55,198 incidents	2023	Official statistics: total recorded incidents¹¹Official

Language courses and integration in Warsaw

3 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

3verified local records

2publicly funded course providers

Global School

View official record

Centre for the Development of Polish Education Abroad (ORPEG)

View official record

Centre of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners “Polonicum”

00-927 Warszawa, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28

View official record

Check courses in Warsaw How the country programme works

Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Warsaw

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperature moved from −1.5°C in January to 19.7°C in July. Average July highs were 25.2°C, and July precipitation was 82.2 mm. Annual NO₂ was 23.3 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual PM2.5 was 14.3 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Warszawa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 14.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 14.32 µg/m³ · Official statistics: PM2.5 — annual mean⁸

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

1°-4°

3°-3°

7°-1°

14°4°

20°9°

23°12°

25°14°

19°10°

13°5°

6°1°

2°-2°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

139

210

272

289

295

280

193

123

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.514.3WHO 5 · EU 25

NO₂23.3WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in PolandAnnual PM2.5 in Warsaw is 14.3 µg/m³. Of 203 cities with data, 32 have annual PM2.5 of 16 to under 17 µg/m³.

8–910–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–1919–2020–2121–2223–2425–26

Warsaw 14.3

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	23.26 µg/m³country median 15.9	31 Dec 2024	Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean⁷Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	14.32 µg/m³country median 16.0	31 Dec 2024	Official statistics: PM2.5 — annual mean⁸Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 1 · Feb 2.6 · Mar 7.4 · Apr 14.5 · May 19.8 · Jun 23.1 · Jul 25.2 · Aug 24.7 · Sep 19.1 · Oct 12.9 · Nov 6.5 · Dec 2.3 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁹Independent
Average night-time low by month	Jan -4 · Feb -3.3 · Mar -0.6 · Apr 4 · May 8.8 · Jun 12.4 · Jul 14.5 · Aug 13.8 · Sep 9.5 · Oct 5 · Nov 1.3 · Dec -2.5 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁹Independent
Average temperature by month	Jan -1.5 · Feb -0.4 · Mar 3.2 · Apr 9.2 · May 14.3 · Jun 17.7 · Jul 19.7 · Aug 19.1 · Sep 14 · Oct 8.7 · Nov 3.8 · Dec -0.1 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁹Independent
Average precipitation by month	Jan 31 · Feb 29.8 · Mar 29 · Apr 35.1 · May 55.5 · Jun 63.9 · Jul 82.2 · Aug 60.6 · Sep 50.4 · Oct 40.2 · Nov 36 · Dec 36.1 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁹Independent
Average sunshine by month	Jan 44.6 · Feb 66.5 · Mar 139.4 · Apr 210.1 · May 272.4 · Jun 288.8 · Jul 295.4 · Aug 280.2 · Sep 193.1 · Oct 122.6 · Nov 50.6 · Dec 33.6 hours	1991–2020	IMGW-PiB climate normals 1991-2020 — Warszawa station 12375⁴Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Warszawa?

The published population was 1,863,056 people in March 2021. Source: Population by territorial unit, 2021¹⁰

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport98.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Cars per 1,000 residents	821 cars/1000 residents	31 Dec 2023	Official statistics: total recorded incidents¹¹Official
City area	517 km²	31 Dec 2025	Official statistics: city area⁶Official
Foreign-resident share	1.14 %	31 Mar 2021	GUS BDL / NSP 2021 non-Polish citizenship variable 1653367³Official
Foreign residents	21,159 people	31 Mar 2021	GUS BDL / NSP 2021 non-Polish citizenship variable 1653367³Official
Population density	3,605 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	Reproducible gmina density for Warszawa: population total 2024 / official area_2024, rounded to the metric contract precision 0.¹²Official
Population	1,863,056 people	31 Mar 2021	Population by territorial unit, 2021¹⁰Official

Population over time29 published observations, 1989–2025

1,595,260

1,692,453

1,789,645

1,886,838

1,866,72919891998200420172025

Population rose 12.8% between 1989 and 2025, from 1,655,272 to 1,866,729.

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Pre-primary attendance per 100 children aged 3–6 (can exceed 100)	107.6 %	2023/24	Official statistics: total recorded incidents¹¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Warsaw

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Budapest as a Warsaw alternative in another country

Better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Rent: €16.94/m² Budapest vs €21.38/m² Warsawno percentage
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €159 Budapest vs €302 Warsaw−47%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,396 (2025) Budapest vs 2,970 (2023) Warsawno percentage
A meal out: €13 Budapest vs €11 Warsaw+20%

Full comparison More about Budapest

Alternative cities in Poland

Other cities in Poland to compare with Warsaw, nearest in population first.

All Poland cities

Kraków816,614 residents Wrocław672,601 residents Łódź645,693 residents Poznań534,239 residents Gdańsk489,328 residents Szczecin410,131 residents

How does Warsaw compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Warsaw's.

Open the full comparison

Warsaw in rankings

#1 of 30 in Largest cities in Poland #6 of 13 in Highest salary cities in Poland #11 of 30 in Cities with the highest physician coverage #15 of 30 in City hubs with the lowest published recorded-crime rate #20 of 30 in Largest cities in ImmigrationDB

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Warszawa?

The published population was 1,863,056 people in March 2021. Source: Population by territorial unit, 2021.

How much does it cost to rent in Warszawa?

Average net cold rent is 21.38 EUR/m² per month (2026), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 1,497 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Otodom.

Is the air quality good in Warszawa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 14.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official statistics: PM2.5 — annual mean.

How safe is Warszawa?

What is the typical salary in Warszawa?

The median gross salary is about 2,342 EUR/month (2024-12). Source: Wages and salaries in the national economy in Mazowieckie Voivodship in 2024.

What is the unemployment rate in Warszawa?

The unemployment rate is 1.3 % (2023). Source: Registered unemployment rate for the Capital City of Warsaw as of 31 December 2023.

Is Warsaw a good place to live?

Warsaw may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Warsaw, Poland: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version f5248deb33c1ee738f4de40523d7a597]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pl/warszawa/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_warsaw-poland-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_ba06613a226c,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Warsaw, Poland: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {f5248deb33c1ee738f4de40523d7a597},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pl/warszawa/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Warsaw, Poland: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pl/warszawa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version f5248deb33c1ee738f4de40523d7a597; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Apteki — Rejestr Aptek Apteki · gov.pl · checked 2026-09-15
Bilety długookresowe w komunikacji miejskiej warszawa19115.pl · checked 2026-10-09
GUS BDL / NSP 2021 non-Polish citizenship variable 1653367 bdl.stat.gov.pl · checked 2021-03-31
IMGW-PiB climate normals 1991-2020 — Warszawa station 12375 IMGW-PiB climate normals 1991-2020 · klimat.imgw.pl · checked 2026-07-26
Official public language-service provider/location register polonicum.uw.edu.pl · checked 2026-09-15
Official statistics: city area bdl.stat.gov.pl · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: NO₂ — annual mean tableau-public.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Official statistics: PM2.5 — annual mean tableau-public.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
Orange Światłowód na próbę — internet bez umowy terminowej Orange Światłowód na próbę · orange.pl · checked 2026-10-09
Population by territorial unit, 2021 bdl.stat.gov.pl · checked 2026-07-29

Show 9 more sources

Registered unemployment rate for the Capital City of Warsaw as of 31 December 2023 warszawa.stat.gov.pl · checked 2026-07-16
Reproducible gmina density for Warszawa: population total 2024 / official area_2024, rounded to the metric contract precision 0. bdl.stat.gov.pl · checked 2024-12-31
RPWDL 2.0 — Rejestr Podmiotów Wykonujących Działalność Leczniczą RPWDL 2.0 · gov.pl · checked 2026-09-15
Solo M — 10 GB Solo M · play.pl · checked 2026-10-09
Urząd Pracy m.st. Warszawy — offices Urząd Pracy m.st. Warszawy · warszawa.praca.gov.pl · checked 2026-09-15
Wages and salaries in the national economy in Mazowieckie Voivodship in 2024 warszawa.stat.gov.pl · checked 2026-09-14
Lebenshaltungskosten in Warschau de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26
Otodom otodom.pl · checked 2026-08-04
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.