Warsaw or Wrocław – where to buy a flat in 2026? Prices, rents, jobs
Author: Tacjana MasiukiewiczDistricts~12 min read
Warsaw or Wrocław? Counted in zloty, Warsaw is more expensive: the median price of a new flat in our offer is 18 000 zł/m² against 15 736 zł/m² in Wrocław (a difference of about 14%). But in the capital people also earn more – and once prices are converted into salaries, the two cities come out almost identical. Below we compare them on a dozen or so indicators: prices, salaries, flat affordability, rents, the job market, supply and transport – and suggest which city pays off more for whom.
Key facts
- According to TM Invest offer data, as of 27.09.2026: Warsaw – 2 237 available flats in 73 developments, a median of 18 000 zł/m²; Wrocław – 2 114 flats in 45 developments, a median of 15 736 zł/m².
- The average monthly gross salary in 2025 (GUS): Warsaw 11 678 zł, Wrocław 10 148 zł – the capital pays about 15% more.
- With the average gross salary you can buy about 0,65 m² of a new flat in both cities (the median from our offer) – affordability is practically the same.
- The average rent rate (NBP, Q1 2026): Warsaw 85,1 zł/m², the six big cities together including Wrocław 67,5 zł/m²; the estimated gross yield of a 2-room flat: about 5,3% vs 5,0%.
- The registered unemployment rate at the end of August 2026: Warsaw 1,6%, Wrocław 2,5% (Poland 5,8%).
Warsaw or Wrocław – a comparison in numbers
The table combines our catalogue data (asking prices of new flats) with official GUS and NBP statistics. Where the NBP does not give a separate value for Wrocław, we show the average for the group of six big cities and mark this clearly.
| Indicator | Warsaw | Wrocław |
|---|---|---|
| Population (31.12.2025, GUS) | 1 866 729 | 672 601 |
| Average gross salary 2025 (GUS) | 11 678 zł | 10 148 zł |
| Unemployment rate, August 2026 (GUS) | 1,6% | 2,5% |
| Median price of a new flat, zł/m² (TM Invest offer) | 18 000 zł | 15 736 zł |
| Median price of a 2-room flat (TM Invest offer) | 756k zł | 662k zł |
| Available new flats / developments (TM Invest offer) | 2 237 / 73 | 2 114 / 45 |
| Share of flats up to 700k zł in our offer | 25% | 40% |
| Transaction price, primary market, Q2 2026 (NBP) | 16 783 zł/m² | 14 312 zł/m² |
| Change in transaction price, primary market, y/y (NBP) | +2,4% | −4,7% |
| Transaction price, secondary market, Q2 2026 (NBP) | 16 723 zł/m² | 12 590 zł/m² |
| m² of a new flat for the average gross salary | 0,65 m² | 0,64 m² |
| Average rent rate, Q1 2026 (NBP) | 85,1 zł/m² | 67,5 zł/m² (6-city average) |
| Capitalisation rate from rent, Q1 2026 (NBP) | 5,95% | 6,24% (6-city average) |
| Flats completed in the voivodeship, I–VIII 2026 (GUS) | 26 396 (Mazowieckie) | 11 548 (Dolnośląskie) |
| Metro | 2 lines (M1, M2) | none, a tram network |
Flat prices: Warsaw and Wrocław
On the primary market the difference between the cities is smaller than it might seem. In our offer the median in Warsaw is higher by about 14%, and according to the NBP the average transaction price of new flats in Q2 2026 was higher by about 17%. A much larger gap shows on the secondary market – there Warsaw is more expensive by about 33%.
| Number of rooms | Warsaw – median price | Warsaw – median zł/m² | Wrocław – median price | Wrocław – median zł/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 room | 824k zł (30,4 m²) | 24 501 | 596k zł (32,4 m²) | 17 782 |
| 2 rooms | 756k zł (39,4 m²) | 18 600 | 662k zł (40,8 m²) | 16 000 |
| 3 rooms | 936k zł (58,3 m²) | 16 241 | 879k zł (57,6 m²) | 14 572 |
| 4 rooms and more | 1,60m zł (85,8 m²) | 17 106 | 1,24m zł (81,8 m²) | 15 400 |
Studio flats differ most: in Warsaw the median is pushed up by 71 apartments in Śródmieście – without them it falls to about 669k zł. The cheapest metres in the capital are offered by outlying districts, for example Białołęka, where the median is about 14,1k zł/m² (in Polish). With 3 rooms the gap narrows to about 6% in the price of the whole unit. Dynamics matter too: according to the NBP, transaction prices of new flats in Warsaw rose by 2,4% over a year, while in Wrocław they fell by 4,7%.
A budget of up to 700k zł is enough in Wrocław for 40% of the flats in our offer (843 units), and in Warsaw for 25% (557 units). You will find detailed prices by district in the articles on new apartment prices in Warsaw and apartment prices in Wrocław.
Salaries in Warsaw and Wrocław – where a flat is more affordable
According to the GUS Local Data Bank, the average monthly gross salary in 2025 was 11 677,57 zł in Warsaw (124,6% of the national average) and 10 147,90 zł in Wrocław (108,3%). The data for counties cover firms employing at least 10 people and budgetary units. The difference in salaries (about 15%) is thus very close to the difference in the prices of new flats (about 14%).
Example: how many salaries a 2-room flat costs
- Warsaw: 755 824 zł (the median for 2 rooms in our offer) ÷ 11 678 zł = about 65 average gross salaries.
- Wrocław: 662 405 zł ÷ 10 148 zł = about 65 salaries.
- A mortgage for 80% of the price, 25 years, equal instalments, an interest rate of 6,07% (the NBP average for new housing loans in July 2026): Warsaw – a loan of 604 659 zł and an instalment of about 3 922 zł, a down payment of about 151k zł; Wrocław – 529 924 zł and an instalment of about 3 437 zł, a down payment of about 132k zł.
- In both cities the instalment is about 34% of the average gross salary. With 3 rooms Wrocław comes out slightly worse: an instalment of about 4 559 zł is 45% of the salary, in Warsaw 4 854 zł is 42%.
Conclusion: if you earn what is paid on average in a given city, the affordability of a small flat is almost identical in both cities. Wrocław becomes clearly cheaper only when you move a Warsaw salary there – for example working remotely for a company in the capital. Then, for the same instalment, you get more floor area in Wrocław.
Not sure what mortgage you can afford in each city? Book a consultation with a mortgage expert – we will compare offers from several banks and calculate the instalment for specific flats in Warsaw and Wrocław.
Rents and yield – where it is better to buy to let
The NBP gives a separate average rent rate for Warsaw (85,1 zł/m² in Q1 2026, +3,3% y/y) and a joint one for six big cities – Gdańsk, Gdynia, Kraków, Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław (67,5 zł/m², +12,0% y/y). The rates exclude service charges and utilities. For Wrocław we therefore use the 6-city average – this is an approximation, not a rate for that city alone.
| A 2-room flat (the median from the offer) | Warsaw | Wrocław |
|---|---|---|
| Price / floor area | 755 824 zł / 39,4 m² | 662 405 zł / 40,8 m² |
| Rent rate (NBP) | 85,1 zł/m² | 67,5 zł/m² |
| Estimated monthly rent | about 3 353 zł | about 2 754 zł |
| Gross yield (rent × 12 ÷ price) | about 5,3% | about 5,0% |
| Rent as % of the average gross salary | about 29% | about 27% |
Warsaw has a larger and deeper rental market (offices, corporations, the most jobs), but rents rise more slowly there. Wrocław is a strongly student market – in the 2025/26 academic year about 132 thousand people studied there – with faster growth in rates over the last year. The capitalisation rate calculated by the NBP is 5,95% for Warsaw and 6,24% for the 6-city average. You will find the full net calculation with tax and costs in the article on the profitability of renting in Warsaw and Wrocław (in Polish).
The job market, population and supply of new flats
Warsaw has almost 2,8 times more residents than Wrocław (1,87 million against 0,67 million at the end of 2025) and very low unemployment – at the end of August 2026 the registered unemployment rate was 1,6% (22,0 thousand people). In Wrocław it was 2,5% (10,1 thousand people), against a national average of 5,8%. In both cities the job market is thus very strong – the difference concerns scale and pay levels rather than the availability of work.
The GUS publishes the supply of new flats monthly by voivodeship. In January–August 2026 in the Mazowieckie voivodeship 26 396 flats were completed and construction started on 30 127, and in the Dolnośląskie – 11 548 and 10 946. A voivodeship is a wider area than the cities themselves, but the proportions are clear: in Mazovia roughly 2,5–3 times more is being built. In our catalogue, though, the number of available flats is almost the same (2 237 against 2 114). Warsaw has more completed developments: 30% of available units in the capital are flats in buildings already put into use, in Wrocław – 20%.
Where is it better to live – Warsaw or Wrocław
Beyond the numbers, everyday life counts. Warsaw has two metro lines, the SKM and suburban railways, two airports (Chopin and Warsaw-Modlin) and direct rail links to most big cities. On the other hand distances are large – getting from new estates on the outskirts to the centre often means a change.
Wrocław is more compact: it has no metro, but it has an extensive tram network, regional trains and an airport at Strachowice. For many people the proximity of the mountains, the Czech Republic and Germany matters too. The choice of district matters more in both cities than the choice of the city itself – compare the best districts to live in Warsaw and the best districts of Wrocław. For example, in Wrocław's Psie Pole the median in our offer is about 14,3k zł/m², a level close to Warsaw's Białołęka (the guide is in Polish).
Warsaw or Wrocław – which city for whom
- You work in Warsaw in person – buy in Warsaw. The ratio of price to the local salary is the same as in Wrocław, and you save commuting time.
- You work remotely on a "Warsaw" salary – Wrocław gives more metres for the same instalment: for about 756k zł (the median for 2 rooms in Warsaw) you will buy 3 rooms there, for example in Fabryczna, where the median of a 3-room flat in our offer is about 706k zł.
- You are buying to let – Warsaw gives a higher gross yield on the medians from our offer and the largest pool of tenants; Wrocław – a lower entry threshold and strong student demand.
- You are looking for a completed flat "straight away" – in Warsaw the choice is greater (673 units in developments already put into use against 428 in Wrocław).
- You have a budget of up to 600–700k zł – in Wrocław the choice is clearly wider; in Warsaw look mainly in Białołęka, Targówek, Ursus and Włochy.
Frequently asked questions
Where is it cheaper: in Warsaw or in Wrocław?
In Wrocław. The median price of a new flat in our offer is 15 736 zł/m² against 18 000 zł/m² in Warsaw, and according to the NBP the average transaction price on the primary market in Q2 2026 was 14 312 zł/m² against 16 783 zł/m². On the secondary market the difference is even larger.
How much do people earn in Warsaw and how much in Wrocław?
According to the GUS, the average monthly gross salary in 2025 was 11 677,57 zł in Warsaw and 10 147,90 zł in Wrocław. These are data for firms employing at least 10 people and budgetary units – real earnings in a particular industry may differ markedly.
Is a flat in Wrocław more affordable than in Warsaw?
At local earnings – practically not. With the average gross salary you can buy about 0,65 m² of a new flat in both cities, and a 2-room flat costs about 65 average salaries. Wrocław is more affordable for people on a Warsaw salary, for example working remotely.
Where is it better to buy a flat to let: Warsaw or Wrocław?
On the medians from our offer and the NBP rates, the gross yield of a 2-room flat is about 5,3% in Warsaw and about 5,0% in Wrocław. The difference is small – the choice of a specific location and purchase price matters more than the city itself.
Are flat prices in Wrocław falling?
According to the NBP, the average transaction price of new flats in Wrocław in Q2 2026 was 4,7% lower than a year earlier, and the average asking price was unchanged. In Warsaw transaction prices rose by 2,4%. We write more about the outlook in the flat price forecast for 2026–2027 (in Polish).
Summary
In absolute numbers Warsaw is more expensive by about 14–17% on the primary market, but it also pays about 15% more – so for a person earning the average in their city, flat affordability is practically the same in both. Wrocław wins with a lower entry threshold and a wider choice in a budget up to 700k zł, Warsaw – with the scale of the job market and of rentals and the number of completed flats. It is worth basing the decision on where you work and in which district you want to live.
Comparing specific flats in both cities? We will select offers from Warsaw and Wrocław in your budget and talk to developers about price and terms – for the buyer usually with no commission, as the fee is typically paid by the developer. You will find all developments in the catalogue: new flats in Warsaw and new flats in Wrocław.
Legal status as of September 2026, market data according to the latest GUS and NBP publications. The calculations are indicative and based on medians of asking prices and statistical averages; they are not an investment recommendation or a loan offer. The instalment, rent and yield depend on the specific flat, the bank and the market situation.
Sources
- GUS, Local Data Bank (in Polish) – average monthly gross salaries 2025 (the counties of the capital city of Warsaw and the city of Wrocław), population as of 31.12.2025.
- GUS, Registered unemployed and the unemployment rate. State at the end of August 2026 (in Polish)
- GUS, Housing construction in January–August 2026 (in Polish) – data for voivodeships.
- NBP, Real Estate Market Database – flat prices (in Polish) – asking and transaction prices, Q2 2026.
- NBP, Information on flat prices and the situation on the real estate market in Q1 2026 (in Polish) – rent rates, the capitalisation rate.
- NBP, interest rate statistics (in Polish) – the interest rate on new housing loans in PLN, July 2026.
- Statistical Office in Wrocław, Higher education in the Dolnośląskie voivodeship in 2025 (in Polish)
- Flat prices: TM Invest developments catalogue, as of 27.09.2026.
