✦ Compare
Lugano vs
Warsaw
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Lugano, CH vs Warsaw, PL at a glance — Warsaw, PL is 51% cheaper than Lugano, CH overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $900/mo versus $1,800/mo. Top income tax: 32% vs 40%.
To keep the same standard of living in Warsaw, PL, you'd need
$36,670 / year
Warsaw, PL is 51% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Warsaw, PL vs Lugano, CH)
- Housing-55%
- Food & groceries-53%
- Transport-52%
- Utilities-18%
- Healthcare-54%
- Goods & services-52%
◎ How Lugano, CH and Warsaw, PL compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Lugano, CH | Warsaw, PL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 147 | 72 |
| Housing | 160 | 72 |
| Food | 150 | 70 |
| Transport | 115 | 55 |
| Utilities | 122 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 140 | 65 |
| Goods & services | 155 | 74 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,800/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | — | $650/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | — | $1,700/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | — | $4,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $679 | $1,388 |
| Inexpensive meal | — | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | — | $30 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 32% |
| VAT / sales tax | 8.1% | 23% |
| Corporate tax | 15% | 19% |
| Capital gains | 0% | 19% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $6,000/mo | $1,200/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | — | $49,074✓ |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,297/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $114,769✓ | $28,420✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.2%✓ | 3.8%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | — | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | — | 50 |
| Time zone | — | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | — | 67 |
| Safety index | — | 68 |
| Healthcare index | — | 72 |
| Pollution index | — | 55 |
| Internet speed | — | 150 Mbps |
| Walkability | — | 80 |
| Public transport | — | 82 |
| Family-friendly | — | 68 |
| Tap water | — | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 78 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | — | -2 °C |
| July avg | — | +19 °C |
| Sunny days / year | — | 90 |
| Rainfall / year | — | 550 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | — | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Switzerland vs Poland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Lugano vs Warsaw — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Good to know before you move to Warsaw
Central Europe's fastest-rising business hub — modern, safe and affordable, with cold winters.
- Currency
- Polish złoty (zł PLN)
- Languages
- Polish
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 150 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ -2°C · ☀ 19°C · 90 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- E · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Śródmieście · Praga · Mokotów
Plan your move to Lugano
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to Warsaw
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Lugano to Warsaw: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Lugano to Warsaw, your cost of living will be roughly 51% cheaper. Warsaw’s cost-of-living index is 72 versus 147 for Lugano (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Lugano cheaper than Warsaw?
Warsaw is about 51% cheaper than Lugano overall — its cost-of-living index is 72 versus 147 for Lugano.
Which is more expensive, Lugano or Warsaw?
Lugano is more expensive than Warsaw. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 72 (US = 100) — about 104% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Lugano or Warsaw?
Rent is cheaper in Warsaw — about $900/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Lugano.
How much do you need to earn in Warsaw to live like in Lugano?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Lugano is worth about $36,670 in Warsaw. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Lugano or Warsaw?
Poland has the lower top income-tax rate — 32% versus 40% in Switzerland.
◷ More comparisons from Lugano
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.