✦ Compare
San Francisco 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.
San Francisco, CA vs Warsaw, PL at a glance — Warsaw, PL is 39% cheaper than San Francisco, CA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $900/mo versus $3,300/mo. Top income tax: 32% vs 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in Warsaw, PL, you'd need
$45,694 / year
Warsaw, PL is 39% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Warsaw, PL vs San Francisco, CA)
- Housing-59%
- Food & groceries-26%
- Transport-40%
- Utilities+15%
- Healthcare-29%
- Goods & services-24%
Median 1-bed rent
$3,300 /mo
San Francisco, CA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$900 /mo
Warsaw, PL overview →
◎ How San Francisco, CA and Warsaw, PL compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| San Francisco, CA | Warsaw, PL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 118 | 72 |
| Housing | 174 | 72 |
| Food | 94 | 70 |
| Transport | 92 | 55 |
| Utilities | 87 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 65 |
| Goods & services | 98 | 74 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,300/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,500/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $6,500/mo | $1,700/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $14,000 | $4,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $846 | $1,388 |
| Inexpensive meal | $22 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | $98 | $30 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 32% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 23% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 19% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 19% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $1,200/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo✓ | $1,297/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $90,027✓ | $28,420✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 3.8%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 150 | 50 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 70 | 67 |
| Safety index | 45 | 68 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 72 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 55 |
| Internet speed | 220 Mbps | 150 Mbps |
| Walkability | 88 | 80 |
| Public transport | 80 | 82 |
| Family-friendly | 55 | 68 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $500/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr✓ | 78 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +11 °C | -2 °C |
| July avg | +17 °C | +19 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 256 | 90 |
| Rainfall / year | 600 mm | 550 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Poland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: San Francisco vs Warsaw — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to San Francisco
Tech's global capital — the highest salaries in the US, and rents to match, wrapped in fog and hills.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-8
- Internet
- 220 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 45/100
- Climate
- ❄ 11°C · ☀ 17°C · 256 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Mission · SoMa · Hayes Valley
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 San Francisco
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
Plan your move to Warsaw
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from San Francisco to Warsaw: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from San Francisco to Warsaw, your cost of living will be roughly 39% cheaper. Warsaw’s cost-of-living index is 72 versus 118 for San Francisco (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is San Francisco cheaper than Warsaw?
Warsaw is about 39% cheaper than San Francisco overall — its cost-of-living index is 72 versus 118 for San Francisco.
Which is more expensive, San Francisco or Warsaw?
San Francisco is more expensive than Warsaw. Its cost-of-living index is 118 vs 72 (US = 100) — about 64% higher.
Is rent cheaper in San Francisco or Warsaw?
Rent is cheaper in Warsaw — about $900/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $3,300 in San Francisco.
How much do you need to earn in Warsaw to live like in San Francisco?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in San Francisco is worth about $45,694 in Warsaw. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, San Francisco or Warsaw?
Poland has the lower top income-tax rate — 32% versus 37% in United States.
◷ More comparisons from San Francisco
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.