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Mohamed Oun
Warsaw
#43 of 124
Europe

Warsaw

Poland

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Warsaw compare to Milan?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Warsaw is 194% better off vs in Milan

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Warsaw compared to Milan, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$69,600
+$28K (+69%) vs Milan
Based on 986 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$54,010
+$28K (+110%) vs Milan
Tax Rate: 22%

Community Insights

New

Warsaw offers one of the best 'geo-arbitrage' opportunities in Europe for software engineers.

The combination of high local salaries (relative to costs) and favorable tax schemes (B2B) allows for a lifestyle that would require a much higher gross income in London or Berlin. Residents enjoy a modern, safe, and clean city with excellent public amenities.

However, the trade-offs are significant: the winter environment is harsh (both in terms of weather and air quality), and the language barrier can isolate you from the broader culture if you don't make an effort. It is a pragmatic choice for financial growth and career stability, rather than a paradise for weather or easy social integration.

Resident Sentiment

Most tech transplants feel financially empowered and pleasantly surprised by the city's modernity and safety. They often describe their quality of life as "upgraded" compared to their home countries.

However, a common thread of complaint is the winter blues—many residents dread the months of November through March due to the lack of sun and pollution. Long-term retention often depends on whether they manage to integrate socially or if they treat it as a temporary financial stepping stone.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Milan.

Rankings

Safety Index

Top 15%

#19

of 124 cities

74.6/100

Current value

Tax Rate

Top 15%

#19

of 124 cities

22%

Current value (lower is better)

Community Events

Top 21%

#26

of 124 cities

8 events on luma

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Warsaw compared to Milan?

Avg. Property Price
$5,504 / m²
31% cheaper than Milan
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Warsaw to maintain the same standard of living.

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Cost of Living
29% cheaper than Milan
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Warsaw

Snowflake logo
Snowflake
Amazon logo
Amazon
Playtika logo
Playtika

The Good

  • High Purchasing Power: Local tech salaries allow for a significantly higher standard of living (eating out, travel, premium housing) compared to similar roles in Western Europe or the US.
  • Tax Optimization (B2B): Engineers can opt for B2B contracts (Business-to-Business) with flat tax rates (often 12% or 19%) or lump-sum tax ("ryczałt"), resulting in much higher net income than standard employment.
  • Safety: Warsaw is consistently cited as one of the safest capitals in Europe, with residents feeling secure walking alone at night.
  • Modern Infrastructure: Excellent public transport (metro, trams, buses) that is clean, reliable, and cheap, reducing the need for a car.
  • Tech Hub: A growing number of international corporations (Google, Samsung, JP Morgan) and startups provide a robust job market with English as the primary working language.
  • English Proficiency: High English fluency among younger generations and in the service sector makes navigating daily life relatively easy without Polish.

The Bad

  • Air Quality (Smog): Winter brings noticeable smog and poor air quality due to coal heating, which is a major health concern for many expats.
  • Gloomy Winters: The cold season is long, grey, and dark, with very limited sunshine hours (rank #87) impacting mental health and mood.
  • Housing Market: Rents and property prices have skyrocketed recently (8.3 years of net salary to buy), making the housing market competitive and less affordable than before.
  • Bureaucracy: Dealing with government offices for residence permits (Karta Pobytu) is notoriously slow, disorganized, and strictly Polish-speaking.
  • Language Barrier: While work is in English, social integration with locals and handling official matters (medical, legal, taxes) can be difficult without learning Polish, which is a challenging language.
  • Cultural Reserve: Locals can appear cold or reserved initially ("Polish resting face"), making it harder to form deep friendships quickly compared to more extroverted cultures.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

The Financial Optimizer: Someone focused on maximizing savings and disposable income who wants to live a "luxury" lifestyle (eating out frequently, modern apartment, travel) that they couldn't afford in Western Europe or the US.

The Career Builder: Mid-to-senior engineers looking for stability in large multinational corps or dynamic fintech environments without the intense hustle-culture of Silicon Valley.

Skip it if...

The Sun Seeker: If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or need an outdoor lifestyle year-round, the long, grey, smoggy winters will be miserable for you.

The Social Butterfly: Those who expect instant community and warm, open neighbors might struggle with the reserved Polish culture and the language barrier in social settings.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather3.8/10-21% vs Milan
Safety75+60%
Pollution60-12%
Events8-20%
3.8/10TechCities weather score vs 4.8/10 in Milan

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
12°C(vs 18°C in Milan)
Average Low
5°C(vs 9°C in Milan)
Sunshine Hours
1,997h/yr+82h/yr
Hottest Month High
24°C(vs 29°C in Milan)
Coldest Month Low
-4°C(vs -1°C in Milan)
Rainy Days
71/yr-15/yr(-17%)

Community & Quality

Warsaw community pulse

Warsaw has 8 Luma events listed.

20% fewer events than Milan.

Purchasing Power

Middle of the pack

#43

of 124 cities

Cost of Living

Middle of the pack

#48

of 124 cities

43/100

Current value (lower is better)

Net Income

Middle of the pack

#58

of 124 cities

$54,010/yr

Current value

Home Affordability

Middle of the pack

#60

of 124 cities

≈8.2 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Comfortable Weather

Middle of the pack

#81

of 124 cities

38/100 weather score

Current value

Pollution Score

Bottom 33%

#84

of 124 cities

59.6/100

Current value (lower is better)

SWE Affordability
8.2 years
16.5 years quicker than Milan
Muggy Days
4/yr-31/yr(-89%)
Cloud Cover
57%(vs 43% in Milan)