Moving to Poland from Ukraine
What to Expect
Considering a move from Ukraine to Poland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Ukraine to Poland, you would find that Poland is 66.8% more expensive than Ukraine overall. A UAH3,400,000 salary in Ukraine would need to be roughly PLN495,000 in Poland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Polish.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Ukraine and Poland.
What does your salary buy?
UAH3,400,000 → PLN495,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Poland
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 64.2% more
Groceries
pay 24.3% more
Transportation
pay 31.1% more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 25.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 96.0% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Poland cost about 25% more than cities in Ukraine.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Ukraine to Poland.
people moved from Ukraine to Poland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Poland compared to Ukraine.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Poland performs significantly better than Ukraine across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Ukraine generally does better on environment, though Poland leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Poland generally does better on infrastructure, though Ukraine leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Poland generally does better on employment & economy, though Ukraine leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Ukraine generally does better on family life, though Poland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine (2016), Ministry of Finance, Poland (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kiev | Warsaw |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) | 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) | 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) | 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kiev | Warsaw |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) | 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) |
| Feb | 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) | 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) |
| Mar | 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) | 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) | 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) |
| May | 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) |
| Jun | 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) | 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) |
| Aug | 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) | 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) | 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) |
| Oct | 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) | 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) | 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) |
| Dec | 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) | 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) |
Data:
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center,
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ukraine and Poland. To live, work, or study long-term in Poland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Poland's immigration authority.
Ukraine passport holder visiting Poland
Visa Free
Poland passport holder visiting Ukraine
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Poland than Ukraine?
On average Poland is around 67% pricier than Ukraine, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Poland?
Budget about PLN123,750 for 3 months in Poland (based on a UAH3,400,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Poland?
Connectivity is usually fine (Poland: 25.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Poland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Poland safe for expats?
Poland performs significantly better than Ukraine across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Poland is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.8 in Ukraine.
How is healthcare in Poland compared to Ukraine?
Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Poland, compared to 35.3 in Ukraine. Poland scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ukraine: 76).
What's the weather like in Poland compared to Ukraine?
The average high temperature in Warsaw is 55°F, compared to 56°F in Kiev. Warsaw receives around 20.9 in of rainfall per year, while Kiev gets 23.8 in.
What language do they speak in Poland?
The official language in Poland is Polish. In Ukraine, the official language is Ukrainian.
