How many square meters of housing in Poland can be bought for an average salary: Overview of cities

Housing demand and affordability are topical issues for many countries, and Poland is no exception. Portal RynekPierwotny.pl analyzed the housing market in the ten largest Polish cities and estimated how many square meters of real estate can be purchased in them for an average salary.

Here are these 10 cities (starting with the most affordable):

1. Katowice—0.87 square meters.
2. Bydgoszcz - 0.77 “square meters”.
3. Poznan - 0.72 square meters.
4. Gdańsk—0.72 square meters.
5. Łódź—0.69 “square meters”.
6. Lublin—0.68 “square meters”.
7. Kraków—0.66 square meters.
8. Wrocław—0.66 “square meters”.
9. Szczecin—0.63 “square meters”.
10. Warsaw—0.59 “square meters”.

Comparing the figures, we see that Warsaw is the most inaccessible place to buy a home: in the capital, you can buy only 0.59 square meters of residential real estate for an average salary.

Notably, high earnings do not always correspond with high housing prices. An example of this is Katowice, where, while earnings are quite high, housing prices remain at a low level. The opposite example is the city of Szczecin, where, despite low wages, real estate offers are aimed at wealthier customers.

It is important to note that Gdańsk and Bydgoszcz stand out regarding housing affordability. There are as many as 23 properties per thousand people. Meanwhile, in Szczecin, the situation is much worse—only 12 offers per thousand inhabitants.

It is interesting to follow the changes in the housing market. Over the past year, the number of real estate offers increased in Katowice, Lublin, and Łódź—by 34%, 17%, and 5%, respectively. However, other cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, and Poznań have experienced a decrease in available housing options.