Poland
Warsaw: how much to budget
Plan €1337 for 7 nights in Warsaw, return flight from London included, or €442 travelling cheap. On the ground that works out at €185 per person per day.
- From
- €58/day
- vs. London
- 85%
- Best month
- Jul
Your trip to Warsaw
Set the length, the number of travellers and the comfort level: the figures recompute here.
€1,337
per person, flight included
- on the ground
- €1,295
- flight from London
- €42
- per person per day, on the ground
- €185
InstantTripCost estimate
Full 7-night budget breakdown
Per-person estimate including flights from London, split across the six expense categories.
per person · Comfort
| Category | Budget | Comfort | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | €36 | €42 | €63 |
| Hotel | €98 | €504 | €1183 |
| Food | €210 | €462 | €1029 |
| Transport | €56 | €126 | €315 |
| Activities | €21 | €105 | €378 |
| Misc | €21 | €98 | €350 |
| 7-night total | €442 | €1337 | €3318 |
Flight from London (annual median).
Unit prices
comfort
Enough to check the total yourself, line by line, at the comfort level you picked.
- €10
- Breakfast
- €19
- Lunch
- €37
- Dinner
- €6
- City ride
- €15
- Site admission
- €185
- A full day
Orders of magnitude derived from our measured ranges, not surveyed venue by venue. Prices vary by neighbourhood and season.
The three tiers
What a budget traveller, a comfort traveller and a premium traveller typically spend.
Budget
€52
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €14
- Meal
- €10
- Transit / day
- €8
Comfort
€156
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €72
- Meal
- €22
- Transit / day
- €18
Luxury
€361
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €169
- Meal
- €49
- Transit / day
- €45
Why visit Warsaw
Warsaw has a price structure few European capitals show: its entry level is the lowest in the region, and its top end is higher than theirs. The survey returns €14 for a hostel night, €72 for a mid-range hotel and €169 at the top. Compare with Kraków, Poland's other big draw: €17 / 82 / 143. Warsaw is cheaper at the bottom, cheaper in the middle, but more expensive at the top. In other words, a thrifty traveler does better here than almost anywhere in Central Europe, while business guests pay full capital rates.
In practice that means well-rated hostels around €8 to €11 a night and decent private rooms from €31 to €35. The ceiling fills up with places like the Regent Warsaw at €93 or the old town PURO at €151.
The second budget-shifting point is monetary: Poland is in the European Union but not in the eurozone. Everything is priced in złoty, and the exchange rate becomes a spending line of its own, unlike a trip to Spain or Italy.
Then there is what Warsaw gives away for free, and it is substantial: an old town rebuilt from scratch after 1944 and world-heritage listed for that reconstruction itself, Łazienki Park with its open-air Chopin recitals, the wild banks of the Vistula. For two people at mid-range comfort, plan roughly €110 to €150 a day excluding flights.
Weather & best time to visit
Average temperatures and conditions by month in Warsaw.
Best month to visitJuly
Where to sleep in Warsaw
Choosing a district
Warsaw is spread out, 517 km² for 1.86 million residents, and cannot be covered on foot like a compact old town. Choosing the neighborhood matters more here than elsewhere. The good news: the tram network and two metro lines connect everything, and the €72 mid-range band stays reachable even centrally.
Śródmieście
The administrative center, dominated by the Palace of Culture and Science and crossed by the Nowy Świat avenue. Every transport connection converges here, main station included.
Stare Miasto - Nowe Miasto
The rebuilt old town, around the Market Square, the Royal Castle and Sigismund's Column. The prettiest and the priciest: this is where the €112 and €151 addresses sit.
Praga-Północ
The right bank of the Vistula, one of the few districts that escaped the 1944 destruction. Original facades, artists' studios, and rates well below the left bank.
Wola
To the west, the office-tower district and home of the Warsaw Uprising Museum. Recent hotels, functional rooms, and the cheapest hostels in the survey, from €8 a night.
The hotels we measured
Accommodation picks by price range.
Hostel Harmonia
Hostel, standard (6.7/10) from 1,080 reviews.
Bazylika hostel
Hostel, standard (6.7/10) from 98 reviews.
10Q- Z6 Pokój 602A
Hotel, very well rated (8.5/10) from 90 reviews.
6 Cities Rooms
Hotel, very well rated (8.9/10) from 829 reviews.
Regent Warsaw Hotel
5-star, well rated (8.4/10) from 5,424 reviews.
Tiffi Old Town Hotel
Hotel, very well rated (8.9/10) from 3,455 reviews.
Mercure Warszawa Grand
Hotel, very well rated (8.5/10) from 4,168 reviews.
All observed hotels in Warsaw
24 properties, nightly rate for a 2-night stay arriving 15 October 2026.
| Hotel | Category | Rating | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel Harmonia | Budget | ★ 6.7 | €8 |
| Dom SOFIIA | Budget | ★ 7.1 | €8 |
| Bazylika hostel | Budget | ★ 6.7 | €10 |
| Hostel PULSE | Budget | ★ 7.5 | €10 |
| Hostel Pracowniczy za FSO | Budget | ★ 6.6 | €10 |
| Nawat | Budget | ★ 6.4 | €10 |
| Villa Krasnowolska Airport | Budget | ★ 6.6 | €10 |
| Lubava | Budget | ★ 7 | €11 |
| 10Q- Z6 Pokój 602A | Mid-range | ★ 8.5 | €31 |
| 6 Cities Rooms | Mid-range | ★ 8.9 | €35 |
| Central Studio | Mid-range | ★ 9 | €52 |
| Folwark Historic Hotel | Mid-range | ★ 7.7 | €55 |
| Loft Sen Pszczoły | Mid-range | ★ 7.3 | €58 |
| Noclegi Stadion Bed & Breakfast | Mid-range | ★ 7.8 | €62 |
| Hit Hotel | Mid-range | ★ 8.2 | €65 |
| SCSK Żurawia | Mid-range | ★ 7.8 | €67 |
| Regent Warsaw Hotel | Luxury | ★ 8.4 | €93 |
| Tiffi Old Town Hotel | Luxury | ★ 8.9 | €112 |
| Mercure Warszawa Grand | Luxury | ★ 8.5 | €139 |
| NYX Hotel Warsaw by Leonardo Hotels | Luxury | ★ 9.2 | €141 |
| Holiday Inn - Warsaw City Centre by IHG | Luxury | ★ 9.2 | €142 |
| Hotel Teatro Boutique Old Town - Destigo Hotels | Luxury | ★ 8.8 | €146 |
| Mamaison Le Regina Boutique Hotel | Luxury | ★ 9.1 | €148 |
| PURO Warszawa Stare Miasto | Luxury | ★ 9.6 | €151 |
Eating in Warsaw
Concrete benchmarks to set your meal budget, from the morning coffee to dinner.
The bar mleczny, or milk bar, is the Polish institution that keeps the food budget down: a still state-subsidised canteen where a full plate, pierogi or bigos, goes for around ten złoty. Warsaw keeps a handful of them right in the center, notably on Nowy Świat and around Marszałkowska street, often open only until early evening. At that rate two people eat lunch for less than a night in the cheapest hostel in the survey, €8. The Hala Koszyki food hall and the shopping-mall canteens sit one notch up, around 40 to 60 zł a dish. A sit-down dinner in an old town restaurant, on the other hand, is priced like any capital: it is the one line where Warsaw gives nothing away, consistent with its €169 hotel ceiling.
Moving around Warsaw
Transit, distances and the smart moves so you don't pay the tourist tax.
Warsaw prices transport by time, not distance: a 75-minute ticket costs around 6 zł and covers metro, tram, bus and city trains alike within zone 1. The 24-hour pass runs about 15 zł, roughly €3.50, less than a twentieth of the €72 mid-range hotel night in the survey. The detail that really counts: Chopin Airport, eight kilometres from the center, is inside that zone 1. The suburban train and bus line 175 both take an ordinary ticket, where many capitals charge for a dedicated airport link at ten times the price. Modlin airport, used by low-cost carriers, sits 40 kilometres out and requires a paid shuttle: factor it in before buying the cheaper flight.
Things to do in Warsaw
Recommended activities and tours.
National Museum in Warsaw
The National Museum in Warsaw (Polish: Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, MNW) is a national art museum located in Warsaw and one of the largest museums in Poland. It comprises a collection of ancient art (Egyptian, Greek, Roman), counting about 11,000 objects, an extensive gallery of Polish painting since the 16th century and a collection of foreign painting including Italian, French, Flemish, Dutch, German and Russian works.
Art museum
Museum of the History of Polish Jews
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (Polish: Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich) is a museum dedicated to preserving and recalling the memory of the history of Jews in Poland. The museum is located on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto.
Jewish museum
Warsaw Uprising Museum
The Warsaw Rising Museum (Polish: Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego), in the Wola district of Warsaw, Poland, is dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. The institution of the museum was established in 1983, but no construction work took place for many years.
History museum
Palace of Culture and Science
The Palace of Culture and Science (Polish: Pałac Kultury i Nauki; PKiN) is a notable high-rise building in central Warsaw, Poland. With a total height of 237 metres (778 ft), it is the second tallest building in both Warsaw and Poland (after the Varso Tower), the eighth tallest building in the European Union and one of the tallest on the European continent.
Architectural landmark
Royal Castle in Warsaw
The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Polish: Zamek Królewski w Warszawie [ˈzamɛk kruˈlɛfskʲi v varˈʂavjɛ]) is a state museum and a national historical monument, which formerly served as the official royal residence of several Polish monarchs. The personal offices of the king and the administrative offices of the royal court were located in the Castle from the 16th century until the final partition of Poland in 1795.
Castle
Sigismund's Column
Sigismund's Column (Polish: Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. The column and statue commemorate King Sigismund III Vasa, who in 1596 had moved Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw.
Monument
Łazienki Park
Łazienki Park, or the Royal Baths Park (Polish pronunciation: [waˈʑɛnkʲi kruˈlɛvskʲjɛ], Polish: Park Łazienkowski, Łazienki Królewskie), is the largest park in Warsaw, Poland, occupying 76 hectares of the city center. The park-and-palace complex lies in the Downtown district, on Ujazdów Avenue, which is part of the Royal Route linking the Royal Castle with Wilanów Palace to the south.
Park
Monument to the Ghetto Heroes
The Monument to the Ghetto Heroes (Polish: Pomnik Bohaterów Getta) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 during the Second World War. It is located in the area which was formerly a part of the Warsaw Ghetto, at the spot where the first armed clash of the uprising took place.
Monument
Castle Square
Castle Square (Polish: plac Zamkowy, pronounced [ˈplat͡s zamˈkɔ.vɘ]) is a historic square in front of the Royal Castle - the former official residence of Polish monarchs - located in Warsaw, Poland. It is a popular meeting place for tourists and locals.
Square
Old Town Market Square in Warsaw
Warsaw's Old Town Market Square (Polish: Rynek Starego Miasta, pronounced [ˈrɘ.nɛk staˈrɛ.ɡɔ ˈmjas.ta]) is the center and oldest part of the Old Town of Warsaw, Poland. Immediately after the Warsaw Uprising, it was systematically blown up by the German Army.
Square
Places referenced on Wikidata. Admission prices vary by season - check each venue's official site.
Paying less in Warsaw
What moves the needle
What each decision takes off the €1333 total, strongest lever first.
- − €889
Travel cheap rather than mid-range
Hostel or entry-level hotel, local canteens, public transport. Accommodation is where the gap opens up.
- − €370
Stay five nights instead of seven
Two fewer nights also removes two days of meals, transport and sightseeing.
- − €252
Travel as a pair
The room is shared, nothing else is. Travellers themselves name this as the strongest lever.
Differences computed from our own measurements, for a 7-night mid-range stay, excluding flights.
6 tips on the ground
- The best-rated hostels in the survey run €8 to €11 a night, the lowest entry level in the region: a €14 band against €17 in Kraków and Budapest, €26 in Vienna.
- A full plate at a milk bar costs around ten złoty, barely more than €2, against 40 to 60 zł in a food hall.
- Chopin Airport sits inside transport zone 1: the train or bus 175 take an ordinary ticket at around 6 zł, with no airport supplement.
- From mid-May to late September, the Chopin recitals in Łazienki Park are held outdoors on Sundays, free, at the foot of the composer's monument.
- Warsaw's major museums, the National Museum, the Uprising Museum and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, each have one free-admission day a week: check which before planning your days.
- Always pay in złoty when the card terminal offers to convert to euros: the merchant's conversion is consistently worse than your bank's.
FAQ
FAQ - Warsaw
- How much does a week in Warsaw cost?
- For seven nights, plan roughly €406 per person on a budget (hostel at €8 to €14, milk bars, museums on free days, transport passes), and around €1,295 at mid-range comfort with a €72 hotel night in a shared double, excluding flights.
- What's the best month to visit Warsaw?
- May and September strike the best balance, with highs of 18 to 19°C. The Warsaw winter is genuinely cold: January averages -1.6°C with lows at -3.9°C, and just 8 hours 18 of daylight. July is the warmest (23.9°C high) but also the wettest month of the year, with 84mm of rain over 12.6 days.
- Is Warsaw an expensive destination?
- No, except at the top end. On the cost-of-living index Warsaw sits clearly below Vienna and practically level with Kraków, but stays a notch above Budapest, still the cheapest of the big Central European cities in the comparison. The inversion happens in luxury lodging: at €169 a night, Warsaw's ceiling is above Vienna's (€135) and Budapest's (€108).
- Should you change euros before travelling to Poland?
- Not necessarily. Poland uses the złoty rather than the euro, but Warsaw takes cards almost everywhere, including on transport and in milk bars. The real trap is not the exchange bureau, it is the conversion the card terminal offers: decline the euro amount and let your own bank convert. Across a €550 to €850 trip, the gap runs into tens of euros.
At a glance
Wikidata, Wikipedia and Open-Meteo data
- Population
- 1.9M
- Area
- 517 km²
- Elevation
- 118 m
- Language
- Polish
- Currency
- zł
- Avg. July temp.
- 20°
- Avg. Jan. temp.
- -2°
- Rainy days / year
- 127
inhabitants
Zloty
15° - 24°
-4° - 1°
About
Warsaw in brief
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and most populous city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at 1.86 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 3.27 million residents, which makes Warsaw the 7th most populous city in the European Union. The city area measures 517 square kilometres and comprises 18 districts, while the metropolitan area covers 6,100 square kilometres.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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