If you’re considering a move to Poland, here’s some information to help you decide on the best city for you.
18 April 2017
| Last updated on 18 October 2017
Poland has become a popular spot for many expats and students wishing to study abroad, especially for Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians. A survey by Morizon interviewed 667 expats, with 57% of them having been in the country for a couple of years. They were each asked to evaluate certain aspects about Poland's major cities: Warsaw, Lodz, Cracow, Tri-City, Wroclaw, Poznan, Katowice and Bydgoszcz.
Safety
All expats stated they felt relatively safe in the country. Cracow came up as the safest city, with Poznan and Warsaw right behind it. The expats felt that public areas have improved a lot over time and having CCTV cameras with police patrolling around contributed a lot to their feeling of safety.
Cost of living
Wroclaw came up as the most expensive city to live in, especially when it comes to rent. Rental prices have been steadily going up and good offers usually don’t last long. Lodz is believed to have the cheapest cost of living, with Bydgoszoz and Poznan after it.
SEE ALSO: Our guide to living in Poland
Potential
While all the big cities in Poland are fast-developing, Tri-City and Katowice are even more so with investments like The European Solidarity Centre and Spodek. In contrast, Lodz had the lowest rating as there are still many parts that are old and neglected.

Modernity
Many of the expats stated that there is still a lot that can be improved across Polish cities. Apartments are generally in poor condition, old-fashioned or don't have adequate public transportation. Poznan was the top rated one and Cracow the worst.
Friendliness
Respondents picked Poznan as the city with the friendliest local people, with Wroclaw and Cracow right behind it. According to the results, Lodz, Warszawa and Bygoszcz have the least helpful locals.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 tips on making the move to expat land
City maintenance
Poznan also lead as the city that’s the cleanest and has good general maintenance. Lodz scored the worst, especially due to old buildings.

Tolerance
Unfortunately, respondents gave low scores to all Polish cities when it comes to racism or discrimination against foreigners. Lodz seemed to be the least open-minded towards those who were non-Polish while Katowice and Poznan were a bit better off.
Entertainment
The most entertaining city goes to Cracow, as it has many cafes, bars, clubs, concerts and festivals. Wroclaw and Poznan fared well too. Bydgoszcz was designated as the least fun.
SEE ALSO: The 12 stages of becoming a new expat
Environment
Cracow got the worst rating in this aspect as it’s infamous for having smog and pollution. Poznan did much better, even a little higher than Tri-City that has fresh sea breeze.
Language barrier
Language came up as one of the biggest problems for expats living in Poland, especially in Warsaw, Bydgoszcz and Wroclaw. About 57% of respondents speak Polish at an elementary level, while 44% stick to speaking English, but many of the local people don’t speak English well.