Cost of Living: Bologna vs Warsaw (2026)

Italy vs Poland — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Bologna

Warsaw

$1,130/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,224/mo

−$10k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$27k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

Impatriati Regime, Regime Forfettario, New Residents Flat Tax, 7% Retiree Flat Tax

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

Regime Forfettario

VAT-free under €85k
26% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

JDG

VAT-free under €47k
€450/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRBologna summers average 88°F vs 73°F. English is much more widely spoken in Warsaw. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Too close to call — 74 vs 71. Warsaw has a slight edge, but Bologna might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Bologna

Warsaw

18/25

💰 Affordability

17.1/25

14.4/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.3/15

5.1/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.5/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

8.2/15

11.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

11.1/15

5.4/10

🗣️ English

8.3/10

7.2/10

☀️ Climate

9/10

📊 Stability

6.2/10

8.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

7.9/10

7.4/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

7.1/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇵🇱 Warsaw

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇮🇹 Bologna

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Milan vs Bologna

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Bologna

Metric

Warsaw

$724/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$681/mo✓

$6,884

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$4,950✓

80 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

81 / 100

✓0.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.7 / 100k

✓5.0 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

6.5 / 100k

51 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

75 / 100✓

88°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

73°F

36°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

25°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

109 Mbps

✓15 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

22.3 μg/m³

✓85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

73 / 100

7.6 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

7.4 / 10

✓6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

4.2 / 9

✓25 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

18 / 100

29/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

68/100✓

✓$62k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$51k

✓1.0% · Practically frozen

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.8% · Boringly steady

—

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

65/100 — Patchy

✓87/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

82/100

A median Software Engineer in Bologna takes home $2,253/mo under Standard employee. In Warsaw: $5,190/mo under Standard employee.

$2,937/mo more in Warsaw

🎯 Bologna's Impatriati Regime isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $2,825/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$43k

💰

Gross income

$108k

−$12k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$23k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$23k

$27k/yr

$2k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$62k/yr✓

$5k/mo

−$37k

🏠

Cost of living

−$35k

−$10k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$27k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Bologna

$95/mo cheaper on rent alone

☀️

Weather

—

88°F vs 73°F summers

🗣️

English

Warsaw

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.9h

Shortest day

Dec

7.7h

15.5h

Longest day

Jun

16.8h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend

improving ↑

stable →

Inflation trend

improving ↑

—

Industries

software-itfinancegame-devbpo

—

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Moderate

Easy

UA visa

Easy

—

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

unione civile / convivenza di fatto (no immigration rights)

Partner pathway

Not recognized

konkubinat (informal — no legal recognition)

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

Life-threatening only

12 wk

Gestational limit

—

On request up to 90 days. 7-day waiting period. High rates of conscientious objection limit practical access.

Near-total ban since 2021. Only permitted for life/health threat or rape/incest. One of Europe's most restrictive.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union

Marriage

Not recognized

Step-child only

Adoption

Not allowed

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Bologna vs Warsaw — Common Questions

Is Bologna cheaper than Warsaw?▾

Bologna is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1130/month there vs $1224/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bologna or Warsaw?▾

Bologna is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bologna has a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 and Warsaw has 0.68 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bologna or Warsaw?▾

Too close to call — 74 vs 71. Warsaw has a slight edge, but Bologna might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Bologna or Warsaw?▾

Bologna: no specific remote work visa. Warsaw: Poland Temporary Residence (moderate requirements, Up to 3 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Bologna or Warsaw?▾

Bologna is warmer in summer (88°F vs 73°F). Warsaw has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Bologna or Warsaw without speaking the local language?▾

Warsaw is easier for street-level English (68/100) than Bologna (29/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Bologna vs Warsaw?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1130/month in Bologna, $1224/month in Warsaw (Numbeo). That's 8% cheaper rent in Bologna.

Is healthcare better in Bologna or Warsaw?▾

Bologna scores higher on our composite healthcare index (85/100 vs 73/100 for Warsaw). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.