Salaries grow faster than rents, but the wallets still suffer

Revenues paid by tenants are becoming more and more bearable for home budgets. Such a conclusion can be drawn from traveling indicators – average rental prices and an average gross salary. However, the rent is still draining wallets more than four years ago, and in the case of singles, even over 40 percent. monthly salary.

According to Bankier.pl calculations taking into account both of the above factors, In the pockets of singles renting flats in the largest Polish cities in July 2025 there were from 250 to 450 PLN more than a year ago.

In our analysis, we used a simplified indicator of what part of the salary needs to be postponed to pay for a monthly rent for the rented apartment. We used the data of the Central Statistical Office with an average salary in the enterprise sector in individual provincial cities and voivodships in July 2025 and data from Otodom Analytics regarding average offer prices on the lease market also in July 2025.

Gdańsk before Warsaw, but the tenants are not happy

Although the most earning the most in Warsaw in Warsaw, and the increase in the average salary per year was one of the largest, it is the capital that is still one of the two cities in which the wallets of renting apartments are drained the most.

Similarly to a year before, Warsaw was overtaken by Gdańsk, where a single working on the basis of an employment contract and earning the equivalent of the July average salary (net) in the enterprise sector and renting a studio apartment (up to 40 sq m) at the average rate also recorded in July, also in July, For the rent paid to the owner of the apartment, it must postpone 41.5 percent. salary.

In an annual basis, however, there was a decrease in this indicator by 2.4 pp. on the scale of two years by 7.2 pp. Nominally, 370 PLN more than a year ago and nearly 1 thousand remained on the account of such a statistical Gdańsk citizen. PLN more than in the same month ago two years ago.

Among the analyzed cities, less than a third of the salary for rent seems in Łódź (30.3 percent and -0.5 pp. R/y) and Katowice (28.7 percent and -1.8 pp. Y/y).

Lighter

What part of the salary in turn will be issued by the couple earning the equivalent of twice the average salary and renting the most frequently chosen area, i.e. a flat with an area of ​​40 to 59 sq m? According to the calculations of Bankier.pl, from less than 18.5 percent in Katowice to 27.3 percent in Warsawwith this indicator decreased in each of the analyzed cities – both in annual and two years.

This is due to the fact that in an annual basis The average salary during the year increased in individual voivodships from 6 to 8.6 percent. At the same time Average offers of rents regarding pieces raised from less than 0.5 to 4 percent. The most popular apartments (40-59 sq m) “tripped” at that time in advertisements from about 2 to 6.5 percent. A 1 % reduction was recorded in Katowice.

It was better before the war

The image is completely different, if we look at the data in the perspective of four years, so we go back to July 2021, when the Polish rental market, and especially the rates on it were not yet under the influence of the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the influx of refugees from behind Buga to Poland.

Renches increase on average from over 30 to nearly 70 percent. It made him in the largest and most expensive Polish cities: Warsaw, Krakow, Gdańsk and Poznań, renting a major part of the salary than in July 2021. The analyzed factor returned to the level from four years ago, and Szczecin distinguished from the background of other largest cities, where a reduction was made of 3.2 pp.

Remote work saves

In the era of still popular, though losing its importance, remote and hybrid work, but let's look at what the situation would look like if you earn an average salary listed in one city and pay for rent in another. For example, let them serve the two most similar in terms of distance from the analyzed cities, i.e. Kraków and Katowice.

And so, the landlord of a studio in Katowice and working in Krakow instead of 37.3 percent. about 27.1 percent would allocate the rent. monthly salary.

The rental of a 40- or 50-meter apartment in Katowice by a couple working for the average monthly salary in Krakow would, in turn, be associated with the need for “only” 17.5 percent for rent. monthly income.

Painful entry threshold

What, however, if we just want to enter the rental market? Medling the expenses related to renting an apartment may be associated with the issue of almost the entire salary. In the vast majority of cases, a deposit must be added to the rent, usually equal to a monthly rent or half of it.

For example, in an extreme case, Hiring a studio by a single in Gdańsk, at an average offer rate for this area, would involve the issue of nearly 5.4 thousand. PLN (including a return deposit), i.e. 83 percent average monthly net salary in the enterprise sector.

If one person, in turn, would like to rent a larger apartment with an area of ​​40 to 59 sq m, then they would have to “invest” nearly 6.6 thousand in rent. PLN, which is almost as much as in July was the average salary in the capital of the province. Pomeranian.

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