The rental market in the third quarter of 2025 was exceptionally diverse. The report by Rankomat.pl and Rentier.io shows that for renting a 50 sq m apartment you had to pay from PLN 1,806 in Częstochowa to PLN 3,750 in Warsaw. In the capital, rent accounts for as much as 44%. average salary – this is one of the highest indicators in the EU.
In the 17 analyzed cities, rental rates for medium-sized apartments (35-60 sq m) increased in 11 locations and decreased in six. The largest increases were recorded in Sosnowiec (+4.9%) and Toruń (+4.6%), and the largest decreases in Białystok (-1.9%) and Bydgoszcz (-1.3%). On average, the rental price increased by 1.6% per quarter, and by 3.1% year-on-year.
The rates for small apartments (up to 35 square meters) grew even faster: quarterly by up to 7%. in Bydgoszcz, and annually by 10.9 percent in Toruń. The average for all cities was +3.2%. Q/Q +4.3 percent y/y.
In turn, large premises (over 60 square meters) became cheaper – by 1.9% on average. on a quarterly basis. The greatest decline was recorded in Toruń (-6.6%), and the increase in Częstochowa (+2.5%). On an annual basis, the prices of large apartments increased by 2.9 percent, although in Katowice they fell by as much as 4.2 percent.
Comparison of the cost of rent and loan installments
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Rankomat.pl and Rentier.io
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— Rental has a clear seasonality: in the third quarter of 2025 in smaller spaces, rates increased due to student demandwhile larger premises decreased the median q/q with moderate y/y increases. An increase in the supply of new offers by as much as 34%. Q/Q reflects the strong September season. In Q4, I expect rates to flatten after the academic peak, says Anton Bubiel, president of Rentier.io.
Lease or loan? It's still more profitable to rent
In Q3 2025 renting a 50 sq m apartment cost from PLN 1,806 in Częstochowa to PLN 3,750 in Warsaw (excluding administrative and utility fees). Loan installment for such an apartment – assuming 30 years, 10%. own contribution and fixed interest rate – ranged from PLN 1,785 in Sosnowiec to PLN 4,633 in Warsaw.
Despite interest rate cuts, rent was cheaper than loan installments in 15 out of 17 cities. The difference ranged from PLN 44 in Częstochowa to as much as PLN 1,077 in Kraków. The exceptions were Radom and Sosnowiec – there the loan turned out to be more favorable. In Sosnowiec, the installment was PLN 183 lower than the rent, which translates into savings of almost PLN 2,200 per year.
Warsaw among the most expensive EU capitals
How does Poland compare to Europe? The most expensive capital is Lisbon – renting a one-bedroom apartment outside the center costs on average PLN 4,423, which accounts for as much as 82%. average earnings (PLN 5,370). In Warsaw, the cost-to-income ratio is 44 percent, similarly to Madrid and Bratislava.
It is more expensive than in Warsaw in Ljubljana (46%), Dublin (48%) and Athens (50%). Cheaper – in Prague (41%), Vilnius (35%) and Berlin (30%). Vienna is the most favorable: despite the rent exceeding PLN 3,000. PLN, with earnings of nearly 13 thousand. PLN rent takes up only 25%. income.
See also: Creditworthiness record: what influences the increase in financial possibilities
The market is cooling down, investors are losing enthusiasm
— Nominal rents in Poland are not high compared to Europe and they do not grow as they did after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Rates have been stable for over a year and are even falling for larger apartments. After the September recovery, the market is cooling down quickly – there are many offers and owners are willing to negotiate. The decline in rental profitability limits investors' enthusiasm, and some premises go up for sale. In the largest cities, competition from PRS companies is also growing – comments Marcin Drogomirecki, real estate market expert of the Morizon-Gratka Group.
Renter's insurance – as expensive as coffee in the city
When renting an apartment, it is worth remembering the financial risk. Flooding a neighbor or destroying equipment can cost up to several dozen thousand zlotys. Meanwhile, a home insurance policy protects not only against theft or natural disasters, but also under third party liability insurance in private life.
— Prices for a sample policy start from approximately PLN 100 per year – that's less than the cost of one coffee a month. Even an extensive package costing several hundred zlotys can be a profitable investment in peace and security. It is worth comparing offers from different companies, because the most expensive is not always the best – says Ewelina Ratajczak, expert at Rankomat.pl.
Methodology
The analysis covers announcements from July 1 to September 30, 2025 for 17 cities, based on 89,000. rental offers. The data concerns net rates, excluding administrative and utility fees.
