High prices of apartments in the largest cities make their own apartment in the city center a dream difficult to fulfill for many young working people. Meanwhile RynekPierwotny.pl data show that it is enough to travel a dozen or so kilometers beyond the administrative boundaries of the metropolis to pay up to one third less for a similar apartment. In the case of two-room apartments, the differences reach PLN 200,000-240,000. zloty. This is the amount that increasingly determines the purchase decision.
— Young people migrating to the largest cities for work often complain that their own M is beyond the reach of average earners. In prestigious districts this is a fact. Apartments are still available in the suburbs, although prices are rising there too – emphasizes Marek Wielgo, expert of the RynekPierwotny.pl portal.
Apartment prices: metropolises are becoming more expensive than suburbs
BIG DATA RynekPierwotny.pl data shows that in 2025, in almost all agglomerations, average apartment prices increased faster than in the central cities themselves. The exception was Tricity. There, luxury investments in the center of Gdańsk increased the average price per square meter by 10 percent, while in towns surrounding the metropolis prices dropped by approximately 3 percent.
Apartments in suburban locations February 2026
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Primary Market
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She found herself at the other extreme Łódź. The record-breaking offer of apartments in the city in the history of this market has stabilized prices. At the same time, in the vicinity of Łódź there was a clear reduction in developer activity – only 87 units were put up for sale there, a 75% decrease. less than a year earlier. However, the demand turned out to be much higher than expected. Effect? The offer decreased by half and the average price per square meter increased by 13%.
A similar mechanism worked in Poznań agglomeration. The record supply of apartments in Poznań itself attracted buyers to the city at the expense of the suburbs. Despite the decline in sales in the agglomeration, the offer there decreased and prices increased by 7%. In turn, the areas around Kraków, Warsaw and Wrocław recorded increases in average prices per square meter by 6, 8 and 7 percent, respectively, mainly in response to growing demand.
Apartments in suburban locations February 2026
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Primary Market
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Price differences: up to a third cheaper outside the city
One thing remains the same – suburban locations still win on price. At the end of January 2026 the average price per square meter of a new apartment in Warsaw exceeded PLN 19,000. zloty. Meanwhile in towns near Warsaw it was approx. 11.8 thousand. PLN, i.e. over one third less. Similar proportions can be seen in Kraków, Wrocław and Tricity.
Apartments in suburban locations February 2026
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Primary Market
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These differences can be best seen with an example two-room apartments, which are most in demand in metropolises. In Warsaw, the average price of such a premises today is approximately PLN 798,000. zloty. In nearby towns – approx. 560 thousand. zloty. The difference is up to PLN 240,000. zloty. In Krakow, the scale of disproportions is even greater: 740,000. PLN in the city compared to 466 thousand PLN outside its borders.
— With a budget equal to the price of a two-room apartment in the center, in the Warsaw agglomeration you can buy four rooms, and sometimes even a small unit – notes Marek Wielgo. — That's why young families are increasingly choosing the suburbs. They need space, which they simply cannot afford in the city.
Budget 500 thousand PLN: where there is actually a choice
For many buyers, the limit of financial possibilities is PLN 500,000. zloty. It is in this segment that the differences between the city and its “obwarzanek” are most visible. In Warsaw, at the end of January 2026, developers offered 472 apartments priced up to PLN 500,000. zloty. In towns surrounding the capital – over 1.2 thousand.
People looking for apartments around the Tricity and Krakow also have more choice in this budget. The opposite situation prevails in the agglomerations of Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław, where the suburban offer is much more modest than in the cities themselves. The example of Łódź is extreme: over 11.8 thousand were available in the city. apartments, and in the surrounding area – only 267.
However, price is not the only criterion. — It happens that new apartments outside the city are more expensive than in some metropolitan districts. Communication, access to schools, kindergartens and services are key, emphasizes Wielgo.
This is confirmed by the residents themselves. Mrs. Anna, who moved from Warsaw to a town in a district near Warsaw a few years ago, admits that the choice was determined by the square footage. After the birth of my daughter, the apartment became cramped and a larger place in the city was out of reach. — We chose a well-connected town. I didn't think I would enjoy living here so well. Sometimes there is a lack of closeness to friends or services, but something pays off, he says.
Mrs. Ewelina Tomaszewska, who a few months ago changed the city for a location near Warsaw, thinks similarly. For her, space and pace of life were crucial. “Having the choice between an apartment in a block of flats or a section with a garden at the same price, we didn't hesitate for a moment,” he emphasizes.
In turn, Mrs. Małgorzata, a resident of nearby Wola, is not considering moving out. — Even a significantly lower price will not convince me to change my lifestyle. I want to have everything at hand, he says. Also Mrs. Iwona Chwieduk, who has been living in the Bemowo district of Warsaw for 10 years, he can't imagine moving to the suburbs. – The developing infrastructure of this part of the district, including the metro that will soon reach Chrzanów and Mory, means that I am not thinking about changing the location – he assures.
The conclusions from the RynekPierwotny.pl analysis are clear: the suburbs will tempt you with lower prices and larger space for some time yet. However, the final choice less and less comes down to the price per square meter. It's a lifestyle decision that will last for years – with commutes, infrastructure and compromises that cannot be calculated solely in dollars.
