What Can You Buy in Poland for PLN 400,000–2,000,000 in 2026?

PLN 400,000–2,000,000 is a wide range in Poland, and the useful question is which city it buys in. This article gives price levels by city, our own size estimates per tier, the costs on top of the price and the rules for foreign buyers. It is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice, and we have no listings in these places: the sizes below are arithmetic, not offers.

Quick answer: price levels in 2026

The most reliable public benchmark is the National Bank of Poland (NBP) database of transaction prices in 17 cities. For Q1 2026, as quoted in an OnGeo table, average transaction prices including VAT were, in PLN per m2, primary market first and secondary second:

• Warsaw: 16,471 and 16,523
• Kraków: 15,391 and 15,078
• Gdańsk: 14,659 and 13,825
• Wrocław: 13,903 and 12,632
• Poznań: 12,626 and 11,079
• Katowice: 12,031 and 8,069
• Lublin: 11,006 and 10,019
• Łódź: 9,758 and 8,009

Later data exists only in part. For Q2 2026, NBP reported Warsaw primary transactions at 16,783 and offers at 18,488 PLN per m2, so asking prices run well above what is signed. Never read an asking price as a sold price.

The range is generous in Łódź, Katowice and Lublin, where it buys a normal family flat. It is thin in Warsaw at the bottom end: PLN 400,000 buys a small flat at best.

Tier 1: PLN 400,000–600,000

Typical stock: a two or three-room resale flat in a smaller or cheaper city, or a studio in a big one.

• Łódź or Katowice resale at roughly 8,000 PLN per m2 gives about 50–75 m2 (our own estimate: price per m2 × size).
• Lublin resale at about 10,000 gives about 40–60 m2.
• Warsaw resale at about 16,500 gives about 24–36 m2, a studio.

The trade-off is age: much of the stock in these cities is communist-era block housing or old tenement flats, with lifts, heating and the condition of the common parts to check. In Katowice the primary-market price (12,031) is about 50 percent above the secondary price (8,069), so new and old are two different markets.

Tier 2: PLN 600,000–900,000

• Kraków resale at about 15,000 gives about 40–60 m2.
• Wrocław resale at about 12,600 gives about 47–71 m2.
• Poznań resale at about 11,100 gives about 54–81 m2.
• Warsaw resale gives about 36–54 m2.

The choice widens: a two-room flat in Kraków away from the Old Town, or a three-room flat in Wrocław or Poznań. In Warsaw it is a compact two-room flat outside the centre.

Tier 3: PLN 900,000–1,300,000

• Warsaw at about 16,500 gives about 55–79 m2.
• Kraków at about 15,100 gives about 60–86 m2.
• Gdańsk primary at about 14,700 gives about 61–89 m2.
• Wrocław primary at about 13,900 gives about 65–93 m2.

A three-room flat or a good new build in a major city, often with parking priced separately.

Tier 4: PLN 1,300,000–2,000,000

• Warsaw gives about 79–121 m2 at current secondary or primary levels.
• Kraków primary at about 15,400 gives about 84–130 m2.

A large family flat or a premium address. We found no sourced price per m2 for houses and suburban plots, so we do not estimate them.

Four buyer scenarios

• Entry buyer, up to PLN 600,000: choose Łódź or Katowice resale over a tiny Warsaw studio. The easy-to-miss point: in Katowice new and old stock are different markets, so compare like with like.
• Balanced buyer, PLN 600,000–900,000: decide between a small flat in Kraków and a larger one in Wrocław or Poznań. About 15,100 versus about 11,100 PLN per m2 is the difference.
• Lifestyle buyer, PLN 900,000–1,300,000: decide between a new build in Gdańsk, Wrocław or Kraków and a bigger resale flat, and ask whether parking and storage are in the price.
• Upper-range buyer, PLN 1.3–2 million: compare a Warsaw flat with a larger one in Kraków or Gdańsk for the same money, and do not pay for the postcode alone.

What a foreign buyer pays on top

For a resale flat, the main tax is the civil-law transactions tax (PCC) of 2 percent, paid by the buyer. A first-home exemption has existed since 31 August 2023 for a buyer who has never owned a flat, house or cooperative ownership right; it needs a declaration in the deed. Guides disagree on whether a flat owned abroad disqualifies you, so ask the notary. New builds from a developer are not subject to PCC, and VAT is included in the price.

Other costs: the notary fee is capped by regulation and is lower for a residential flat (one source gives about PLN 1,700 gross at PLN 500,000), VAT of 23 percent is added to it, and the court fee for entering ownership in the land register is PLN 200, plus PLN 200 for a mortgage entry. We found no sourced figure for agent commission; it is negotiable, and in Poland it is often paid by the seller, but confirm in writing.

Illustrative total at PLN 800,000: a resale purchase without the exemption is roughly 2.5–3 percent of the price before any agent, mortgage costs and translation. With the exemption it is well under 1 percent. A new build costs less in tax but adds parking, storage and fit-out.

Annual costs: the maximum municipal property tax on housing in 2026 is PLN 1.25 per m2 per year, so at most about PLN 75 for a 60 m2 flat. Municipalities may set less. Monthly building charges vary by building and we have no sourced range.

Who can buy and how it is financed

According to law-firm summaries of the 2026 rules, a foreigner can buy a separate residential flat without a permit from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MSWiA). A house or land needs a permit for buyers from outside the EEA, with a fee of PLN 1,570, and agricultural land can need further consent. EEA and Swiss citizens are largely exempt outside the border zone. Sources differ on detail, so confirm the exemption for your exact property.

Buying does not give you residence in Poland. For a mortgage, blogs say 20 percent down is standard, 20–30 percent for non-EU citizens, and more without a residence card. See mortgages in Poland for foreigners.

Yield and exit

Otodom Analytics (June 2026) shows gross yields on 40–59 m2 flats of about 4.7 percent in Kraków, 4.8 in Gdańsk, 5.2 in Wrocław, 5.3 in Warsaw and 5.9 in Łódź. Portal estimates put net yield after vacancy, repairs and tax at about 3.5–5 percent, because prices have risen faster than rents. Large cities are liquid; smaller ones less so.

New build or resale

Developer sales are governed by the 2021 developer act: the developer must provide an information prospectus, the contract is notarial, and your money sits in an open or closed escrow account. In an open account the money is released as construction advances; in a closed one it is paid when ownership transfers. Defects must be recorded at the handover inspection, so bring an independent inspector. Resale is faster to see, but check the building's reserve and legal status.

Due diligence checklist

• Read the land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta): owner, mortgages and rights of third parties.
• Check whether it is full ownership or a cooperative ownership right.
• Ask for the community's accounts, the repair fund and planned works.
• Confirm that the parking space and storage are a separate legal unit, if included.
• Check for tenants and the terms of existing leases.
• For a new build, read the prospectus and which escrow type applies.
• Verify permits if the flat has been altered.

FAQ

Is PLN 400,000 enough for Warsaw? Only for a small flat: about 24–36 m2 on our estimate.

Do I need a permit as a non-EU citizen? Reportedly not for a flat, but a house or land needs one. Confirm for your case.

Is the 2 percent tax paid on a new build? No, PCC applies to resale. VAT is in the developer price.

Which city gives the best yield? Łódź shows the highest gross yield in the June 2026 data, but it also has the lowest prices and resale depth.

Bottom line

PLN 400,000 to 2 million spans four different markets. Łódź and Katowice for space, Wrocław and Poznań for balance, Kraków and Gdańsk for lifestyle, Warsaw for the top. Test your budget against transaction prices, not asking prices, and add about 3 percent for a resale purchase.

What this means for a normal buyer:

• Compare PLN per m2 from NBP transaction data with the asking prices you see.
• Under PLN 600,000, choose resale in Łódź, Katowice or Lublin over a small Warsaw studio.
• Budget about 2.5–3 percent on top for a resale, less if you qualify for the exemption.
• A flat needs no permit for most foreigners; a house or land does for non-EEA buyers.
• Plan for net yield of about 3.5–5 percent, not the gross figure.

For the local picture see best areas to buy property in Poland and Poland property guide. D.H. Realting, a Warsaw-based independent consultancy, can help a buyer compare buildings and involve a Polish lawyer.