Which Cities in Poland Are the Best to Live In?

Poznań has been named the best city to live in Poland — according to a ranking prepared by Business Insider. Surprisingly, Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław scored low, falling behind smaller cities. The reason? Poor scores in one of the key categories. According to the ranking prepared by Business Insider, the best city to live in as of the end of 2024 was Poznań. Rzeszów came in second place, followed by Gdańsk in third. Katowice and Łódź rounded out the top five.

Although Poznań won the overall ranking, it scored highest in only one category — the lowest unemployment rate. The ranking also factored in average salary levels, where Kraków took the lead. Other key categories: → air quality — best in Gdańsk; → lowest crime rate — in Rzeszów; → best access to the public healthcare system — in Łódź.

Best Cities in Poland Ranking: The Troubles of the Largest Metropolises

The weak results of Poland's largest cities — Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław — are primarily due to low housing availability and high property prices on the secondary market, which were also included in the ranking. Moreover, prices for both new and second-hand apartments in these cities significantly exceed the average levels seen in other regional capitals.

Rising rental rates remain another concern. In Kraków, rents for large apartments (over 60 m²) have increased by nearly 50% over the past three years — according to the portal bankier.pl. As a result, despite better scores in categories such as unemployment and average wages, Warsaw and Wrocław ended up in ninth place, while Kraków dropped to twelfth.

Best Cities to Live in Poland — Business Insider Ranking:

1. Poznań — 39 points
2. Rzeszów — 40 points
3. Gdańsk — 43 points
4. Katowice — 44 points
5. Łódź — 45 points
6. Szczecin — 45 points
7. Bydgoszcz — 46 points
8. Olsztyn — 48 points
9. Wrocław — 52 points
10. Warsaw — 52 points
11. Lublin — 53 points
12. Kraków — 55 points
13. Opole — 61 points
14. Kielce — 62 points
15. Białystok — 63 points
16. Gorzów Wielkopolski — 65 points

Based on materials from Business Insider and Polsatnews.

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