The rental market in Q3 2025 presented an intriguing picture. On one hand, rental rates for small and mid-sized apartments continued to climb, while on the other, rents for larger flats fell in most major cities. According to a report by Rankomat.pl and Rentier.io, the cost of renting a 50 m² apartment ranged from PLN 1,806 in Częstochowa to PLN 3,750 in Warsaw. Naturally, higher salaries in the capital help offset these costs — yet when rent is compared to local income, Warsaw performs poorly against other EU capitals: rent consumes 44% of an average monthly wage, whereas in Vienna or Helsinki, it’s only about 25%.
Rents Rising Fastest in Bydgoszcz and Toruń
Across the 17 analyzed Polish cities, rental prices rose moderately during Q3 2025. The most expensive rents for mid-sized apartments (35–60 m²) were recorded in Warsaw (PLN 75/m²), while Częstochowa remained the cheapest (PLN 36/m²).
Quarter-on-quarter, rental increases were seen in 11 cities, with the strongest growth in Sosnowiec (+4.9%) and Toruń (+4.6%) — cities that previously had relatively low rents. In six other cities, rents declined slightly, led by Białystok (-1.9%) and Bydgoszcz (-1.3%). On average, rents across all 17 cities grew 1.6% compared to Q2 2025.
Year-on-year, rent increases were more pronounced: 15 out of 17 cities saw higher prices for mid-sized apartments. The sharpest gains occurred in Toruń (+8.3%) and Bydgoszcz (+6.4%), followed by Radom (+6%) and Poznań (+5%). Only Częstochowa and Katowice experienced marginal declines (–0.2% to –0.4%). Overall, rents for mid-sized units rose 3.1% year-on-year.
Small apartments (up to 35 m²) saw even faster rent growth — up to 7% quarter-on-quarter in Bydgoszcz, and 10.9% year-on-year in Toruń. The average increase across all 17 cities was +3.2% quarterly and +4.3% annually.
Larger apartments (over 60 m²) recorded the most declines. Quarter-on-quarter, rents fell the most in Toruń (–6.6%) and rose slightly in Częstochowa (+2.5%). Across all cities, large-unit rents dropped by an average of 1.9%. Year-on-year, price changes were mixed: the steepest fall occurred in Katowice (–4.2%), while Bydgoszcz (+10.3%) saw the highest surge. On average, large-apartment rents increased 2.9% year-on-year.
“The rental market shows clear seasonality. In Q3 2025, smaller apartments saw rising rates due to student demand, while larger units experienced quarterly declines despite moderate annual growth. A 34% quarterly increase in new listings reflects the strong September season following a quiet Q2. In Q4 2025, I expect rates to flatten after the academic peak — and in cities where supply grew the most, local corrections are possible. After such a strong Q3, the number of new listings should seasonally decrease,”
said Anton Bubiel, CEO of Rentier.io.
Buying vs. Renting: The Sosnowiec Exception
In Q3 2025, renting a 50 m² apartment cost between PLN 1,806 in Częstochowa and PLN 3,750 in Warsaw (excluding utilities). By comparison, the monthly mortgage payment for such a flat ranged from PLN 1,785 in Sosnowiec to PLN 4,633 in Warsaw. Despite lower interest rates, renting remained cheaper than buying in 15 out of 17 cities.
The difference ranged from just PLN 44 in Częstochowa to PLN 1,077 in Kraków, where renting was far more cost-effective.
Only Radom and Sosnowiec bucked the trend — in the latter, mortgage payments were PLN 183 lower than rent, saving nearly PLN 2,200 per year. In contrast, Kraków ranked worst: mortgage payments there exceeded rent by PLN 1,077 per month, or almost PLN 13,000 per year.
Warsaw Among the Most Expensive EU Capitals for Renters
Rental affordability varies not only within Poland but across Europe. The report compared major EU capitals by average monthly rent and share of income spent on housing. For consistency, analysts assumed a one-bedroom apartment outside the city center, typically rented by two people sharing two incomes.
The results show that Lisbon is the most expensive EU capital for tenants: average rent for a one-bedroom flat outside the city center is PLN 4,423, while the average salary is PLN 5,370 — meaning 82% of income goes toward housing.
By contrast, in Warsaw, rent consumes 44% of income, similar to Bratislava and Madrid, while Ljubljana (46%), Dublin (48%), and Athens (50%) are slightly worse.
Still, Warsaw ranks as one of the least affordable capitals in the EU for renters. In comparison, residents of Prague (41%), Vilnius (35%), and Berlin (30%) spend a smaller share of their income on rent. The best balance is found in Vienna, where rent for an apartment outside the center costs just over PLN 3,000, but with average salaries near PLN 13,000, housing expenses account for only one-quarter of income.
Methodology
The analysis covers listings for apartments available between July 1 and September 30, 2025, across 17 Polish cities. Calculations were based on 89,000 rental listings. Results are published only where the number of listings exceeded 100.
