Living in Gdańsk, Poland
Gdańsk is a mid-sized coastal city in Pomerania, Poland (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 10°C over the year with about 628 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,623 a month to live centrally, and Poland sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Poland is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $2,409 a month in income.
12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).
- Est. cost
- €2,623
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 10°C
- 628 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 72/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~140 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Gdańsk
- Colder than 92% of the cities we track
- On or near the sea
Climate
Gdańsk averages 10°C across the year with about 628 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 8% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Realistic long-term routes are employment-based permits (a work permit or EU Blue Card) and a temporary residence permit for running a genuine business; Poland has no golden visa and no passive-income or retirement visa.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Poland:
- Income: about $2,409 a month (Poland business-activity TRP: the company must earn at least 12x the average gross monthly salary per year (GUS reference PLN 8,771.70/mo, ~PLN 105,260/yr) or employ 2 Polish workers; figure is the monthly-equivalent income bar, converted at PLN 3.64/USD; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
Poland scores 62 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 31% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Poland.
Safety and stability
Poland scores 72 out of 100 on safety, safer than 65% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.9 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Poland. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Language and culture
Main languages: Polish. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 60 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,623 a month to live centrally in Gdańsk, 4% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 61% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Taxes
Poland sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Gdańsk in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Poland runs at about 140 Mbps, faster than 52% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Gdańsk
Is Gdańsk a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Gdańsk scores well on English. Expect a cool, moderately wet climate (10°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Gdańsk and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Gdańsk?
We estimate about €2,623 a month for a couple living centrally, 4% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Gdańsk?
Poland is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Gdańsk in their results.
Can foreigners live in Poland long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term routes are employment-based permits (a work permit or EU Blue Card) and a temporary residence permit for running a genuine business; Poland has no golden visa and no passive-income or retirement visa. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $2,409 a month (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Gdańsk?
Gdańsk averages 10°C across the year with about 628 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 8% of the cities we track.
Compare Gdańsk with
Featured in
Cities like Gdańsk
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near Gdańsk
Moving to Poland as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.