In Poland, the worst cities for living have been named: Krakow is among the outsiders

The popularity of a city does not always mean a comfortable life: Krakow and Wroclaw are among the outsiders of the new ranking of 16 major cities in Poland. They evaluated salaries, housing, healthcare, safety, and other factors important for Ukrainians living in Poland. Visit Ukraine reports on this here.

Which cities in Poland became the best for living in 2026

Analysts compared 16 major Polish cities, one from each voivodeship. The ranking was based on six indicators: unemployment, housing costs, availability of NFZ healthcare, air quality, crime rate, and average salary.

Szczecin took the first place. Lublin came second, and Lodz secured third place. The top five also included Poznan and Bydgoszcz.

The full ranking looks like this:

1. Szczecin

2. Lublin

3. Lodz

4. Poznan

5. Bydgoszcz

6. Opole

7. Rzeszow

8. Katowice

9. Olsztyn

10. Warsaw

11. Gdansk

12. Wroclaw

13. Kielce

14. Krakow
    15-16. Gorzow Wielkopolski and Bialystok

The result is particularly interesting against the backdrop of the labor market. Previously, large economic centers made it to the best cities in Poland for work, but high salaries do not always compensate for more expensive housing and other everyday expenses.

Why Krakow made it to the worst cities in Poland in 2026

The 14th position of Krakow was unexpected. One of the main downsides of the city is expensive housing. The average price of an apartment in the secondary market reached 16,868 zlotys per square meter.

For comparison, in Gorzow Wielkopolski, the price per square meter averages 7,414 zlotys, which is more than twice cheaper. However, this city received low scores for the availability of medical care.

Bialystok shared the last position due to a high unemployment rate. At the same time, the city performed well in terms of safety, so its ranking does not indicate low scores across all criteria.

The ranking shows that the choice of a city depends on the priorities of the individual person. For a remote worker, cheaper housing may be more important than local salaries, while families should consider the availability of healthcare and the level of safety more.

Recall that previously Ukrainians were informed about Polish cities with the highest salaries, where income levels vary significantly depending on the region and profession.