The Best Polish City To Buy An Apartment (And Why It Isn’t Warszawa or Kraków)
The Polish real estate market is developing rapidly. What are the average property purchase prices in the country’s major cities? How is the rental market performing? Why is it worth investing in Poland, and which city offers the most promising opportunities from an investor’s perspective?
Why is it worth buying real estate in Poland?
Poland boasts one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe. In the last decade Poland’s GDP has doubled, and forecasts for 2025 are equally optimistic – predicting a further 3.3 % increase, well above the EU average.
When it comes to attractiveness for foreign investors, Poland holds a strong sixth place. The country’s central location, competitive costs, and abundant pool of skilled professionals are solidifying Poland’s role as Europe’s key industrial-logistics hub.
What’s more, the country’s rising economic potential makes Poland increasingly compared economically to Japan, approaching their level of development and significance on the international stage.
What does the Polish property market look like?
On one hand, Poland has the largest residential market in Central and Eastern Europe, on the other, there is still a huge need for new housing. Although Poles continue to prefer owning homes, renting is gaining popularity. The first reason is high mortgage rates – currently around 7.5 %. The second is the growing appeal of renting, which offers the flexibility and mobility so highly valued by the younger generation.
The sale of apartments is not decreasing, but the motivation is increasingly investment – driven rather than residential, which is why prices continue to rise. In just the past two years, Polish apartment prices have jumped 26 % – one of the steepest increases in all of Europe.
Which Polish cities have been the most popular among investors so far?
Ask about the most attractive Polish cities for residential investment and most people will instantly name Warszawa, Kraków, Wrocław, or the Tri-City (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot). Foreign investors in particular focus on these cities because they are well-known. But are they still the best options today?
A decade ago such a choice seemed logical, yet with current price tags in these locations it’s worth looking further afield. What if you could find a city as big as Warszawa, as well-connected as Kraków, and as dynamic as Wrocław – while still being far more affordable?
It’s time for Katowice!
Katowice sits at the heart of an urban area with over 2.2 million residents. The Metropolis GZM (Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia), grouping 41 municipalities, has been growing rapidly for several years, moving ever closer to the vision of one integrated “super-city”.
A key advantage is excellent connectivity. Within just a few hours – by train as well – you can reach European capitals such as Vienna, Berlin, Prague, Bratislava, or Budapest. Two international airports are nearby: Katowice Pyrzowice (a 35-minute drive by car or bus) and Kraków Balice (approximately one hour drive by car). Katowice Pyrzowice handled a record almost 6.5 million passengers in 2024.
The Metropolis stands out in Poland with the lowest unemployment rate and highest wages in the region. It is also extremely attractive to students – more than 20 universities here draw over 100,000 young people every year.
How is Katowice and the whole metropolitan area developing?
Since 2010, Katowice has undergone a profound transformation – from a purely industrial city to a major center of business, culture, and technology. New office, hotel, and residential projects are springing up rapidly. Many global companies – such as Concentrix, Sopra Steria, Capgemini, IBM, Unilever, PwC, Deloitte, Fujitsu, Compal Europe, and Keywords Studios – have chosen the Metropolis as their Polish headquarters.
Mixed-use complexes are reshaping Katowice’s downtown, and in the coming years, an innovative gaming-tech hub is also planned. Katowice and the wider agglomeration are now prime locations for investors seeking alternatives to Poland’s most popular – and most expensive – cities.
The real estate market in Katowice
Ten years ago, Katowice and other cities in the region were not investor favorites. They were seen mainly as industrial and slow-growing. Despite the region’s significant changes, the metropolitan area is still often overlooked in residential-market reports, though it regularly appears in rankings for office or warehouse property. Does that mean Katowice’s housing market is less attractive? Not at all – it simply shows its potential is still under-appreciated.
That status also affects prices. According to Ernst & Young’s investment guide, the average price of apartments in Poland’s six major cities is currently about €3,500 per m² (Warszawa, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, the Tri-City, and Łódź).
The most expensive is Warszawa (€4,405 per m²), followed by Kraków (€3,695 per m²); the lowest is Łódź (€2,775 per m²). These averages cover both new and older buildings, and final prices depend on many factors – condition, exact location, and so on.
So, how does Katowice compare? Focusing on the most attractive part of the city – the very center where new residential projects are underway – the average price for new-build apartments in May was €3,110 per m². By contrast, central Kraków ranged from €4,550 to even €6,000 per m².
One telling example: in 2017, we bought a studio in a renovated building in central Katowice for just €1,100 per m². Today, that same flat is worth about €3,500 per m².
Given the city’s dynamic growth, attractive property prices, and wide investment opportunities, Katowice clearly has enormous – yet still largely untapped – investment potential.
Investment opportunities in Katowice
As mentioned, Katowice once drew little investor interest, resulting in modest development across the region. Now the picture is entirely different: new buildings are rising fast, and the city is expanding energetically. According to City Hall data, Katowice issued 12,000 building permits in just the past three years. 7,500 apartments have already been built, and another 5,000 are in progress. Most projects occupy prime locations – you can buy a flat overlooking the market square, only a five-minute walk from the main railway station.
Developers recognize Katowice’s potential. Listings are rich in studio and one-bedroom units ideal for rental. To become the owner of a turnkey studio apartment for rent in the heart of Katowice, you should plan on an outlay of around €125,000 (including all purchase and finishing costs). Of course, you can search for flats on your own, coordinate the renovation, and handle all administrative matters yourself. Online, you can find plenty of information and guides on the Polish real estate market, such as the one published by Ernst & Young.
An alternative is to engage a full-service investment solution, especially recommended for those who prefer to avoid unpleasant surprises from cost overruns often encountered during renovation and finishing works. At Wellcome Home, since 2017 we’ve been promoting Katowice’s investment potential, supporting our investors through the entire process. You can view the results of our joint projects here: invest.wellcome-home.com/portfolio/
In Summary
The Polish real estate market offers many opportunities, mainly due to the stability of property rights and rising potential for long-term value appreciation. The Polish economy is the fastest-growing in Europe, ranking high in investment attractiveness.
When planning to purchase property, it’s worth considering the investment potential of a particular city: its connectivity (proximity to airports and expressways), the number of universities, and its appeal to students. It’s also important whether the city is developing dynamically, undertaking interesting projects, creating new jobs, and investing in infrastructure. Taking all these aspects into account, Katowice appears to be the best choice.
