Poland Offers Expats Easy Transit & Great Value in 2026

Poland wins expats over with superb transport, fair pay, and affordable living, though reserved locals and a tough language slow the welcome.

➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.

In this article:

In Brief
Transport That Just Works
Strong Money & Steady Work
A Slower Social Start
Cashless Ease, Costly Paperwork
The Typical Expat in Poland
Further Reading

In Brief

Poland ranks 17th out of 31 destinations in the Expat Insider 2026 survey. Its strengths are the Personal Finance (7th) and Working Abroad (11th) Indices, with a solid result for Quality of Life (14th). Ease of Settling In (22nd) and Expat Essentials (24th) are the weak spots. About three in five expats (63%) are happy with their life in Poland, below the 70% global average.

Transport That Just Works

Poland ranks 2nd in the Travel & Transit Subcategory. Over nine in ten expats are satisfied with the availability (98% vs. 72% globally) and affordability (93% vs. 70%) of public transport, and the country’s road network receives a 6th place. Presumably thanks to its central location in Europe, the vast majority of expats (95%) are further satisfied with the opportunity to travel (vs. 84% globally).

Poland also ranks 9th for Leisure Options, with recreational sports (4th) being a particular highlight. And over nine in ten (93%) feel personally safe (vs. 81% globally).

Opinion

I like the public transportation, cultural activities, parks and restaurants. (Ukrainian expat in Warsaw)

Opinion

Why then does Poland only manage a mid-field 14th place for Quality of Life? The drags are the Environment & Climate (24th) — including a 30th place for air quality — and Healthcare (24th). Close to a quarter of expats (24%) are, for instance, dissatisfied with the quality of medical care (vs. 15% globally).

Strong Money & Steady Work

Poland ranks 7th in the Personal Finance Index. About seven in ten expats (69%) are satisfied with their financial situation (vs. 55% globally). Around half rate the cost of living positively (49% vs. 39% globally) and agree that their disposable household income is more than enough to lead a comfortable life (51% vs. 42%).

Work is solid too, with the country placing 11th in the Working Abroad Index. Expats feel well compensated (72% positive ratings vs. 58% globally) and praise the state of the Polish economy (83% vs. 59%). For 65%, moving to Poland meant improved career prospects, a result that is 10 percentage points higher than the global average (55%).

However, this seems to come at a cost: with an average full-time week of 43.8 hours, expats in Poland spend longer hours at their job (global average: 42.2 hours), and the overall job satisfaction ranks just 21st.

Poland places 22nd in the Ease of Settling In Index. Local friendliness sits at 24th, and expats struggle to feel at home (28th).

There is a bright spot — the country ranks 9th for being happy with one’s social life — but warming to the locals takes time. Nearly half the expats (46%) say their friends are mostly other expats, above the 37% global share, reflecting a community that leans on its own networks early on.

Cashless Ease, Costly Paperwork

Practical life is mixed, with Poland receiving its worst result in the Expat Essentials Index (24th). Digital Life is a relative strength at 11th — the country ranks 1st for cashless payment and 2nd for unrestricted online access — as is housing (11th), with about half of expats (52%) agreeing it’s easy to find a place (vs. 44% globally).

However, Admin Topics (23rd) such as dealing with the local bureaucracy (25th) and getting a visa (28th) drag Poland down in the index.

Opinion

I struggle with the government residency process and communication. (British expat in Warsaw)

Opinion

And the language is a big hurdle: over seven in ten expats (71%) consider Polish difficult to learn (vs. 40% globally). In fact, the language barrier was the top pre-move concern, named by 46% of respondents.