Poland sees soaring housing costs and widening affordability gap

Polish home‑buyers face sharply rising prices across the market. In the most expensive holiday resorts, the average price per square metre tops 30 000 zł, with Zakopane leading at about 34 900 zł/m² and Sopot at 26 800 zł/m². At the same time, a PFR Nieruchomości survey found that 55 % of Poles cannot afford a dwelling that meets their needs; the main obstacles are high purchase prices (61 %), costly mortgage rates (32 %) and limited credit eligibility (27 %).

On the secondary market, nominal prices have remained stable, but after adjusting for inflation the real value of flats in cities such as Katowice and Łódź has fallen by roughly 2 % year‑on‑year. Demand slowed in June, with enquiries dropping 6‑9 % in several metropolitan areas.

Developers now have a record share of completed apartments ready for handover – about 37 % of the total supply, offering buyers negotiating power. The largest shares of ready units are in Łódź, Poznań, Warsaw and Kraków.

Rental rates rose seasonally along the Baltic coast, especially for 40‑59 m² apartments in Gdańsk (+2.4 %) and Gdynia (+2.1 %).

The cheapest new‑build flats are still found in expanding districts on the outskirts of major cities – for example Zakrzów and Leśnica in Wrocław, Nowa Huta in Kraków, Białołęka in Warsaw and Orunia Górna‑Gdańsk Południe in Gdańsk – where 35‑40 m² units sell for 420‑540 k zł.