GeoRealityMatch
Charming panoramic view of Warsaw Old Town's colorful rooftops and classic architecture under a clear sky.Poland
View of Washington State Capitol amidst lush forests in Olympia, Washington.United States

Compare countries · Poland vs United States

Poland vs United States

PolandCentral EuropeUnited StatesNorth America

Poland is cheaper (cost of living 47.3 vs 68.8) and more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.615 vs 2.535).The United States scores higher on human development (0.938 vs 0.906) and has the higher income per person ($88,810 vs $25,520).About the same on life expectancy (Poland 78.4, the United States 78.9 years).

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Safety

Poland is the more peaceful

Global Peace Indexlower is more peaceful
Poland1.615Very high safety#22 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
United States2.535Low safety#133 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
Poland0.8LowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
United States5.8HighUNODC / World Bank · 2023
Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
Poland71.3HighNumbeo · 2026
United States50.8ModerateNumbeo · 2026
UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
PolandNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-12
United StatesNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-12
Money

Income per person is higher in the United States

GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
Poland$25,520HighWorld Bank · 2025
United States$88,810Very highWorld Bank · 2025
Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
Poland47.3AffordableNumbeo · 2026
United States68.8ExpensiveNumbeo · 2026
Rent indexNew York = 100
Poland18.4ExpensiveNumbeo · 2026
United States40.7Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Property price to incomeyears of median income to buy a median flat
Poland10.2AffordableNumbeo · 2026
United States3.5Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Health

Life expectancy: the United States 78.9, Poland 78.4

Life expectancyyears, at birth
Poland78.4High#48 of 195World Bank · 2024
United States78.9High#47 of 195World Bank · 2024
Health coverageWHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100
Poland82HighWHO · 2023
United States88Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollutionPM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national average
Poland14.7ModerateWHO · 2023
United States9.8LowWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Broadband is faster in the United States

Fixed broadbandmedian download speed
Poland218 MbpsVery fast#25 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
United States308 MbpsVery fast#6 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
Youth unemploymentshare of 15 to 24 year olds in the labour force
Poland12.2%LowEurostat · 2025
United StatesNo figure from Eurostat
English proficiencyEF English Proficiency Index score
Poland600Very highEF EPI · 2025
United StatesNative EnglishNativeEF EPI · 2025
How it changed

Human development: United States 0.938, Poland 0.906

PolandUnited States

UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.

Year by year:PolandUnited States

Practical facts

Capital
Warsaw
Washington, D.C.
Population
36.4M (2025)
341.8M (2025)
Languages
Polish
English
Currency
Polish złoty (PLN)
United States dollar (USD)
Area
306,270 km²
9,147,420 km²
Plug type
Type C/E
Type A/B
Drives on the
right
right
Short visit
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports
Visa-free for UK and EU; visa needed for US

Short visits: passport-index-dataset, 2024, for UK, EU (German) and US passports. Population and area: World Bank. Languages, currency and driving side: restcountries.com. Plug types: worldstandards.eu.

Every figure

Poland and United States, side by side

The same figures as a facts file

Quick answers

Is Poland cheaper than United States?

Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts Poland at 47.3 and United States at 68.8. Poland is about 31% cheaper overall.

Is Poland or United States safer?

On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), Poland scores 1.61 and United States scores 2.54. Poland ranks as the more peaceful of the two.

Which has the higher quality of life, Poland or United States?

On the UN Human Development Index, Poland scores 0.906 and United States scores 0.938. United States scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.

What is life like in Poland compared to United States?

GNI per capita runs $25,520 in Poland against $88,810 in United States; people live 78.4 years on average against 78.9; Numbeo users rate healthcare 58 against 67. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.

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Every figure is sourced where it is shown. A dash means the country has no figure from that source.Photographs by NAYEF ALENEZI, Mike Gordon on Pexels