Average prices per square metre on the two Warsaw markets are almost identical today, so comparing price per m² alone settles nothing. According to NBP, the average transaction price in Q2 2026 (March to May) was PLN 16,783/m² on the primary market and PLN 16,723/m² on the secondary market. The difference comes from the costs added on top: fit-out, PCC tax and the months of rent you pay during construction. Below we work them out for a 48 m² flat at NBP average prices. Data as at October 2026.
What do NBP average prices show for Warsaw?
The latest NBP data cover Q2 2026 (in the NBP database that means March, April and May); the file does not yet include Q3.
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| Warsaw, NBP data | Primary market | Secondary market |
|---|---|---|
| Average asking price, Q2 2026 | PLN 18,488/m² | PLN 19,059/m² |
| Average transaction price, Q2 2026 | PLN 16,783/m² | PLN 16,723/m² |
| Change in transaction price, Q2 2025 to Q2 2026 | +2.4% | +1.3% |
The annual change is our calculation on NBP data. NBP prices include VAT and cover flats in multi-family buildings within Warsaw’s administrative boundaries. NBP notes that the data may be revised later.
For the Warsaw secondary market in Q2 2026, Metrohouse and Credipass give an average transaction price of PLN 15,823/m². It is a different sample (transactions of one agency network), so we do not average it with NBP data.
Why is the asking price not the price you will pay?
On the secondary market in Q2 2026 the average asking price was about PLN 2,300/m² above the average transaction price (19,059 against 16,723). On the primary market the gap is about PLN 1,700/m² (18,488 against 16,783). These are our calculations on NBP data.
The practical rule: on a resale, do not compare an advertised price only with other advertisements. Set it against the prices at which flats actually sell, and allow for negotiation. With a developer, check the price history of the flat on its website: the developer must show prices including VAT and their changes there (art. 19a of the Developer Act, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 880).
What does 48 m² cost at average prices? The calculation
We assume 48 m² and NBP average transaction prices. This is a worked example, not an offer: a particular flat may cost something different.
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| Item | Primary market (shell-and-core, stan deweloperski) | Secondary market (ready to move in) |
|---|---|---|
| Price for 48 m² | PLN 805,584 | PLN 802,704 |
| Tax | VAT already in the price, PCC PLN 0 | PCC 2%: about PLN 16,054, or PLN 0 with the exemption |
| Fit-out | PLN 72,000 to 144,000 | usually PLN 0 if no renovation is needed |
| Total to pay | PLN 877,584 to 949,584 | PLN 802,704 to 818,758 |
| Additionally | rent during construction | possible renovation |
The results are products: 48 × PLN 16,783, 48 × PLN 16,723, 2% × PLN 802,704 (assuming the price equals market value) and 48 × PLN 1,500 to 3,000.
What the table shows. A shell-and-core flat costs about PLN 59,000 to 131,000 more in total than a resale with PCC (and about PLN 75,000 to 147,000 more without PCC), mainly because of the fit-out. A ready-to-live-in resale comes out cheaper, but only if it needs no renovation. If it does, the table has to be recalculated; we explain how in how to work out whether a flat to renovate pays off.
Tax: why is there no PCC on the primary market but there is on the secondary?
Primary market. When a developer sells a flat with VAT, the buyer pays no PCC (art. 2 pkt 4 lit. a of the PCC Act, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 191). VAT on flats up to 150 m² is 8%, and 23% on the part above 150 m² (VAT Act, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 1263, as at October 2026). VAT is already in the price. Exception: if the developer’s sale is exempt from VAT, 2% PCC is still payable. Ask about this at the developer’s sales office (biuro sprzedaży).
Secondary market. PCC is 2% of market value and is paid by the buyer (art. 7 ust. 1 pkt 1 lit. a of the PCC Act). Since 31 August 2023 there has been an exemption for a first home (art. 9 pkt 17): it applies if the buyer has never owned a flat, house or cooperative right to a unit, even as a share. Only an inherited share, up to 50%, does not get in the way.
Taxes in Poland do not depend on citizenship, so these rules also apply to foreigners. If you own or have owned a flat abroad, for example in Ukraine, do not count the exemption into your budget until the notary confirms they will apply it.
How many months of rent should you add to a flat under construction?
The calculation for a new flat under construction needs one more item: the rent you pay until you collect the keys. According to GUS, multi-family buildings in Poland in 2025 took on average 24.8 months from the start of construction to occupancy approval (publication of 30 June 2026). If you sign at the start of construction, you can usually expect to wait about 2 years for the keys. This is a national average, not the date in your contract: you are bound by the date written into the developer agreement (umowa deweloperska, art. 35 ust. 1 pkt 7 of the Developer Act).
The formula is simple: monthly rent × number of months until the keys. Add the result to the cost of the flat under construction before comparing it with a resale. A ready flat from a developer has no such item; how to compare both options in money is in what waiting for a flat under construction costs.
How much does it cost to fit out a shell-and-core flat?
Estimates from cost-estimate portals for Warsaw:
- cennik-kosztorys.pl (May 2026): basic standard PLN 1,500 to 2,500/m², premium PLN 3,000 to 5,000/m² (materials, labour and design);
- RynekPierwotny.pl (July 2026): turnkey at mid standard up to PLN 3,000/m², at high standard about PLN 4,000 to 5,000/m².
For the calculation we use PLN 1,500 to 3,000/m². These are not official data, and the real cost depends on the standard and the contractor’s quote.
What changes in the calculation if you buy as a foreigner?
Prices and taxes are the same as for a Pole. The differences are in the formalities:
- No MSWiA permit is needed for an independent residential unit (art. 8 ust. 1 pkt 1 of the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners). Warsaw is not in a border zone.
- Documents in Polish. The developer agreement and, on a resale, the sale agreement are notarial deeds (akt notarialny). If you do not speak Polish, the notary has the deed translated by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) or does it personally (art. 87 § 1 pkt 1 of the Notaries Act). Add the translator’s fee to your calculation if you need one.
- Money held abroad. When you buy with your own funds, the notary and the agent have duties under anti-money-laundering rules. Gather documents showing the source of funds in advance.
The details of these formalities are in the full comparison of the primary and secondary markets.
Are NBP averages enough to decide?
No. They are an average for the whole of Warsaw, while the price of a particular flat depends on the district, size, floor and standard. We give no prices by district in this text because the NBP data we rely on cover the whole city.
- Browse new flats in Warsaw in the catalogue: we take prices from developers’ open data on dane.gov.pl and show them with the date.
- On a resale, compare the offer with the prices of actual transactions, and before signing read what to check before a resale transaction.
- If you need a specific long-established area, for example for your child’s school, there may be no new developments there at all.
What to look at when choosing: a list of questions
A new flat comes out better when:
- you can wait usually about 2 years and pay rent meanwhile, or you buy a ready flat from a developer;
- you have PLN 72,000 to 144,000 in reserve to fit out about 48 m²;
- you prefer to pay in instalments into an escrow account (mieszkaniowy rachunek powierniczy) rather than the whole sum at the deed.
A resale comes out better when:
- you want to move in quickly and stop paying rent;
- you are both buying a first home and the notary has confirmed the PCC exemption;
- you need a specific district with no new developments;
- you have time to read and translate the land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta) and the draft contract.
How much does an agent cost?
- Primary market. We do not charge the buyer a fee for help buying from a developer. Our remuneration on the primary market comes from agreements with developers. We register you as our client at the sales office before your first visit on your own, so write to us before you go there. Then we go together, take you through the information prospectus (prospekt informacyjny) and the draft contract, and point out what to ask the developer or a lawyer.
- Secondary market. The fee, and who pays it, we agree in the brokerage agreement (umowa pośrednictwa).
The agent is Vladyslav Moroz (sole trader, with OC liability insurance). We serve clients in seven languages, including Polish, Ukrainian, English, German, Turkish and Italian.
FAQ
Is a new-build flat in Warsaw more expensive than a resale flat?
According to NBP, the average transaction price in Warsaw in Q2 2026 (March to May) was PLN 16,783/m² on the primary market and PLN 16,723/m² on the secondary market, a gap of about PLN 60/m². Once you add the fit-out of a shell-and-core flat (stan deweloperski), PCC tax on a resale and rent during construction, the final cost can differ by tens of thousands of zloty.
Why does the asking price of a resale flat differ from the transaction price?
NBP data for Q2 2026 put the average asking price on the Warsaw secondary market at PLN 19,059/m² and the transaction price at PLN 16,723/m², a gap of about PLN 2,300/m². On the primary market the gap is smaller: PLN 18,488/m² asking against PLN 16,783/m² transacted, about PLN 1,700/m². These are our calculations on NBP data.
How much PCC do I pay on a PLN 800,000 resale flat?
PCC (tax on civil-law transactions) is 2% of market value and is paid by the buyer (art. 7 ust. 1 pkt 1 lit. a of the PCC Act, as at October 2026), so PLN 16,000 on PLN 800,000. A buyer who has never owned a flat, house or cooperative right to a unit can use the exemption (art. 9 pkt 17). Buying from a developer with VAT, you pay no PCC.
How much does it cost to fit out a 48 m² developer-standard flat?
Cost-estimate portals in 2026 give about PLN 1,500 to 3,000/m² for basic and mid standards, so roughly PLN 72,000 to 144,000 for 48 m². These are not official figures; only a contractor’s quote gives the real price.
Are NBP averages enough to compare new and resale flats?
No. They are an average for the whole of Warsaw, while the price depends on the district, size, floor and condition. NBP averages are a reference point; compare a specific offer with transaction prices and with the developer’s price history on its website.
Comparing specific new and resale offers? Write to us before your first visit to a developer’s sales office. We will register you as our client, take you through the information prospectus and the draft contract, point out what to ask the developer or a lawyer, and go to the sales office with you. We do not charge you a fee for help buying from a developer.
Jawno · +48 692 649 839 · infojawno@gmail.com
This text is for information only and is not legal advice (Tekst ma charakter informacyjny i nie jest poradą prawną). Legal position as at October 2026.