In the bustling heart of major cities, the prices of new apartments can induce some serious sticker shock. For those who either can’t or don’t want to fork out exorbitant sums, a cheaper alternative might lie in purchasing your own space in the suburban outskirts. RynekPierwotny.pl, a leading real estate portal, has examined developer offerings in the vicinity of 10 major metropolitan areas through this lens.
Suburban Living: Up to One-Third Cheaper!
In metropolitan areas, housing prices have soared to levels that present a tough choice for many: either renting in a location where buying a dream home is financially out of reach, or considering a move to one of the surrounding towns. According to data from BIG DATA RynekPierwotny.pl, homes there are still much more affordable.
Unsurprisingly, Warsaw tops the list as the most expensive metropolis, with the average price per square meter of apartments offered by developers surpassing 17,000 PLN in February of this year. Meanwhile, Krakow exceeded 16,000 PLN per square meter, and the Tri-City area reached 15,000 PLN. On the flip side, buyers in Bydgoszcz will pay under 10,000 PLN per square meter on average for new apartments. Prices are slightly higher in Olsztyn, Łódź, and Lublin, hovering around 11,000 PLN per square meter for new units.
Meanwhile, in the vicinity of these metropolises, new apartments offered by developers are cheaper on average by a third. Discrepancies can be even larger; for instance, in the Krakow area, the average price per square meter of units is a whopping 46% lower than in the city itself! Discrepancies of up to 40% are also seen in the Warsaw, Wrocław, Lublin, and Poznań agglomerations.
What Drives Such Large Price Differences?
Supply and land prices play a crucial role. In suburban areas, land prices are simply much cheaper. Moreover, suburban locations predominantly feature apartments in the popular segment. In contrast, metropolitan areas see higher average prices per square meter driven by luxury apartments targeted at affluent buyers.
“This is why more and more young people, who often rely on loans, will opt to buy apartments in suburban locations. For them, the ceiling of possibility often hovers around 500,000 PLN,” evaluates Marek Wielgo, an expert at RynekPierwotny.pl.
Your Own Square Meters – What’s the Price Tag?
According to RynekPierwotny.pl data, two-bedroom apartments enjoy significant popularity. In the capital, the current average price per square meter is around 767,000 PLN. Meanwhile, just outside the city, the average price for such accommodation is around 498,000 PLN. In Krakow, developers ask for an average of 737,000 PLN for two-bedroom apartments, whereas just beyond the city limits, they go for just under 400,000 PLN. The difference is indeed substantial!
Of course, some people opt for suburban locations due to the larger living space. With 767,000 PLN, one can easily buy a four-bedroom apartment near Warsaw.
However, it’s important to note that both within a city and its agglomeration, apartment prices vary widely. For instance, in central Warsaw, the average price per square meter of units offered by developers is over 38,000 PLN. In contrast, on the outskirts, mainly in districts like Wesoła, Wawer, or Białołęka, the average price per square meter of a new apartment is less than 13,000 PLN.
Similarly, near Warsaw, new apartments can be found for an average of 8,500 PLN per square meter (e.g., in Mińsk Mazowiecki), but also for 10,000-11,000 PLN per square meter (in Pruszków, Legionowo, or Piaseczno). It happens that suburban new apartments can even be more expensive than those in the city. In such cases, proximity to transportation, schools, services, and shops becomes crucial. Infrastructure is least developed on the outskirts, which can lower property prices.
Apartment for 9,000 PLN per Square Meter but in Suburban Areas
Data on the price structure of developer offerings provide a broader view of markets. Near Warsaw, 28% of the offerings consist of apartments priced below 9,000 PLN per square meter. In the capital itself, such affordable units are practically non-existent. Moreover, over 9 out of 10 apartments in the offer cost more than 12,000 PLN per square meter. In towns surrounding the capital, units below this price are predominant, with only 13% exceeding it.
Even more striking differences are observed in the Łódź agglomeration, where a staggering 98% of available apartments are priced below 9,000 PLN per square meter. In Łódź itself, such apartments make up only 24% of the offer. There are also suburban locations, around Bydgoszcz and Lublin, where 100% of new apartments are priced below this threshold.
It’s worth noting that often, in favor of towns surrounding major cities, not only the share in the offer but also the sheer number of relatively affordable apartments speaks volumes. In the capital, it’s almost a miracle to find an apartment priced below 9,000 PLN per square meter. In suburban towns, however, there are over 700 such units with disclosed prices.
Similar situations, though of course on a smaller scale due to much lower supply, can be observed in the vicinity of Krakow, Wrocław, Poznań, and Olsztyn.