The more we travel, the more we realize how underrated Poland is.

We are in Bangkok right now, where many people come for various medical and beauty procedures - dentistry, surgery, hair treatments, etc. It’s one of the things online influencers often promote. Great services for very low prices.

I guess we might be hard to impress, having lived in Poland for the past 5 years. Because the prices in Bangkok don’t seem that low - they are almost the same as Polish prices.

Poland, however, is a far more developed country - better English, safer roads, a cleaner city, better hygiene standards.

So it made me think - why isn’t Poland more popular for medical tourism?

Here are some price comparisons. Prices are converted to USD and rounded.

Dentistry

One of the most common reasons for medical tourism.

Dentistry in Australia (where I grew up) costs an arm and a leg - it is often cheaper to fly somewhere and pay for a hotel and a dentist than to get it done in Australia. It will also be a lot faster and more comfortable.

Fillings

  • Poland: $50 USD per filling.
  • Thailand (general dentist): $30 USD per filling.
  • Thailand (aesthetic/senior dentist): $75 USD per filling.

Teeth Whitening

Using the “Beyond” or “Zoom” or other blue-light systems.

  • Thailand: Around $200-300 USD
  • Poland: Around $200-300 USD

Invisalign / Spark

This will vary depending on your teeth and how long you need to wear them, as well as the clinic itself, so it's very hard to compare.

Personal example: My girlfriend Kristina wore Spark retainers in Poland for 6 months. There were 20 retainers. Both arches (top and bottom teeth).

She paid $2,393 USD.

Listed prices: We were able to compare the pricing of the two dentists we used in Poland and Thailand for Invisalign Lite, one arch, 14pcs:

  • $2,781 at Bangkok Smile Dental clinic - one of the most popular clinics for foreigners in Bangkok.
  • $1,839 at 3G Dentist in Krakow, Poland. A normal dental clinic with English-speaking dentists.

This is just two clinics, and prices will vary, but it looks like Poland may be cheaper than Thailand for Invisalign 🤯.

Doctors

All costs listed are 100% out of pocket at private clinics - no health insurance.

General Practitioners:

  • Poland: A visit to a GP (family doctor) costs you around $50 USD (no health insurance).
  • Thailand: In Bangkok, expect to pay $20 - $30 USD.

Specialist doctors:

  • Polish Orthopaedic surgeon: A consultation will be around $75 USD (320 pln).
  • Thai Orthopaedic surgeon consultation:
  • Thai Gastroenterologist visit: $23 USD (800 THB)
  • Polish Gynaecologist consultation: $52 USD (200 pln)
  • Polish Endocrinologist consultation: $75 USD

Diagnostics:

I didn't do the same diagnostics in both countries, but I can give you some examples.

  • Poland: A knee MRI cost me $140 USD (580 PLN).
  • Thailand: A stool exam cost me $104 USD (3600 THB)
  • Thailand: An annual health checkup package was $102 (3,500 THB). This included blood and urine tests.

Wellness

Massage

In Thailand, there is a much wider range of prices for massage, and also a wider range of quality. You could find a massage starting from $10 USD (per hour), or you could find a much higher quality massage for $50 USD.

In Poland, what you get will be more standardized due to the training and insurance required to become a massage therapist. Around $50 per hour is the standard price.

Personal training or physiotherapy

In both Thailand and Poland, expect to pay around $60 for a 1-hour physiotherapy session (manual therapy + exercises). However, the English will certainly be a lot better in Poland.

Beauty

The following is based on comments from my girlfriend, Kristina.

Nail salons

Some of the best nail salons in the world are Eastern European. Ask any Ukrainian woman who moved elsewhere - one thing they miss about home is the high-quality nail salons.

In these countries, they usually do a machine manicure (also known as a Russian manicure), which uses an electric nail drill (e-file) with single-use attachments.

Poland has lots of Ukrainian immigrants who opened up nail salons, so you will find it easy to get a high-quality manicure there.

You won't find this in Thailand, where most salons are doing the traditional manicure.

Additionally, you might find that in the cheaper places, the hygiene might be lacking. Whereas in Poland they would often use single-use nail files and other tools, in Thailand they will use the same file for multiple customers.

Why Is Poland Not a Medical Tourism Hotspot Yet?

Based on our personal experiences, Poland:

  • Has modern clinics with good hygiene
  • Offers better communication in English
  • Is incredibly affordable when compared to Western Europe or Australia
  • Feels safer and more comfortable for long stays
  • Has top-tier beauty services

But Poland doesn’t promote itself as a destination for this kind of travel, and you rarely see influencers or YouTubers hyping it up.

Also, Thailand has an entire medical tourism infrastructure. From airport pickup services to English-speaking coordinators, it’s set up for foreigners. Poland isn't at that level yet, you have to do everything yourself.

But maybe that’s exactly why it’s such a hidden gem.