Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,461 a month against $1,846 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index

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Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,461

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bialystok and in Krakow

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bialystok and in Krakow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,461 per month in Bialystok vs $1,846 in Krakow, rent included.

Bialystok $1,461
Krakow $1,846

A couple spends around $2,069 per month in Bialystok vs $2,616 in Krakow, rent included.

Bialystok $2,069
Krakow $2,616

A family of three spends $2,676 per month in Bialystok vs $3,387 in Krakow, rent included.

Bialystok $2,676
Krakow $3,387

Bialystok is about 21% cheaper than Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bialystok and Krakow sit above the global median – Bialystok by 8%, Krakow by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 zł 38.49

$12.23 zł 47.52

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.57 zł 177

$51.0 zł 198

-10.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 zł 34.37

$9.60 zł 37.30

-7.81%

Cappuccino

$3.55 zł 13.78

$4.11 zł 15.98

-13.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 zł 7.40

$2.55 zł 9.91

-25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 zł 5.87

$2.43 zł 9.43

-37.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 zł 13.88

$4.68 zł 18.20

-23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 zł 11.75

$4.69 zł 18.22

-35.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.14

$1.06 zł 4.12

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 zł 3.88

$1.47 zł 5.70

-31.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 zł 8.65

$1.70 zł 6.61

31.18%

Eggs

$3.76 zł 14.59

$3.82 zł 14.84

-1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 zł 36.49

$9.50 zł 36.90

-1.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 zł 21.84

$7.98 zł 30.99

-29.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 zł 43.61

$13.53 zł 52.6

-17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.83

$1.32 zł 5.13

-6.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.84

$1.74 zł 6.76

1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 zł 6.19

$1.74 zł 6.75

-8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 zł 7.90

$3.17 zł 12.32

-35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 zł 4.10

$0.94 zł 3.63

12.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 zł 4.61

$0.99 zł 3.84

20.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 zł 4.55

$1.27 zł 4.93

-7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 zł 2.35

$0.81 zł 3.15

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 zł 19.75

$6.49 zł 25.23

-21.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 zł 23.78

$6.26 zł 24.33

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 zł 4.73

$1.18 zł 4.60

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 zł 5.97

$1.74 zł 6.77

-11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 zł 4.16

$1.52 zł 5.89

-29.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.47 zł 130

$33.87 zł 132

-1.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 zł 8.19

$2.35 zł 9.12

-10.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 zł 2.55

$1.04 zł 4.04

-36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.02 zł 50.6

$12.50 zł 48.57

4.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 zł 6.29

$1.76 zł 6.85

-7.95%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.8K zł 119.8K

$30.6K zł 118.8K

0.81%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.8K zł 112.0K

$29.1K zł 113.1K

-0.97%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$299 zł 1,164

$333 zł 1,294

-10.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.25 zł 32.05

$8.93 zł 34.69

-7.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.22 zł 70.8

$17.43 zł 67.7

4.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 zł 161

$45.29 zł 176

-8.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.67 zł 108

$24.55 zł 95.4

12.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 zł 32.07

$8.53 zł 33.13

-3.28%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$351 zł 1,363

$458 zł 1,780

-23.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,337 zł 16.9K

$9,863 zł 38.3K

-56.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.1 zł 381

$96.9 zł 376

1.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 zł 142

$40.40 zł 157

-9.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 zł 338

$91.5 zł 356

-4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 zł 343

$122 zł 472

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 zł 2,113

$940 zł 3,653

-42.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 zł 1,951

$753 zł 2,925

-33.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 zł 3,194

$1,443 zł 5,607

-43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 zł 2,786

$1,152 zł 4,477

-37.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,669 zł 10.4K

$5,535 zł 21.5K

-51.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,324 zł 9,030

$3,525 zł 13.7K

-34.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 zł 5,622

$1,883 zł 7,314

-23.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

6.62

6.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bialystok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bialystok

$502 34.4%

Krakow

$753 40.8% 50% $251

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bialystok

$326 22.3%

Krakow

$359 19.5% 10.2% $33

Groceries & Markets

Bialystok

$207 14.2%

Krakow

$238 12.9% 15% $31

Eating Out

Bialystok

$186 12.7%

Krakow

$229 12.4% 23% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Bialystok

$140 9.6%

Krakow

$158 8.5% 13% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bialystok

$58 4%

Krakow

$62 3.4% 7.6% $4.4

Getting Around

Bialystok

$43 3%

Krakow

$47 2.6% 10.1% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Bialystok versus $940 in Krakow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Krakow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bialystok versus $51.0 in Krakow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $238 – making Bialystok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

Same time as Bialystok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,554

806,201

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bialystok Krakow 410 km

From you

Bialystok
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bialystok vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow costs about 26% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,192 per month in Bialystok and $2,769 in Krakow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bialystok, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $351 per month in Bialystok and $458 in Krakow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Krakow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bialystok, where all-in costs run around $1,461, than in Krakow at $1,846. In Bialystok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Krakow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bialystok costs $1,461 versus $1,846 in Krakow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bialystok. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Krakow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.