Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $1,846 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Krakow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
Learn more

Krakow Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest 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 Budapest and in Krakow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,846 in Krakow, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Krakow $1,846

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,616 in Krakow, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Krakow $2,616

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $3,387 in Krakow, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Krakow $3,387

Budapest is about 11% cheaper than Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Budapest and Krakow sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Krakow by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$12.23 zł 47.52

14.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$51.0 zł 198

19.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$9.60 zł 37.30

8.02%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$4.11 zł 15.98

-15.82%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.55 zł 9.91

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$2.43 zł 9.43

-27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$4.68 zł 18.20

-21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$4.69 zł 18.22

-18.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.06 zł 4.12

9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.47 zł 5.70

25.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.70 zł 6.61

41.18%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$3.82 zł 14.84

4.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$9.50 zł 36.90

20.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$7.98 zł 30.99

-13.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$13.53 zł 52.6

7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.32 zł 5.13

42.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.74 zł 6.76

22.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.74 zł 6.75

32.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$3.17 zł 12.32

27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.94 zł 3.63

8.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.99 zł 3.84

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.27 zł 4.93

24.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.81 zł 3.15

-13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$6.49 zł 25.23

23.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$6.26 zł 24.33

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.18 zł 4.60

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.74 zł 6.77

18.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.52 zł 5.89

4.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$33.87 zł 132

-18.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$2.35 zł 9.12

45.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.04 zł 4.04

27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$12.50 zł 48.57

63.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.76 zł 6.85

9.66%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$30.6K zł 118.8K

-4.72%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$29.1K zł 113.1K

19.29%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$333 zł 1,294

-47.56%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$8.93 zł 34.69

164.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$17.43 zł 67.7

35.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$45.29 zł 176

52.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$24.55 zł 95.4

-21.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$8.53 zł 33.13

20.87%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$458 zł 1,780

16.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$9,863 zł 38.3K

70.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$96.9 zł 376

3.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$40.40 zł 157

7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$91.5 zł 356

22.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$122 zł 472

-2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$940 zł 3,653

-11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$753 zł 2,925

-16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,443 zł 5,607

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$1,152 zł 4,477

3.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$5,535 zł 21.5K

3.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$3,525 zł 13.7K

11.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$1,883 zł 7,314

-9.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.62

-2.57%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Krakow

$753 40.8% 19.7% $124

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Krakow

$238 12.9% 9.2% $24

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Krakow

$229 12.4% 1.1% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Krakow

$359 19.5% 62% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Krakow

$158 8.5% 6.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Krakow

$62 3.4% 30.3% $27

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Krakow

$47 2.6% 8% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest 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 10% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $51.0 in Krakow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $238 – making Krakow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

806,201

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Budapest
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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

Budapest vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Krakow is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest 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 Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $458 in Krakow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Krakow at $1,846. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Krakow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Budapest. 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.