Cost of Living Comparison Between Bydgoszcz and Krakow Cost of Living Comparison Between Bydgoszcz and Krakow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,516 in Bydgoszcz versus $1,943 in Krakow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,288 in Bydgoszcz versus $2,761 in Krakow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,060 in Bydgoszcz versus $3,580 in Krakow.

Living in Bydgoszcz costs roughly 22% less than in Krakow, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bydgoszcz 10% above, Krakow 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.81 zł 47.59

$12.82 zł 47.61

-0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 zł 251

$54.2 zł 201

24.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 zł 29.38

$9.65 zł 35.83

-18.03%

Cappuccino

$3.83 zł 14.21

$4.51 zł 16.74

-15.08%

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

$2.29 zł 8.50

$2.60 zł 9.66

-11.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 zł 6.64

$2.52 zł 9.35

-28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 zł 15.40

$4.90 zł 18.20

-15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 zł 14.07

$4.26 zł 15.81

-11.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 3.90

$1.17 zł 4.35

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 zł 6.52

$1.61 zł 5.99

8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.65

$1.82 zł 6.76

-46.15%

Eggs

$4.02 zł 14.94

$4.10 zł 15.23

-1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 zł 33.94

$9.58 zł 35.58

-4.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 zł 27.75

$8.04 zł 29.88

-7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 zł 45.29

$13.67 zł 50.8

-10.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 zł 5.16

$1.40 zł 5.21

-0.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.54

$1.79 zł 6.63

-1.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.08

$1.79 zł 6.64

-8.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 zł 12.41

$3.25 zł 12.07

2.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 3.85

$0.95 zł 3.54

9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 zł 5.10

$1.04 zł 3.86

31.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 zł 4.46

$1.33 zł 4.94

-9.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 zł 2.59

$0.84 zł 3.11

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 zł 22.61

$6.48 zł 24.06

-6.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 zł 32.73

$6.56 zł 24.39

34.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 zł 3.95

$1.27 zł 4.72

-16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 zł 5.28

$1.71 zł 6.35

-16.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 zł 3.75

$1.58 zł 5.88

-36.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.39 zł 109

$35.11 zł 130

-16.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 zł 8.72

$2.38 zł 8.83

-1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 zł 3.24

$1.10 zł 4.08

-20.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.45 zł 38.81

$12.44 zł 46.20

-16.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 zł 5.93

$1.63 zł 6.07

-1.84%

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

$32.5K zł 120.7K

$32.7K zł 121.5K

-0.68%

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

$28.9K zł 107.4K

$29.8K zł 110.6K

-2.97%

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

$271 zł 1,008

$335 zł 1,245

-19.03%

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

$8.22 zł 30.55

$9.40 zł 34.93

-12.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.64 zł 69.3

$19.31 zł 71.8

-3.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.51 zł 150

$47.25 zł 176

-14.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 zł 64.9

$26.50 zł 98.4

-34.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 zł 29.73

$8.95 zł 33.26

-10.61%

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

$347 zł 1,289

$476 zł 1,769

-27.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,429 zł 20.2K

$10.3K zł 38.4K

-47.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 zł 315

$101 zł 377

-16.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.80 zł 144

$41.76 zł 155

-7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 zł 346

$92.6 zł 344

0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 zł 399

$127 zł 473

-15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 zł 2,675

$981 zł 3,644

-26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 zł 1,956

$789 zł 2,932

-33.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 zł 4,213

$1,505 zł 5,592

-24.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$924 zł 3,432

$1,165 zł 4,328

-20.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,953 zł 11.0K

$5,819 zł 21.6K

-49.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 zł 8,326

$3,745 zł 13.9K

-40.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 zł 5,887

$1,944 zł 7,223

-18.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.64

3.77%

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

Last update for Bydgoszcz: August 30, 2026

Last update for Krakow: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Bydgoszcz and $981 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Bydgoszcz vs $54.0 in Krakow. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $246, with Bydgoszcz cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bydgoszcz vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bydgoszcz wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bydgoszcz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Krakow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $720 in Bydgoszcz versus $981 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Bydgoszcz versus $476 in Krakow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,516 in Bydgoszcz versus $1,943 in Krakow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bydgoszcz but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Bydgoszcz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bydgoszcz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,516 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bydgoszcz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bydgoszcz and Krakow are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bydgoszcz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.