Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gdansk and Zakopane

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakopane: $1,511 a month against $1,723 in Gdansk, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Gdansk
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Gdansk Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Zakopane
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Zakopane Living Index

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Gdansk

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,723

/mo nomad

Zakopane

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gdansk and in Zakopane

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

A single person spends $1,723 per month in Gdansk vs $1,511 in Zakopane, rent included.

Gdansk $1,723
Zakopane $1,511

A couple spends around $2,520 per month in Gdansk vs $2,238 in Zakopane, rent included.

Gdansk $2,520
Zakopane $2,238

A family of three spends $3,318 per month in Gdansk vs $2,964 in Zakopane, rent included.

Gdansk $3,318
Zakopane $2,964

Gdansk costs about 14% more than Zakopane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Gdansk and Zakopane sit above the global median – Gdansk by 27%, Zakopane by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 zł 45.27

$8.30 zł 32.54

39.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 zł 225

$28.92 zł 113

98.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 zł 35.26

$8.33 zł 32.64

8.04%

Cappuccino

$4.03 zł 15.81

$3.32 zł 13.02

21.39%

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

$2.21 zł 8.68

$2.65 zł 10.37

-16.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 zł 6.42

$2.01 zł 7.88

-18.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 zł 15.23

$2.36 zł 9.25

64.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 zł 14.75

$4.60 zł 18.04

-18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 3.98

$0.96 zł 3.78

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 zł 5.18

$1.25 zł 4.90

5.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 zł 6.39

$1.26 zł 4.93

29.37%

Eggs

$3.89 zł 15.27

$2.30 zł 9.00

69.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 zł 32.74

$6.68 zł 26.17

25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 zł 26.19

$5.14 zł 20.14

29.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 zł 53.1

$5.37 zł 21.04

152.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 zł 4.83

$0.79 zł 3.08

55.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.72

$1.39 zł 5.46

23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 zł 8.04

$1.45 zł 5.69

41.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 zł 11.95

$2.61 zł 10.25

16.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 zł 3.34

$0.31 zł 1.23

174.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.31

$0.87 zł 3.43

26.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 zł 5.33

$0.66 zł 2.57

106.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.70

$0.59 zł 2.29

16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 zł 23.02

$4.35 zł 17.07

34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 zł 26.01

$4.65 zł 18.24

42.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 zł 4.77

$1.00 zł 3.92

22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 zł 7.22

$1.53 zł 6.02

20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 zł 4.70

$1.24 zł 4.87

-3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.59 zł 116

$43.12 zł 169

-31.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 zł 9.16

$1.48 zł 5.81

58.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 4.01

$0.93 zł 3.65

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.44 zł 48.77

$5.05 zł 19.80

146.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.63

$1.66 zł 6.52

1.81%

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

$30.9K zł 121.3K

$30.8K zł 120.9K

0.37%

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

$28.1K zł 110.0K

$23.7K zł 93.1K

18.11%

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

$294 zł 1,151

$243 zł 953

20.86%

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

$11.58 zł 45.39

$7.76 zł 30.44

49.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 zł 81.0

$17.45 zł 68.4

18.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.94 zł 176

$8.71 zł 34.15

415.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.10 zł 114

$13.79 zł 54.1

111.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 zł 30.42

$7.68 zł 30.12

1.04%

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

$517 zł 2,028

$301 zł 1,179

71.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,275 zł 36.4K

$2,273 zł 8,909

308.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 zł 348

$55.3 zł 217

60.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 zł 183

$18.66 zł 73.2

150.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 zł 356

$50.9 zł 200

78.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 zł 401

$45.96 zł 180

122.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 zł 3,660

$722 zł 2,830

29.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 zł 2,785

$758 zł 2,971

-6.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 zł 6,296

$1,272 zł 4,986

26.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 zł 4,611

$1,494 zł 5,858

-21.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,387 zł 21.1K

$5,976 zł 23.4K

-9.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 zł 12.2K

$5,911 zł 23.2K

-47.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,974 zł 7,737

$1,546 zł 6,059

27.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.5

3.38%

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

Last update for Gdansk: November 3, 2026

Last update for Zakopane: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gdansk

$710 41.2%

Zakopane

$758 50.2% 6.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gdansk

$326 18.9%

Zakopane

$268 17.8% 17.7% $58

Groceries & Markets

Gdansk

$226 13.1%

Zakopane

$159 10.5% 29.6% $67

Eating Out

Gdansk

$210 12.2%

Zakopane

$171 11.3% 18.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Gdansk

$148 8.6%

Zakopane

$77 5.1% 48.1% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Gdansk

$60 3.5%

Zakopane

$24 1.6% 60.2% $36

Getting Around

Gdansk

$42 2.4%

Zakopane

$54 3.6% 29.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in Gdansk versus $722 in Zakopane. 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 28% higher in Gdansk. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Gdansk versus $29 in Zakopane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $159 – making Zakopane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Gdansk

🇵🇱 Zakopane

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

Same time as Gdansk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

470,633

26,662

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.255 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.255 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Gdansk Zakopane 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Gdansk
Zakopane

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

Gdansk vs Zakopane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,723 in Gdansk, $1,511 in Zakopane – Zakopane comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,584 per month in Gdansk and $2,267 in Zakopane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakopane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $722 there versus $934 in Gdansk.

Kindergarten costs $517 per month in Gdansk and $301 in Zakopane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Gdansk, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,723 in Gdansk and $1,511 in Zakopane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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