Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Bialystok

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.

89

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,846

/mo nomad

Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Bialystok

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

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

Krakow $1,846
Bialystok $1,461

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

Krakow $2,616
Bialystok $2,069

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

Krakow $3,387
Bialystok $2,676

Krakow costs about 26% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 zł 47.52

$9.91 zł 38.49

23.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 zł 198

$45.57 zł 177

11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 zł 37.30

$8.85 zł 34.37

8.47%

Cappuccino

$4.11 zł 15.98

$3.55 zł 13.78

15.77%

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

$2.55 zł 9.91

$1.90 zł 7.40

34.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 zł 9.43

$1.51 zł 5.87

60.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 zł 18.20

$3.57 zł 13.88

31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 zł 18.22

$3.03 zł 11.75

54.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.06 zł 4.14

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.70

$1.00 zł 3.88

47.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 zł 6.61

$2.23 zł 8.65

-23.77%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 14.84

$3.76 zł 14.59

1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 zł 36.90

$9.39 zł 36.49

1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 zł 30.99

$5.62 zł 21.84

41.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 zł 52.6

$11.23 zł 43.61

20.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 zł 5.13

$1.24 zł 4.83

6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.76

$1.76 zł 6.84

-1.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.75

$1.59 zł 6.19

9.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 zł 12.32

$2.03 zł 7.90

56.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 zł 3.63

$1.06 zł 4.10

-11.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.84

$1.19 zł 4.61

-16.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 zł 4.93

$1.17 zł 4.55

8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 zł 3.15

$0.60 zł 2.35

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 zł 25.23

$5.08 zł 19.75

27.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 zł 24.33

$6.12 zł 23.78

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.60

$1.22 zł 4.73

-3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 zł 6.77

$1.54 zł 5.97

12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 zł 5.89

$1.07 zł 4.16

42.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.87 zł 132

$33.47 zł 130

1.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$2.11 zł 8.19

11.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$0.66 zł 2.55

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.50 zł 48.57

$13.02 zł 50.6

-3.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 zł 6.85

$1.62 zł 6.29

8.64%

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

$30.6K zł 118.8K

$30.8K zł 119.8K

-0.80%

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

$29.1K zł 113.1K

$28.8K zł 112.0K

0.97%

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

$333 zł 1,294

$299 zł 1,164

11.18%

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

$8.93 zł 34.69

$8.25 zł 32.05

8.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.43 zł 67.7

$18.22 zł 70.8

-4.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.29 zł 176

$41.41 zł 161

9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.55 zł 95.4

$27.67 zł 108

-11.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 zł 33.13

$8.25 zł 32.07

3.39%

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

$458 zł 1,780

$351 zł 1,363

30.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,863 zł 38.3K

$4,337 zł 16.9K

127.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 zł 376

$98.1 zł 381

-1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 zł 157

$36.44 zł 142

10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 zł 356

$87.1 zł 338

5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 472

$88.4 zł 343

37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 zł 3,653

$544 zł 2,113

72.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 zł 2,925

$502 zł 1,951

49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 zł 5,607

$822 zł 3,194

75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 zł 4,477

$717 zł 2,786

60.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,535 zł 21.5K

$2,669 zł 10.4K

107.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 zł 13.7K

$2,324 zł 9,030

51.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 zł 7,314

$1,447 zł 5,622

30.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

7.07

-6.36%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$753 40.8%

Bialystok

$502 34.4% 33.3% $251

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$359 19.5%

Bialystok

$326 22.3% 9.3% $33

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$238 12.9%

Bialystok

$207 14.2% 13% $31

Eating Out

Krakow

$229 12.4%

Bialystok

$186 12.7% 18.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$158 8.5%

Bialystok

$140 9.6% 11.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Bialystok

$58 4% 7.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Bialystok

$43 3% 9.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Krakow versus $544 in Bialystok. 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 $51.0 in Krakow versus $46.00 in Bialystok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $207 – making Bialystok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

297,554

💱 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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Krakow Bialystok 410 km

From you

Krakow
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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

Krakow vs Bialystok: 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 $2,769 per month in Krakow and $2,192 in Bialystok. 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 $458 per month in Krakow and $351 in Bialystok. 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.