Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Bielsko-biala

For one person, living is cheaper in Bielsko-biala: $1,480 a month against $1,815 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bielsko-biala
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Bielsko-biala Living Index

Jump to prices

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,815

/mo nomad

Bielsko-biala

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Bielsko-biala

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 Bielsko-biala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,815 in Krakow versus $1,480 in Bielsko-biala.

Krakow $1,815
Bielsko-biala $1,480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,587 in Krakow versus $2,131 in Bielsko-biala.

Krakow $2,587
Bielsko-biala $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,359 in Krakow versus $2,782 in Bielsko-biala.

Krakow $3,359
Bielsko-biala $2,782

Living in Krakow is roughly 23% more expensive than in Bielsko-biala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 34% above, Bielsko-biala 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 zł 45.95

$9.45 zł 36.70

25.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 zł 196

$45.98 zł 179

9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 zł 38.12

$8.95 zł 34.76

9.61%

Cappuccino

$4.22 zł 16.40

$3.61 zł 14.03

16.90%

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

$2.59 zł 10.06

$2.21 zł 8.60

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$1.36 zł 5.27

72.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 zł 17.98

$3.77 zł 14.66

22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 zł 18.32

$3.79 zł 14.73

24.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 zł 4.14

$1.04 zł 4.03

2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 zł 5.84

$1.11 zł 4.30

35.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.83

$1.39 zł 5.40

26.62%

Eggs

$3.90 zł 15.13

$2.87 zł 11.16

35.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 zł 36.53

$8.22 zł 31.95

14.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 zł 30.57

$5.86 zł 22.77

34.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 zł 52.1

$9.75 zł 37.88

37.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.20

$1.17 zł 4.56

14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.56

$1.61 zł 6.25

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.98

$2.11 zł 8.19

-14.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 zł 11.93

$1.94 zł 7.53

58.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.40

$0.80 zł 3.10

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 zł 3.98

$0.79 zł 3.07

29.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$1.04 zł 4.03

16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 zł 3.12

$0.62 zł 2.41

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 zł 24.24

$4.91 zł 19.09

27.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 zł 24.86

$6.33 zł 24.61

1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$1.10 zł 4.29

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.65 zł 6.41

1.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 zł 6.10

$1.25 zł 4.85

25.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.06 zł 128

$36.33 zł 141

-9.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 zł 8.63

$1.51 zł 5.85

47.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 zł 3.91

$0.54 zł 2.09

87.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.48 zł 48.51

$9.36 zł 36.38

33.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.66 zł 6.46

0.60%

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

$30.7K zł 119.3K

$30.8K zł 119.7K

-0.31%

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

$28.6K zł 111.2K

$25.6K zł 99.5K

11.73%

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

$325 zł 1,261

$291 zł 1,132

11.37%

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

$8.70 zł 33.80

$8.48 zł 32.95

2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 zł 69.3

$16.92 zł 65.8

5.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 zł 175

$40.85 zł 159

10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.28 zł 94.3

$44.81 zł 174

-45.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 zł 33.29

$7.08 zł 27.51

21.05%

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

$463 zł 1,799

$286 zł 1,111

61.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,760 zł 37.9K

$2,529 zł 9,825

285.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 zł 376

$72.8 zł 283

32.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 zł 156

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 zł 346

$88.2 zł 343

1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 473

$95.2 zł 370

27.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 zł 3,642

$605 zł 2,351

54.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 zł 2,854

$551 zł 2,139

33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 zł 5,738

$1,700 zł 6,606

-13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 zł 4,456

$864 zł 3,355

32.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,395 zł 21.0K

$2,428 zł 9,433

122.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,529 zł 13.7K

$1,942 zł 7,545

81.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,894 zł 7,360

$1,435 zł 5,574

32.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.87

-3.64%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bielsko-biala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$735 40.5%

Bielsko-biala

$551 37.2% 25% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$351 19.4%

Bielsko-biala

$317 21.4% 9.8% $34

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$237 13.1%

Bielsko-biala

$192 13% 18.7% $44

Eating Out

Krakow

$227 12.5%

Bielsko-biala

$186 12.6% 17.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$156 8.6%

Bielsko-biala

$133 9% 14.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Bielsko-biala

$55 3.7% 11.7% $7.3

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Bielsko-biala

$46 3.1% 2.3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $937 in Krakow and $605 in Bielsko-biala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 32% 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: $50.0 in Krakow vs $46.00 in Bielsko-biala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $192 per month, with Bielsko-biala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Bielsko-biala

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

169,756

💱 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

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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 Bielsko-biala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow and Bielsko-biala differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,815 vs $1,480 including rent). Bielsko-biala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Krakow, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $937 in Krakow versus $605 in Bielsko-biala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bielsko-biala runs roughly 10% less than in Krakow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $463 in Krakow versus $286 in Bielsko-biala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,480 in Bielsko-biala versus $1,815 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bielsko-biala but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Bielsko-biala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Bielsko-biala 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 Bielsko-biala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.