Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Bydgoszcz

For one person, living is cheaper in Bydgoszcz: $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 Bydgoszcz
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Bydgoszcz Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,846

/mo nomad

Bydgoszcz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Bydgoszcz

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 Bydgoszcz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Krakow versus $1,461 in Bydgoszcz.

Krakow $1,846
Bydgoszcz $1,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,616 in Krakow versus $2,221 in Bydgoszcz.

Krakow $2,616
Bydgoszcz $2,221

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Krakow versus $2,981 in Bydgoszcz.

Krakow $3,387
Bydgoszcz $2,981

Living in Krakow is roughly 26% more expensive than in Bydgoszcz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 36% above, Bydgoszcz 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 zł 47.52

$12.16 zł 47.25

0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 zł 198

$63.0 zł 245

-19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 zł 37.30

$7.78 zł 30.21

23.39%

Cappuccino

$4.11 zł 15.98

$3.42 zł 13.29

20.18%

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

$2.55 zł 9.91

$2.10 zł 8.17

21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 zł 9.43

$1.70 zł 6.61

42.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 zł 18.20

$3.87 zł 15.02

20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 zł 18.22

$3.67 zł 14.25

27.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.04 zł 4.06

1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.70

$1.68 zł 6.54

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 zł 6.61

$0.97 zł 3.77

75.26%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 14.84

$3.86 zł 14.98

-1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 zł 36.90

$9.19 zł 35.72

3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 zł 30.99

$6.94 zł 26.95

14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 zł 52.6

$11.97 zł 46.52

13.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 zł 5.13

$1.36 zł 5.30

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.76

$1.69 zł 6.56

2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.75

$1.54 zł 6.00

12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 zł 12.32

$3.17 zł 12.30

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 zł 3.63

$0.93 zł 3.62

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.84

$1.32 zł 5.12

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 zł 4.93

$1.13 zł 4.38

12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 zł 3.15

$0.66 zł 2.57

22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 zł 25.23

$5.67 zł 22.02

14.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 zł 24.33

$8.13 zł 31.59

-23.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.60

$1.07 zł 4.16

10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 zł 6.77

$1.43 zł 5.55

21.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 zł 5.89

$0.95 zł 3.71

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.87 zł 132

$27.75 zł 108

22.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$2.14 zł 8.30

9.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$0.78 zł 3.04

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.50 zł 48.57

$10.08 zł 39.18

24.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 zł 6.85

$1.55 zł 6.03

13.55%

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

$30.6K zł 118.8K

$30.7K zł 119.2K

-0.29%

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

$29.1K zł 113.1K

$29.7K zł 115.2K

-1.84%

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

$333 zł 1,294

$282 zł 1,095

18.14%

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

$8.93 zł 34.69

$7.93 zł 30.83

12.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.43 zł 67.7

$18.87 zł 73.3

-7.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.29 zł 176

$39.69 zł 154

14.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.55 zł 95.4

$16.79 zł 65.2

46.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 zł 33.13

$7.71 zł 29.97

10.64%

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

$458 zł 1,780

$329 zł 1,278

39.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,863 zł 38.3K

$5,120 zł 19.9K

92.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 zł 376

$82.1 zł 319

17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 zł 157

$36.18 zł 141

11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 zł 356

$89.4 zł 347

2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 472

$101 zł 392

20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 zł 3,653

$678 zł 2,633

38.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 zł 2,925

$491 zł 1,907

53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 zł 5,607

$1,116 zł 4,336

29.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 zł 4,477

$896 zł 3,481

28.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,535 zł 21.5K

$2,864 zł 11.1K

93.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 zł 13.7K

$2,164 zł 8,409

62.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 zł 7,314

$1,497 zł 5,817

25.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.89

-3.92%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bydgoszcz: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$753 40.8%

Bydgoszcz

$491 33.6% 34.8% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$359 19.5%

Bydgoszcz

$309 21.1% 14.1% $51

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$238 12.9%

Bydgoszcz

$226 15.5% 4.9% $12

Eating Out

Krakow

$229 12.4%

Bydgoszcz

$204 13.9% 11% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$158 8.5%

Bydgoszcz

$139 9.5% 11.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Bydgoszcz

$55 3.8% 11.6% $7.2

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Bydgoszcz

$38 2.6% 20.8% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $940 in Krakow and $678 in Bydgoszcz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 26% 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: $51.0 in Krakow vs $63.0 in Bydgoszcz. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $226, with Bydgoszcz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Bydgoszcz

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

359,428

💱 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 Bydgoszcz 370 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 Bydgoszcz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bydgoszcz wins on cost – living expenses run 26% 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.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $940 in Krakow versus $678 in Bydgoszcz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $458 in Krakow versus $329 in Bydgoszcz. 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 $1,461 in Bydgoszcz versus $1,846 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 $1,461 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bydgoszcz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Bydgoszcz 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 26% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.