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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Krakow is roughly 28% more expensive than in Bydgoszcz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 zł 47.61

$12.81 zł 47.59

0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 zł 201

$67.5 zł 251

-19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 zł 35.83

$7.91 zł 29.38

22.00%

Cappuccino

$4.51 zł 16.74

$3.83 zł 14.21

17.75%

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

$2.60 zł 9.66

$2.29 zł 8.50

13.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 zł 9.35

$1.79 zł 6.64

40.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 zł 18.20

$4.15 zł 15.40

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 zł 15.81

$3.79 zł 14.07

12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 zł 4.35

$1.05 zł 3.90

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 zł 5.99

$1.75 zł 6.52

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 zł 6.76

$0.98 zł 3.65

85.71%

Eggs

$4.10 zł 15.23

$4.02 zł 14.94

1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 zł 35.58

$9.13 zł 33.94

4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 zł 29.88

$7.47 zł 27.75

7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.67 zł 50.8

$12.19 zł 45.29

12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 zł 5.21

$1.39 zł 5.16

0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.63

$1.76 zł 6.54

1.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.64

$1.64 zł 6.08

9.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 zł 12.07

$3.34 zł 12.41

-2.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 zł 3.54

$1.04 zł 3.85

-8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 3.86

$1.37 zł 5.10

-24.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 zł 4.94

$1.20 zł 4.46

10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 zł 3.11

$0.70 zł 2.59

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 zł 24.06

$6.09 zł 22.61

6.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 zł 24.39

$8.81 zł 32.73

-25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 zł 4.72

$1.06 zł 3.95

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.35

$1.42 zł 5.28

20.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 zł 5.88

$1.01 zł 3.75

56.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.11 zł 130

$29.39 zł 109

19.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 zł 8.83

$2.35 zł 8.72

1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 zł 4.08

$0.87 zł 3.24

26.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.44 zł 46.20

$10.45 zł 38.81

19.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 zł 6.07

$1.60 zł 5.93

1.87%

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

$32.7K zł 121.5K

$32.5K zł 120.7K

0.68%

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

$29.8K zł 110.6K

$28.9K zł 107.4K

3.07%

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

$335 zł 1,245

$271 zł 1,008

23.50%

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

$9.40 zł 34.93

$8.22 zł 30.55

14.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 zł 71.8

$18.64 zł 69.3

3.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 zł 176

$40.51 zł 150

16.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.50 zł 98.4

$17.47 zł 64.9

51.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 zł 33.26

$8.00 zł 29.73

11.87%

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

$476 zł 1,769

$347 zł 1,289

37.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K zł 38.4K

$5,429 zł 20.2K

90.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 zł 377

$84.7 zł 315

19.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 zł 155

$38.80 zł 144

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 zł 344

$93.0 zł 346

-0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 zł 473

$107 zł 399

18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 zł 3,644

$720 zł 2,675

36.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 zł 2,932

$526 zł 1,956

49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 zł 5,592

$1,134 zł 4,213

32.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 zł 4,328

$924 zł 3,432

26.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,819 zł 21.6K

$2,953 zł 11.0K

97.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,745 zł 13.9K

$2,241 zł 8,326

67.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,944 zł 7,223

$1,585 zł 5,887

22.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.89

-3.63%

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

Last update for Krakow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bydgoszcz: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Krakow and $720 in Bydgoszcz. 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: $54.0 in Krakow vs $67.0 in Bydgoszcz. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $235, 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

Krakow vs Bydgoszcz: 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.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $981 in Krakow versus $720 in Bydgoszcz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Krakow versus $347 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 $1,516 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, 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 28% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.