Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Bytom

For one person, living is cheaper in Bytom: $1,491 a month against $1,806 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bytom
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Bytom Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,806

/mo nomad

Bytom

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Bytom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Krakow versus $1,491 in Bytom.

Krakow $1,806
Bytom $1,491

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Krakow versus $2,091 in Bytom.

Krakow $2,604
Bytom $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Krakow versus $2,690 in Bytom.

Krakow $3,403
Bytom $2,690

Living in Krakow is roughly 21% more expensive than in Bytom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 33% above, Bytom 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 zł 47.69

$10.20 zł 40.35

18.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 zł 201

$35.95 zł 142

41.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 zł 37.09

$8.94 zł 35.39

4.81%

Cappuccino

$4.08 zł 16.15

$3.35 zł 13.25

21.79%

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

$2.45 zł 9.69

$2.21 zł 8.75

10.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 zł 9.22

$1.86 zł 7.35

25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 zł 17.63

$3.58 zł 14.16

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 zł 18.31

$4.67 zł 18.50

-0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 zł 4.39

$1.08 zł 4.28

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.73

$1.20 zł 4.76

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.90

$1.47 zł 5.81

18.37%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 15.12

$3.22 zł 12.74

18.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 zł 36.58

$9.50 zł 37.58

-2.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 zł 30.83

$5.48 zł 21.70

42.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 zł 52.1

$11.79 zł 46.66

11.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 zł 5.05

$1.07 zł 4.21

19.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.90

$1.63 zł 6.47

6.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 zł 7.01

$1.50 zł 5.95

18.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 zł 12.26

$2.53 zł 10.02

22.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.48

$0.95 zł 3.78

-7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.84

$0.78 zł 3.07

24.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 zł 4.95

$1.28 zł 5.08

-2.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.08

$0.66 zł 2.62

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.84

$5.55 zł 21.98

13.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 zł 25.61

$6.31 zł 24.96

2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.66

$1.00 zł 3.95

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.53

$1.62 zł 6.41

1.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 zł 5.87

$1.25 zł 4.96

18.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 zł 135

$34.82 zł 138

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.92

$1.75 zł 6.93

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.13

$0.74 zł 2.93

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 zł 48.87

$10.17 zł 40.25

21.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.58

$1.64 zł 6.50

1.22%

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

$29.8K zł 117.8K

$30.5K zł 120.8K

-2.52%

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

$29.2K zł 115.5K

$27.6K zł 109.4K

5.53%

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

$332 zł 1,314

$318 zł 1,257

4.54%

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

$8.48 zł 33.54

$7.63 zł 30.21

11.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.59 zł 69.6

$16.84 zł 66.7

4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 zł 177

$38.27 zł 151

16.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 zł 97.1

$18.97 zł 75.1

29.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 zł 34.31

$7.42 zł 29.35

16.85%

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

$449 zł 1,779

$472 zł 1,868

-4.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,675 zł 38.3K

$11.9K zł 46.9K

-18.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 zł 376

$67.7 zł 268

40.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 zł 158

$30.72 zł 122

30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 354

$88.7 zł 351

0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 zł 478

$92.7 zł 367

30.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 zł 3,595

$523 zł 2,071

73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 zł 2,864

$527 zł 2,087

37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 zł 5,897

$979 zł 3,873

52.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 zł 4,721

$801 zł 3,170

48.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,323 zł 21.1K

$2,962 zł 11.7K

79.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,604 zł 14.3K

$2,203 zł 8,716

63.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,867 zł 7,388

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

7.19

-7.93%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bytom: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$724 40.1%

Bytom

$527 35.4% 27.1% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$358 19.8%

Bytom

$342 23% 4.5% $16

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Bytom

$205 13.8% 12.6% $29

Eating Out

Krakow

$224 12.4%

Bytom

$192 12.9% 14.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.6%

Bytom

$126 8.5% 18.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Bytom

$53 3.6% 14.5% $9

Getting Around

Krakow

$48 2.6%

Bytom

$45 3% 4.7% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Krakow and $523 in Bytom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51 in Krakow vs $36 in Bytom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $205 per month, with Bytom cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Bytom

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

162,250

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Krakow Bytom 83 km

From you

Krakow
Bytom

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 Bytom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bytom wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bytom the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,708 in Krakow and $2,236 in Bytom to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $909 in Krakow versus $523 in Bytom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $449 in Krakow versus $472 in Bytom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bytom – a meal for two runs $36 versus $51 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bytom is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Bytom are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.