Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Cieszyn Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Cieszyn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,913 in Krakow versus $1,465 in Cieszyn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,685 in Krakow versus $2,102 in Cieszyn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,458 in Krakow versus $2,739 in Cieszyn.

Living in Krakow is roughly 31% more expensive than in Cieszyn, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 40% above, Cieszyn 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 zł 49.53

$7.64 zł 29.00

70.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 zł 204

$39.31 zł 149

36.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 zł 37.83

$9.11 zł 34.59

9.33%

Cappuccino

$4.34 zł 16.46

$3.14 zł 11.91

38.22%

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

$2.46 zł 9.34

$1.84 zł 7.00

33.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 zł 9.86

$1.32 zł 5.00

96.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.77 zł 18.10

$4.92 zł 18.67

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 zł 16.13

$3.94 zł 14.96

7.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 zł 4.44

$1.05 zł 3.98

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 zł 6.09

$1.04 zł 3.95

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 zł 7.18

$1.87 zł 7.09

1.07%

Eggs

$4.08 zł 15.48

$2.16 zł 8.20

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 zł 36.21

$9.57 zł 36.33

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 zł 31.26

$7.88 zł 29.91

4.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 zł 51.7

$13.72 zł 52.1

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.38

$1.07 zł 4.06

32.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.99

$1.56 zł 5.92

17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 zł 6.76

$1.86 zł 7.06

-4.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 zł 12.05

$1.37 zł 5.19

131.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 zł 3.60

$0.77 zł 2.94

23.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 zł 4.13

$0.83 zł 3.14

31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 zł 5.23

$1.31 zł 4.97

5.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 zł 3.22

$0.78 zł 2.98

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.69 zł 25.40

$5.77 zł 21.89

15.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 zł 25.01

$6.71 zł 25.47

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 zł 4.61

$1.09 zł 4.12

11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 zł 6.40

$1.76 zł 6.68

-3.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 zł 5.96

$1.13 zł 4.30

38.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.26 zł 134

$30.37 zł 115

16.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 zł 9.26

$2.34 zł 8.88

4.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 zł 3.91

$0.89 zł 3.37

15.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.80 zł 48.60

$12.88 zł 48.91

-0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 zł 6.28

$1.66 zł 6.29

-0.60%

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

$31.5K zł 119.5K

$31.5K zł 119.6K

-0.02%

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

$29.4K zł 111.8K

$29.6K zł 112.5K

-0.65%

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

$342 zł 1,297

$266 zł 1,009

28.53%

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

$8.91 zł 33.83

$9.19 zł 34.89

-3.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.04 zł 72.3

$18.34 zł 69.6

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.81 zł 174

$38.98 zł 148

17.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.07 zł 99.0

$23.28 zł 88.4

11.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 zł 34.41

$8.06 zł 30.61

12.41%

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

$479 zł 1,820

$158 zł 601

202.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K zł 38.7K

$10.0K zł 38.1K

1.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100.0 zł 379

$47.03 zł 179

112.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 zł 157

$39.52 zł 150

4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 zł 358

$92.6 zł 352

1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 zł 470

$128 zł 485

-2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 zł 3,642

$629 zł 2,389

52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 zł 2,937

$529 zł 2,009

46.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 zł 5,793

$1,045 zł 3,965

46.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 zł 4,410

$867 zł 3,290

34.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,810 zł 22.1K

$3,061 zł 11.6K

89.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,694 zł 14.0K

$2,285 zł 8,675

61.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 zł 7,373

$1,534 zł 5,825

26.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

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

Last update for Krakow: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cieszyn: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $959 in Krakow and $629 in Cieszyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 27% 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 $39.00 in Cieszyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $216 per month, with Cieszyn cheaper across the board.

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 Cieszyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow and Cieszyn differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,913 vs $1,465 including rent). Cieszyn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $959 in Krakow versus $629 in Cieszyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cieszyn runs roughly 16% less than in Krakow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $479 in Krakow versus $158 in Cieszyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,465 in Cieszyn versus $1,913 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cieszyn but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Cieszyn 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 Cieszyn 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 Cieszyn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.