Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Cieszyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Cieszyn: $1,402 a month against $1,784 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Cieszyn
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Cieszyn Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,784

/mo nomad

Cieszyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Cieszyn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Krakow versus $1,402 in Cieszyn.

Krakow $1,784
Cieszyn $1,402

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,566 in Krakow versus $2,000 in Cieszyn.

Krakow $2,566
Cieszyn $2,000

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,348 in Krakow versus $2,598 in Cieszyn.

Krakow $3,348
Cieszyn $2,598

Living in Krakow is roughly 27% more expensive than in Cieszyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 32% above, Cieszyn 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.50 zł 44.93

$7.17 zł 28.02

60.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 zł 196

$37.97 zł 148

32.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 zł 36.20

$8.68 zł 33.91

6.68%

Cappuccino

$4.21 zł 16.44

$2.98 zł 11.64

41.28%

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

$2.36 zł 9.23

$1.74 zł 6.78

35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 zł 9.14

$1.23 zł 4.82

90.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 zł 17.90

$4.70 zł 18.39

-2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 zł 17.62

$3.78 zł 14.76

19.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 3.99

$1.00 zł 3.90

2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 zł 5.58

$1.04 zł 4.06

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.26

$1.74 zł 6.81

-8.05%

Eggs

$3.88 zł 15.15

$2.00 zł 7.81

94.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 zł 36.37

$8.98 zł 35.10

3.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 zł 30.48

$7.63 zł 29.82

2.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 zł 52.5

$13.28 zł 51.9

1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 zł 5.10

$1.01 zł 3.94

29.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 zł 6.71

$1.49 zł 5.82

15.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 7.03

$1.71 zł 6.69

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 zł 12.15

$1.25 zł 4.89

148.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.78

$0.73 zł 2.85

32.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.85

$0.80 zł 3.11

22.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 zł 5.01

$1.19 zł 4.67

7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.05

$0.75 zł 2.93

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 zł 24.00

$5.60 zł 21.89

9.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 zł 24.86

$6.33 zł 24.72

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 zł 4.83

$1.04 zł 4.05

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 zł 6.30

$1.68 zł 6.55

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 zł 5.84

$1.04 zł 4.06

43.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.51 zł 127

$29.52 zł 115

10.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.79

$2.26 zł 8.84

-0.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 zł 3.83

$0.88 zł 3.42

11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 zł 49.70

$12.28 zł 48.00

3.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 zł 6.80

$1.68 zł 6.57

3.57%

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

$29.9K zł 116.7K

$31.0K zł 121.0K

-3.51%

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

$28.2K zł 110.0K

$28.4K zł 110.9K

-0.80%

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

$319 zł 1,247

$257 zł 1,004

24.18%

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

$8.85 zł 34.59

$8.66 zł 33.86

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 zł 68.2

$17.38 zł 67.9

0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.45 zł 170

$38.50 zł 150

12.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 zł 95.3

$22.18 zł 86.7

9.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 zł 32.79

$7.59 zł 29.67

10.54%

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

$436 zł 1,704

$154 zł 602

183.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K zł 49.2K

$9,544 zł 37.3K

31.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 zł 379

$44.87 zł 175

115.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 zł 160

$38.60 zł 151

5.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 349

$88.8 zł 347

0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 zł 459

$121 zł 472

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 zł 3,589

$584 zł 2,282

57.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 zł 2,822

$525 zł 2,050

37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 zł 5,916

$978 zł 3,821

54.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 zł 4,569

$815 zł 3,186

43.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 zł 21.2K

$2,928 zł 11.4K

84.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,560 zł 13.9K

$2,178 zł 8,512

63.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,888 zł 7,376

$1,466 zł 5,731

28.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.62

-0.45%

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

Last update for Krakow: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cieszyn: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$722 40.5%

Cieszyn

$525 37.4% 27.3% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$345 19.4%

Cieszyn

$283 20.2% 18.1% $62

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13.2%

Cieszyn

$206 14.7% 12.2% $29

Eating Out

Krakow

$221 12.4%

Cieszyn

$162 11.6% 26.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.7%

Cieszyn

$132 9.4% 15% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$60 3.4%

Cieszyn

$54 3.8% 10.9% $6.5

Getting Around

Krakow

$46 2.6%

Cieszyn

$40 2.9% 11.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $918 in Krakow and $584 in Cieszyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 29% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Krakow vs $38 in Cieszyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $206 per month, with Cieszyn cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Cieszyn

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

33,757

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Krakow Cieszyn 98 km

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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 Cieszyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,784 in Krakow and $1,402 in Cieszyn, so Cieszyn is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $918 in Krakow versus $584 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 9% less than in Krakow. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Krakow versus $154 in Cieszyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Cieszyn gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Expats usually find Cieszyn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.