Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Kalisz

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalisz: $1,136 a month against $1,815 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Kalisz
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Kalisz Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,815

/mo nomad

Kalisz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Kalisz

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

A single person spends $1,815 per month in Krakow vs $1,136 in Kalisz, rent included.

Krakow $1,815
Kalisz $1,136

A couple spends around $2,587 per month in Krakow vs $1,596 in Kalisz, rent included.

Krakow $2,587
Kalisz $1,596

A family of three spends $3,359 per month in Krakow vs $2,056 in Kalisz, rent included.

Krakow $3,359
Kalisz $2,056

Krakow costs about 60% more than Kalisz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Krakow sits 34% above the global median, while Kalisz is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 zł 45.95

$8.73 zł 33.92

35.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 zł 196

$30.31 zł 118

66.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 zł 38.12

$8.87 zł 34.47

10.60%

Cappuccino

$4.22 zł 16.40

$3.08 zł 11.96

37.01%

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

$2.59 zł 10.06

$2.00 zł 7.76

29.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$1.63 zł 6.33

44.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 zł 17.98

$2.49 zł 9.68

85.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 zł 18.32

$2.59 zł 10.07

82.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 zł 4.14

$0.92 zł 3.59

16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 zł 5.84

$1.21 zł 4.71

23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.83

$1.62 zł 6.29

8.64%

Eggs

$3.90 zł 15.13

$2.95 zł 11.44

32.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 zł 36.53

$7.96 zł 30.91

18.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 zł 30.57

$4.34 zł 16.87

81.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 zł 52.1

$9.22 zł 35.82

45.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.20

$1.07 zł 4.15

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.56

$1.60 zł 6.22

5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.98

$1.57 zł 6.12

14.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 zł 11.93

$3.10 zł 12.03

-0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.40

$0.79 zł 3.06

11.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 zł 3.98

$1.01 zł 3.92

0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$1.30 zł 5.05

-6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 zł 3.12

$0.55 zł 2.16

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 zł 24.24

$4.68 zł 18.18

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 zł 24.86

$6.98 zł 27.14

-8.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$0.87 zł 3.39

39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.39 zł 5.40

20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 zł 6.10

$1.04 zł 4.04

50.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.06 zł 128

$34.99 zł 136

-5.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 zł 8.63

$2.00 zł 7.75

11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 zł 3.91

$1.05 zł 4.08

-3.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.48 zł 48.51

$6.51 zł 25.30

91.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.57 zł 6.11

6.37%

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

$30.7K zł 119.3K

$30.5K zł 118.5K

0.71%

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

$28.6K zł 111.2K

$27.4K zł 106.5K

4.43%

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

$325 zł 1,261

$186 zł 724

74.09%

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

$8.70 zł 33.80

$10.06 zł 39.08

-13.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 zł 69.3

$16.83 zł 65.4

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 zł 175

$31.87 zł 124

41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.28 zł 94.3

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 zł 33.29

$6.46 zł 25.11

32.66%

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

$463 zł 1,799

$248 zł 964

86.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,760 zł 37.9K

$5,003 zł 19.4K

95.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 zł 376

$83.4 zł 324

15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 zł 156

$25.41 zł 98.7

57.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 zł 346

$79.2 zł 308

12.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 473

$88.5 zł 344

37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 zł 3,642

$445 zł 1,730

110.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 zł 2,854

$354 zł 1,376

107.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 zł 5,738

$538 zł 2,092

174.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 zł 4,456

$457 zł 1,774

151.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,395 zł 21.0K

$1,968 zł 7,648

174.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,529 zł 13.7K

$1,462 zł 5,679

141.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,894 zł 7,360

$1,190 zł 4,622

59.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.21

6.60%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kalisz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$735 40.5%

Kalisz

$354 31.2% 51.8% $380

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$351 19.4%

Kalisz

$213 18.8% 39.2% $138

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$237 13.1%

Kalisz

$187 16.5% 21.1% $50

Eating Out

Krakow

$227 12.5%

Kalisz

$166 14.6% 27.1% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$156 8.6%

Kalisz

$124 11% 20.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Kalisz

$45 3.9% 28.1% $17

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Kalisz

$46 4.1% 0.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $937 in Krakow versus $445 in Kalisz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 59% higher in Krakow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Krakow versus $30.00 in Kalisz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $187 – making Kalisz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Kalisz

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

103,997

💱 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

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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 Kalisz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Krakow is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,722 per month in Krakow and $1,704 in Kalisz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalisz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Kalisz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $463 per month in Krakow and $248 in Kalisz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kalisz, where all-in costs run around $1,136, than in Krakow at $1,815. In Kalisz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Krakow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kalisz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kalisz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Krakow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.