Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Katowice

For one person, living is cheaper in Katowice: $1,447 a month against $1,806 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Katowice
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Katowice Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,806

/mo nomad

Katowice

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Katowice

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Krakow versus $1,447 in Katowice.

Krakow $1,806
Katowice $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Krakow versus $2,057 in Katowice.

Krakow $2,604
Katowice $2,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Krakow versus $2,668 in Katowice.

Krakow $3,403
Katowice $2,668

Living in Krakow is roughly 25% more expensive than in Katowice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 33% above, Katowice 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 zł 47.52

$10.16 zł 40.08

18.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 zł 200

$34.95 zł 138

45.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 zł 36.96

$8.73 zł 34.41

7.33%

Cappuccino

$4.08 zł 16.10

$3.51 zł 13.84

16.24%

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

$2.45 zł 9.65

$2.73 zł 10.77

-10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 zł 9.19

$2.61 zł 10.29

-10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 zł 17.57

$3.60 zł 14.18

23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 zł 18.25

$4.51 zł 17.79

2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 zł 4.37

$0.97 zł 3.84

14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.71

$1.25 zł 4.91

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.87

$1.49 zł 5.88

16.78%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 15.07

$3.33 zł 13.13

14.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 zł 36.45

$7.86 zł 30.98

17.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 zł 30.72

$5.46 zł 21.51

42.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 zł 51.9

$13.59 zł 53.6

-3.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 zł 5.03

$1.08 zł 4.26

18.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.88

$1.45 zł 5.72

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 zł 6.98

$1.47 zł 5.79

20.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 zł 12.22

$2.54 zł 10.03

22.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.47

$0.96 zł 3.78

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.83

$0.81 zł 3.19

19.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 zł 4.93

$1.27 zł 5.01

-1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.07

$0.63 zł 2.49

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.75

$5.80 zł 22.89

8.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 zł 25.52

$6.24 zł 24.59

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.64

$1.00 zł 3.94

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.50

$1.61 zł 6.33

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 zł 5.85

$1.14 zł 4.49

29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 zł 135

$30.60 zł 121

11.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.89

$1.82 zł 7.17

23.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.12

$0.69 zł 2.70

50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 zł 48.70

$10.68 zł 42.10

15.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.56

$1.72 zł 6.79

-3.49%

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

$29.8K zł 117.3K

$30.5K zł 120.4K

-2.56%

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

$29.2K zł 115.0K

$27.0K zł 106.6K

7.89%

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

$332 zł 1,310

$283 zł 1,115

17.46%

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

$8.48 zł 33.43

$7.72 zł 30.44

9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.59 zł 69.4

$17.37 zł 68.5

1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 zł 177

$33.83 zł 133

32.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 zł 96.7

$17.76 zł 70.1

38.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 zł 34.19

$7.47 zł 29.45

16.06%

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

$449 zł 1,772

$554 zł 2,186

-18.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,675 zł 38.2K

$12.2K zł 48.0K

-20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 zł 375

$67.4 zł 266

41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 zł 158

$31.10 zł 123

28.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 352

$88.7 zł 350

0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 zł 477

$93.0 zł 367

29.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 zł 3,583

$683 zł 2,694

33.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 zł 2,854

$522 zł 2,060

38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 zł 5,876

$1,008 zł 3,974

47.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 zł 4,705

$829 zł 3,270

43.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,323 zł 21.0K

$3,145 zł 12.4K

69.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,604 zł 14.2K

$2,003 zł 7,899

79.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,867 zł 7,362

$1,752 zł 6,909

6.57%

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 Katowice: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$724 40.1%

Katowice

$522 36.1% 27.8% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$358 19.8%

Katowice

$308 21.3% 14.1% $50

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Katowice

$204 14.1% 13.2% $31

Eating Out

Krakow

$224 12.4%

Katowice

$198 13.7% 11.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.6%

Katowice

$126 8.7% 18.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Katowice

$49 3.4% 21.5% $13

Getting Around

Krakow

$48 2.6%

Katowice

$40 2.8% 15% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Krakow and $683 in Katowice. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 7% 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: $51 in Krakow vs $35 in Katowice for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $204 per month, with Katowice cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Katowice

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

286,960

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Krakow Katowice 68 km

From you

Krakow
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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 Katowice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,806 in Krakow and $1,447 in Katowice, so Katowice is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $909 in Krakow versus $683 in Katowice. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $449 in Krakow versus $554 in Katowice. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Katowice 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 Katowice are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Katowice gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.