Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Kielce

For one person, living is cheaper in Kielce: $1,395 a month against $1,806 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Kielce
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Kielce Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,806

/mo nomad

Kielce

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Kielce

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Krakow versus $1,395 in Kielce.

Krakow $1,806
Kielce $1,395

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Krakow versus $1,981 in Kielce.

Krakow $2,604
Kielce $1,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Krakow versus $2,566 in Kielce.

Krakow $3,403
Kielce $2,566

Living in Krakow is roughly 29% more expensive than in Kielce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 33% above, Kielce 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 zł 47.63

$11.22 zł 44.37

7.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 zł 201

$38.60 zł 153

31.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 zł 37.05

$7.54 zł 29.80

24.27%

Cappuccino

$4.08 zł 16.14

$3.08 zł 12.18

32.47%

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

$2.45 zł 9.68

$1.42 zł 5.62

72.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 zł 9.21

$1.13 zł 4.46

106.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 zł 17.61

$3.48 zł 13.75

27.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 zł 18.29

$3.73 zł 14.74

24.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 zł 4.39

$1.06 zł 4.18

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.72

$1.37 zł 5.42

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.89

$1.18 zł 4.65

47.46%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 15.10

$3.12 zł 12.32

22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 zł 36.54

$6.84 zł 27.03

35.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 zł 30.80

$6.60 zł 26.10

18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 zł 52.1

$8.95 zł 35.39

47.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 zł 5.04

$0.95 zł 3.76

34.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.89

$1.58 zł 6.26

10.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 zł 7.00

$1.24 zł 4.89

42.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 zł 12.25

$2.40 zł 9.48

29.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.48

$0.64 zł 2.53

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.84

$0.77 zł 3.05

25.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 zł 4.94

$1.05 zł 4.14

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.08

$0.64 zł 2.55

21.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.81

$5.17 zł 20.43

21.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 zł 25.58

$6.84 zł 27.02

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.65

$1.30 zł 5.13

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.52

$1.42 zł 5.62

16.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 zł 5.86

$1.04 zł 4.11

42.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 zł 135

$30.48 zł 120

11.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.91

$1.75 zł 6.91

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.13

$1.00 zł 3.94

4.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 zł 48.82

$10.99 zł 43.44

12.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.57

$1.59 zł 6.27

4.40%

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

$29.8K zł 117.6K

$30.2K zł 119.3K

-1.43%

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

$29.2K zł 115.3K

$27.1K zł 107.1K

7.68%

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

$332 zł 1,313

$227 zł 898

46.12%

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

$8.48 zł 33.51

$8.01 zł 31.67

5.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.59 zł 69.5

$15.02 zł 59.4

17.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 zł 177

$38.17 zł 151

17.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 zł 96.9

$18.90 zł 74.7

29.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 zł 34.27

$7.40 zł 29.26

17.16%

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

$449 zł 1,777

$264 zł 1,042

70.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,675 zł 38.2K

$7,972 zł 31.5K

21.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 zł 376

$71.2 zł 281

33.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 zł 158

$34.90 zł 138

14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 353

$76.9 zł 304

16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 zł 478

$105 zł 415

15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 zł 3,591

$710 zł 2,807

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 zł 2,861

$545 zł 2,154

32.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 zł 5,891

$977 zł 3,863

52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 zł 4,716

$800 zł 3,163

49.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,323 zł 21.0K

$3,017 zł 11.9K

76.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,604 zł 14.2K

$2,401 zł 9,492

50.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,867 zł 7,380

$1,339 zł 5,293

39.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.42

3.12%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kielce: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$724 40.1%

Kielce

$545 39.1% 24.7% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$358 19.8%

Kielce

$250 17.9% 30.1% $108

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Kielce

$191 13.7% 18.4% $43

Eating Out

Krakow

$224 12.4%

Kielce

$184 13.2% 17.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.6%

Kielce

$130 9.3% 16.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Kielce

$53 3.8% 14.7% $9.1

Getting Around

Krakow

$48 2.6%

Kielce

$41 3% 13% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Krakow and $710 in Kielce. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $51 in Krakow vs $39 in Kielce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $191 per month, with Kielce cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Kielce

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

192,468

💱 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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From you

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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 Kielce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kielce is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $710 in Kielce. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,806 per month in Krakow versus $1,395 in Kielce – Kielce is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kielce runs roughly 11% less than in Krakow. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

Expats usually find Kielce gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.