Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Krakow versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,487 in Krakow versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Krakow versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Krakow costs roughly 21% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 30% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 zł 38.87

$15.91 €13.70

-33.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 zł 201

$64.8 €55.8

-14.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 zł 33.92

$10.51 €9.05

-11.51%

Cappuccino

$4.03 zł 14.71

$2.87 €2.47

40.42%

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

$2.22 zł 8.08

$2.24 €1.93

-0.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 zł 8.10

$1.50 €1.29

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 zł 14.70

$3.49 €3.01

15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 zł 15.16

$3.88 €3.34

7.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.01

$1.14 €0.98

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.27

$1.75 €1.51

-17.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 zł 5.37

$1.76 €1.51

-16.48%

Eggs

$3.75 zł 13.67

$3.22 €2.77

16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 zł 33.00

$13.49 €11.61

-32.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 zł 23.23

$7.91 €6.81

-19.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 zł 42.12

$15.87 €13.67

-27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 zł 4.55

$2.31 €1.99

-45.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 zł 6.62

$1.70 €1.46

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.55

$2.01 €1.73

-10.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 zł 11.42

$2.46 €2.12

27.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 zł 3.82

$1.84 €1.59

-42.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 zł 3.69

$2.00 €1.72

-49.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 zł 4.95

$1.93 €1.66

-29.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 zł 2.42

$0.79 €0.68

-16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 zł 19.99

$6.61 €5.69

-17.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 zł 24.93

$5.72 €4.93

19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 zł 4.50

$1.37 €1.18

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 zł 6.43

$2.97 €2.56

-40.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.02

$2.37 €2.04

-53.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 zł 144

$45.56 €39.22

-13.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 zł 9.14

$4.29 €3.69

-41.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.70

$0.82 €0.70

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 zł 47.07

$18.30 €15.76

-29.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 zł 6.26

$2.06 €1.78

-16.50%

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

$33.0K zł 120.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

-3.74%

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

$31.4K zł 114.4K

$39.3K €33.8K

-20.17%

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

$270 zł 985

$148 €127

82.63%

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

$9.39 zł 34.23

$20.52 €17.67

-54.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.80 zł 61.3

$39.61 €34.10

-57.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 zł 143

$47.85 €41.19

-18.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 zł 83.2

$18.92 €16.29

20.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 zł 29.96

$9.18 €7.91

-10.46%

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

$446 zł 1,626

$614 €529

-27.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K zł 48.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

-17.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 zł 284

$105 €90.1

-25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 zł 163

$42.06 €36.21

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 zł 363

$94.0 €80.9

5.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 407

$120 €103

-6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 zł 3,310

$1,628 €1,401

-44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 zł 2,799

$1,255 €1,081

-38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 zł 5,780

$3,030 €2,609

-47.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 zł 4,335

$2,020 €1,739

-41.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 zł 21.6K

$7,800 €6,715

-24.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 zł 13.9K

$4,273 €3,678

-10.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,961 zł 7,151

$1,603 €1,380

22.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.77

3.81

103.94%

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

Last update for Krakow: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Krakow and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Krakow vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $269 per month, with Krakow 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Krakow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Krakow pays 22% more on average, 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: $908 in Krakow versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Krakow – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,738 in Krakow versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krakow but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Krakow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Krakow delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,738 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Krakow hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Lisbon 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 Krakow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.