Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Lublin: $1,480 a month against $1,846 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Lublin
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Lublin Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,846

/mo nomad

Lublin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Lublin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Krakow versus $1,480 in Lublin.

Krakow $1,846
Lublin $1,480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,616 in Krakow versus $2,070 in Lublin.

Krakow $2,616
Lublin $2,070

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Krakow versus $2,660 in Lublin.

Krakow $3,387
Lublin $2,660

Living in Krakow is roughly 25% more expensive than in Lublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 36% above, Lublin 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 zł 47.52

$8.77 zł 34.08

39.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 zł 198

$39.10 zł 152

30.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 zł 37.30

$7.50 zł 29.14

28.00%

Cappuccino

$4.11 zł 15.98

$3.06 zł 11.89

34.31%

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

$2.55 zł 9.91

$2.00 zł 7.78

27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 zł 9.43

$1.51 zł 5.89

60.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 zł 18.20

$2.62 zł 10.18

78.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 zł 18.22

$3.25 zł 12.64

44.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.03 zł 3.98

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.70

$1.26 zł 4.91

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 zł 6.61

$1.55 zł 6.01

9.68%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 14.84

$3.31 zł 12.86

15.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 zł 36.90

$8.50 zł 33.04

11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 zł 30.99

$6.54 zł 25.39

22.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 zł 52.6

$11.47 zł 44.56

17.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 zł 5.13

$1.21 zł 4.69

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.76

$1.72 zł 6.68

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.75

$1.80 zł 6.99

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 zł 12.32

$2.48 zł 9.62

27.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 zł 3.63

$0.91 zł 3.53

3.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.84

$1.06 zł 4.12

-6.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 zł 4.93

$1.36 zł 5.27

-6.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 zł 3.15

$0.73 zł 2.84

10.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 zł 25.23

$5.69 zł 22.09

14.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 zł 24.33

$6.84 zł 26.59

-8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.60

$1.10 zł 4.29

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 zł 6.77

$1.76 zł 6.84

-1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 zł 5.89

$1.01 zł 3.93

50.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.87 zł 132

$30.68 zł 119

10.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$2.07 zł 8.03

13.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$0.74 zł 2.89

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.50 zł 48.57

$9.86 zł 38.33

26.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 zł 6.85

$1.61 zł 6.27

9.32%

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

$30.6K zł 118.8K

$30.5K zł 118.4K

0.35%

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

$29.1K zł 113.1K

$28.2K zł 109.4K

3.37%

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

$333 zł 1,294

$304 zł 1,182

9.39%

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

$8.93 zł 34.69

$9.62 zł 37.39

-7.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.43 zł 67.7

$18.42 zł 71.6

-5.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.29 zł 176

$31.02 zł 121

46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.55 zł 95.4

$23.74 zł 92.3

3.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 zł 33.13

$8.33 zł 32.38

2.40%

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

$458 zł 1,780

$514 zł 1,996

-10.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,863 zł 38.3K

$5,132 zł 19.9K

92.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 zł 376

$84.1 zł 327

15.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 zł 157

$41.26 zł 160

-2.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 zł 356

$88.7 zł 345

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 472

$103 zł 402

17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 zł 3,653

$691 zł 2,685

36.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 zł 2,925

$540 zł 2,100

39.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 zł 5,607

$818 zł 3,177

76.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 zł 4,477

$780 zł 3,032

47.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,535 zł 21.5K

$3,612 zł 14.0K

53.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 zł 13.7K

$2,337 zł 9,079

50.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 zł 7,314

$1,470 zł 5,710

28.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

7.02

-5.70%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lublin: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$753 40.8%

Lublin

$540 36.5% 28.2% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$359 19.5%

Lublin

$332 22.5% 7.5% $27

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$238 12.9%

Lublin

$213 14.4% 10.5% $25

Eating Out

Krakow

$229 12.4%

Lublin

$163 11% 28.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$158 8.5%

Lublin

$143 9.7% 9.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Lublin

$48 3.2% 23.5% $15

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Lublin

$41 2.7% 14.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $940 in Krakow and $691 in Lublin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 28% 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: $51.0 in Krakow vs $39.00 in Lublin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $213 per month, with Lublin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Lublin

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

337,788

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Krakow Lublin 220 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 Lublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lublin wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lublin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $940 in Krakow versus $691 in Lublin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lublin – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $51.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,480 in Lublin versus $1,846 in Krakow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lublin but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Lublin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lublin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,480 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lublin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Lublin 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 Lublin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.