Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lublin Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lublin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,943 in Krakow versus $1,568 in Lublin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,761 in Krakow versus $2,181 in Lublin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Krakow versus $2,794 in Lublin.

Living in Krakow is roughly 24% more expensive than in Lublin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 41% above, Lublin 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 zł 47.61

$9.41 zł 34.96

36.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 zł 201

$40.92 zł 152

32.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 zł 35.83

$8.00 zł 29.73

20.63%

Cappuccino

$4.51 zł 16.74

$3.20 zł 11.89

40.94%

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

$2.60 zł 9.66

$2.03 zł 7.54

28.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 zł 9.35

$1.62 zł 6.03

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 zł 18.20

$2.84 zł 10.54

72.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 zł 15.81

$3.27 zł 12.13

30.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 zł 4.35

$1.03 zł 3.83

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 zł 5.99

$1.38 zł 5.13

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 zł 6.76

$1.59 zł 5.90

14.47%

Eggs

$4.10 zł 15.23

$3.60 zł 13.39

13.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 zł 35.58

$9.13 zł 33.91

4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 zł 29.88

$6.90 zł 25.63

16.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.67 zł 50.8

$11.97 zł 44.46

14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 zł 5.21

$1.19 zł 4.44

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.63

$1.80 zł 6.69

-0.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.64

$1.88 zł 6.98

-4.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 zł 12.07

$2.72 zł 10.12

19.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 zł 3.54

$0.98 zł 3.63

-3.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 3.86

$1.13 zł 4.21

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 zł 4.94

$1.44 zł 5.34

-7.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 zł 3.11

$0.71 zł 2.62

18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 zł 24.06

$5.80 zł 21.53

11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 zł 24.39

$6.96 zł 25.84

-5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 zł 4.72

$1.11 zł 4.11

14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.35

$1.79 zł 6.63

-4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 zł 5.88

$1.04 zł 3.87

51.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.11 zł 130

$32.24 zł 120

8.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 zł 8.83

$2.16 zł 8.04

10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 zł 4.08

$0.79 zł 2.92

39.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.44 zł 46.20

$10.61 zł 39.42

17.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 zł 6.07

$1.58 zł 5.88

3.16%

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

$32.7K zł 121.5K

$32.7K zł 121.4K

0.11%

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

$29.8K zł 110.6K

$28.2K zł 104.9K

5.47%

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

$335 zł 1,245

$316 zł 1,175

5.89%

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

$9.40 zł 34.93

$10.30 zł 38.25

-8.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 zł 71.8

$19.13 zł 71.1

0.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 zł 176

$32.72 zł 122

44.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.50 zł 98.4

$24.13 zł 89.7

9.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 zł 33.26

$8.50 zł 31.59

5.29%

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

$476 zł 1,769

$533 zł 1,982

-10.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K zł 38.4K

$5,453 zł 20.3K

89.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 zł 377

$85.6 zł 318

18.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 zł 155

$43.17 zł 160

-3.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 zł 344

$93.6 zł 348

-1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 zł 473

$108 zł 401

18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 zł 3,644

$746 zł 2,772

31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 zł 2,932

$566 zł 2,104

39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 zł 5,592

$856 zł 3,179

75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 zł 4,328

$800 zł 2,973

45.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,819 zł 21.6K

$3,842 zł 14.3K

51.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,745 zł 13.9K

$2,458 zł 9,132

52.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,944 zł 7,223

$1,562 zł 5,803

24.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

7.02

-5.41%

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

Last update for Krakow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lublin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Krakow and $746 in Lublin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 24% 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: $54.0 in Krakow vs $41.00 in Lublin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $223 per month, with Lublin 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 Lublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lublin wins on cost – living expenses run 24% 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 24% 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: $981 in Krakow versus $746 in Lublin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $41.00 versus $54.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,568 in Lublin versus $1,943 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 $1,568 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 24% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.