Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lviv Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lviv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,943 in Krakow versus $1,048 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,761 in Krakow versus $1,581 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Krakow versus $2,113 in Lviv.

Living in Krakow is roughly 85% more expensive than in Lviv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Krakow is 41% above, Lviv is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 zł 47.88

$6.84 ₴304

87.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 zł 202

$36.16 ₴1,608

49.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 zł 36.04

$6.85 ₴305

40.88%

Cappuccino

$4.51 zł 16.83

$2.15 ₴95.4

109.77%

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

$2.60 zł 9.72

$1.26 ₴56.1

106.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 zł 9.40

$1.32 ₴58.7

90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 zł 18.30

$2.48 ₴110

97.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 zł 15.90

$3.08 ₴137

38.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 zł 4.38

$1.23 ₴54.8

-4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 zł 6.02

$0.85 ₴37.97

89.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 zł 6.80

$1.75 ₴77.9

4.00%

Eggs

$4.10 zł 15.32

$2.15 ₴95.6

90.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 zł 35.78

$9.01 ₴400

6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 zł 30.05

$4.74 ₴211

69.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.67 zł 51.1

$7.82 ₴347

74.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 zł 5.24

$1.35 ₴59.8

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.67

$1.65 ₴73.3

8.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.68

$1.84 ₴81.6

-2.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 zł 12.13

$2.72 ₴121

19.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 zł 3.56

$0.80 ₴35.48

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 3.88

$0.52 ₴23.00

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 zł 4.97

$1.35 ₴59.9

-1.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 zł 3.12

$0.52 ₴23.25

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 zł 24.20

$3.07 ₴137

111.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 zł 24.52

$6.34 ₴282

3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 zł 4.75

$0.93 ₴41.39

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.38

$1.52 ₴67.7

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 zł 5.91

$0.58 ₴25.65

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.11 zł 131

$20.30 ₴903

72.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 zł 8.88

$2.99 ₴133

-20.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 zł 4.10

$0.32 ₴14.41

243.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.44 zł 46.47

$4.36 ₴194

185.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 zł 6.10

$1.62 ₴72.2

0.62%

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

$32.7K zł 122.2K

$30.0K ₴1.3M

9.05%

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

$29.8K zł 111.3K

$25.5K ₴1.1M

16.84%

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

$335 zł 1,252

$86.5 ₴3,847

287.16%

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

$9.40 zł 35.13

$6.09 ₴271

54.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 zł 72.2

$7.51 ₴334

157.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 zł 177

$31.71 ₴1,410

49.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.50 zł 99.0

$14.24 ₴633

86.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 zł 33.45

$4.80 ₴213

86.46%

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

$476 zł 1,779

$333 ₴14.8K

42.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K zł 38.6K

$7,191 ₴319.7K

43.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 zł 379

$83.1 ₴3,693

22.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 zł 156

$43.94 ₴1,953

-4.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 zł 346

$98.3 ₴4,371

-5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 zł 476

$101 ₴4,492

25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 zł 3,665

$507 ₴22.5K

93.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 zł 2,948

$417 ₴18.5K

89.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 zł 5,624

$933 ₴41.5K

61.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 zł 4,353

$614 ₴27.3K

89.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,819 zł 21.7K

$2,046 ₴90.9K

184.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,745 zł 14.0K

$1,268 ₴56.4K

195.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,944 zł 7,264

$646 ₴28.7K

201.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

13.33

-50.19%

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

Last update for Krakow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lviv: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Krakow and $507 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 201% 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 $36.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $184 per month, with Lviv 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 Lviv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lviv wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lviv the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 201% 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 $507 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lviv – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $54.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,048 in Lviv versus $1,943 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lviv but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Lviv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lviv delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,048 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lviv hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Lviv 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 Lviv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.