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: $1,773 in Krakow versus $910 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,539 in Krakow versus $1,340 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Krakow versus $1,771 in Lviv.

Living in Krakow is roughly 95% more expensive than in Lviv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Krakow is 33% above, Lviv is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 zł 41.35

$7.19 ₴321

51.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 zł 204

$29.12 ₴1,299

84.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 zł 36.18

$5.28 ₴236

80.87%

Cappuccino

$3.98 zł 15.08

$1.61 ₴72.0

147.20%

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

$2.21 zł 8.39

$0.65 ₴28.96

240.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 zł 8.58

$0.43 ₴19.17

425.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.16 zł 15.78

$1.31 ₴58.3

217.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 zł 15.32

$1.73 ₴77.4

133.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 zł 4.39

$1.08 ₴48.15

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.50

$0.75 ₴33.24

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 zł 5.53

$1.57 ₴70.1

-7.01%

Eggs

$3.61 zł 13.66

$1.85 ₴82.6

95.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 zł 34.04

$8.36 ₴373

7.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 zł 24.66

$4.31 ₴192

51.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.52 zł 43.65

$7.41 ₴331

55.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 zł 4.74

$0.98 ₴43.53

27.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.60

$1.50 ₴66.8

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.83

$1.66 ₴74.0

8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 zł 11.49

$2.27 ₴101

33.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 zł 3.86

$0.73 ₴32.46

39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 zł 4.01

$0.53 ₴23.65

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 zł 4.94

$1.32 ₴59.0

-1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 zł 2.68

$0.54 ₴24.02

31.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 zł 21.17

$2.48 ₴111

125.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 zł 24.42

$5.97 ₴266

7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 zł 4.67

$0.80 ₴35.79

53.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 zł 6.44

$1.35 ₴60.4

25.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.22

$0.61 ₴27.39

81.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.41 zł 149

$10.03 ₴447

292.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 zł 9.52

$2.81 ₴126

-10.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 zł 3.73

$0.23 ₴10.25

330.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.03 zł 49.38

$4.28 ₴191

204.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.42

$1.38 ₴61.6

22.46%

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

$33.1K zł 125.6K

$30.6K ₴1.4M

8.18%

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

$32.5K zł 123.1K

$22.1K ₴984.0K

47.21%

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

$278 zł 1,055

$86.2 ₴3,846

222.86%

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

$9.20 zł 34.86

$4.98 ₴222

84.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.58 zł 62.8

$6.30 ₴281

163.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.22 zł 145

$26.27 ₴1,172

45.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 zł 84.3

$9.94 ₴444

123.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 zł 30.51

$4.88 ₴218

64.96%

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

$437 zł 1,655

$298 ₴13.3K

46.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K zł 48.8K

$6,144 ₴274.1K

109.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 zł 291

$58.8 ₴2,622

30.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.54 zł 173

$34.75 ₴1,551

31.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 zł 383

$100 ₴4,476

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 zł 428

$88.3 ₴3,940

27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 zł 3,426

$488 ₴21.8K

85.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 zł 2,870

$345 ₴15.4K

119.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 zł 6,067

$815 ₴36.4K

96.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 zł 4,374

$553 ₴24.7K

108.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,725 zł 21.7K

$2,049 ₴91.4K

179.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,721 zł 14.1K

$1,304 ₴58.2K

185.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 zł 7,139

$639 ₴28.5K

194.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.77

13.43

-42.14%

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

Last update for Krakow: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lviv: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $904 in Krakow and $488 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 195% 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 $29.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $166 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 95% 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 195% 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: $904 in Krakow versus $488 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% 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 $29.00 versus $54.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $910 in Lviv versus $1,773 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 $910 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 95% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.