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: $1,738 in Krakow versus $910 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,487 in Krakow versus $1,366 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Krakow versus $1,823 in Lviv.

Living in Krakow is roughly 91% more expensive than Lviv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Krakow is 30% above, Lviv is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 zł 38.85

$7.36 ₴326

44.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 zł 201

$28.54 ₴1,264

93.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 zł 33.91

$5.36 ₴237

73.51%

Cappuccino

$4.03 zł 14.71

$1.56 ₴68.9

158.33%

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

$2.22 zł 8.08

$0.59 ₴26.29

276.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 zł 8.10

$0.43 ₴18.96

416.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 zł 14.69

$1.36 ₴60.3

196.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 zł 15.15

$1.73 ₴76.5

140.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.01

$1.07 ₴47.35

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.27

$0.72 ₴31.99

101.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 zł 5.37

$1.57 ₴69.6

-6.37%

Eggs

$3.75 zł 13.66

$1.81 ₴80.2

107.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 zł 32.99

$8.30 ₴368

9.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 zł 23.23

$4.23 ₴187

50.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 zł 42.11

$7.41 ₴328

55.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 zł 4.54

$0.92 ₴40.85

35.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 zł 6.61

$1.45 ₴64.2

24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.54

$1.59 ₴70.6

13.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 zł 11.41

$2.18 ₴96.6

43.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 zł 3.82

$0.71 ₴31.57

47.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 zł 3.69

$0.57 ₴25.29

77.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 zł 4.95

$1.27 ₴56.4

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 zł 2.42

$0.53 ₴23.66

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 zł 19.98

$2.52 ₴112

117.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 zł 24.92

$6.07 ₴269

12.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 zł 4.49

$0.77 ₴34.06

59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 zł 6.43

$1.36 ₴60.2

29.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.02

$0.57 ₴25.29

92.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 zł 144

$9.96 ₴441

296.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 zł 9.14

$2.86 ₴126

-12.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.70

$0.23 ₴10.13

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 zł 47.05

$4.25 ₴188

203.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 zł 6.25

$1.40 ₴62.0

22.86%

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

$33.0K zł 120.3K

$30.9K ₴1.4M

6.77%

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

$31.4K zł 114.3K

$22.5K ₴994.7K

39.71%

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

$270 zł 984

$85.6 ₴3,793

215.42%

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

$9.39 zł 34.22

$5.03 ₴223

86.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.80 zł 61.2

$6.20 ₴275

170.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 zł 143

$26.97 ₴1,195

45.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 zł 83.2

$9.86 ₴437

131.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 zł 29.95

$4.76 ₴211

72.69%

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

$446 zł 1,626

$294 ₴13.0K

51.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K zł 48.5K

$6,266 ₴277.6K

112.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 zł 283

$59.5 ₴2,636

30.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 zł 163

$34.79 ₴1,541

28.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 zł 363

$98.5 ₴4,364

0.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 406

$89.1 ₴3,948

25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 zł 3,308

$476 ₴21.1K

90.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 zł 2,799

$344 ₴15.2K

123.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 zł 5,778

$819 ₴36.3K

93.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 zł 4,333

$542 ₴24.0K

119.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 zł 21.6K

$2,003 ₴88.7K

195.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 zł 13.9K

$1,267 ₴56.2K

200.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,961 zł 7,148

$623 ₴27.6K

214.64%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lviv: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Krakow and $476 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 215% 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: $55.0 in Krakow vs $29.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $164 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 91% 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.

Krakow pays 215% 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 $476 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $55.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $910 in Lviv versus $1,738 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 91% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.