Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Male

For one person, living is cheaper in Male: $1,503 a month against $1,806 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,806

/mo nomad

Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Male

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Krakow versus $1,503 in Male.

Krakow $1,806
Male $1,503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Krakow versus $2,416 in Male.

Krakow $2,604
Male $2,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Krakow versus $3,329 in Male.

Krakow $3,403
Male $3,329

Living in Krakow is roughly 20% more expensive than in Male, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 33% above, Male 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 zł 47.69

$5.82 MVR 89.8

107.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 zł 201

$39.22 MVR 605

29.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 zł 37.09

$9.64 MVR 149

-2.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.81 MVR 74.2

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$4.08 zł 16.15

$3.50 MVR 53.9

16.57%

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

$2.45 zł 9.69

$1.60 MVR 24.74

53.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 zł 9.22

$0.31 MVR 4.85

651.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 zł 17.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 zł 18.31

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 zł 4.39

$2.07 MVR 31.97

-46.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.73

$1.69 MVR 26.03

-14.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.90

$1.20 MVR 18.58

45.00%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 15.12

$1.87 MVR 28.91

104.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 zł 36.58

$10.46 MVR 161

-11.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 zł 30.83

$6.20 MVR 95.6

25.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 zł 52.1

$9.20 MVR 142

43.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 zł 5.05

$3.99 MVR 61.5

-67.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.90

$3.14 MVR 48.37

-44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 zł 7.01

$4.17 MVR 64.3

-57.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 zł 12.26

$2.71 MVR 41.77

14.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.48

$2.09 MVR 32.19

-57.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.84

$1.94 MVR 29.91

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 zł 4.95

$2.16 MVR 33.27

-42.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.08

$0.63 MVR 9.69

23.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.41 MVR 191

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MVR 41.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MVR 30.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.84

$14.69 MVR 227

-57.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 zł 25.61

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.53

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 zł 5.87

$0.63 MVR 9.71

134.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 zł 135

$29.62 MVR 457

15.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.92

$1.93 MVR 29.70

16.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.13

$1.96 MVR 30.19

-46.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 zł 48.87

$10.14 MVR 156

21.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.58

$0.98 MVR 15.05

69.39%

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

$29.8K zł 117.8K

$32.8K MVR 505.8K

-9.28%

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

$29.2K zł 115.5K

$29.9K MVR 461.0K

-2.42%

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

$332 zł 1,314

$118 MVR 1,812

182.62%

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

$8.48 zł 33.54

$29.67 MVR 457

-71.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.59 zł 69.6

$73.0 MVR 1,126

-75.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 zł 177

$69.9 MVR 1,078

-35.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 zł 97.1

$33.50 MVR 517

-26.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 zł 34.31

$9.69 MVR 149

-10.53%

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

$449 zł 1,779

$188 MVR 2,896

139.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,675 zł 38.3K

$2,954 MVR 45.6K

227.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 zł 376

$39.54 MVR 610

140.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 zł 158

$50.1 MVR 773

-20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 354

$85.9 MVR 1,325

4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 zł 478

$52.9 MVR 816

128.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 zł 3,595

$939 MVR 14.5K

-3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 zł 2,864

$686 MVR 10.6K

5.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 zł 5,897

$2,019 MVR 31.1K

-26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 zł 4,721

$1,530 MVR 23.6K

-22.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,323 zł 21.1K

$2,275 MVR 35.1K

134.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,604 zł 14.3K

$1,398 MVR 21.6K

157.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,867 zł 7,388

$833 MVR 12.8K

124.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

-52.71%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 24, 2026

Last update for Male: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$724 40.1%

Male

$686 45.7% 5.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$358 19.8%

Male

$220 14.7% 38.5% $138

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Male

$235 15.7% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Krakow

$224 12.4%

Male

$125 8.3% 44.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.6%

Male

$103 6.8% 33.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Male

$89 5.9% 43.8% $27

Getting Around

Krakow

$48 2.6%

Male

$44 2.9% 7.8% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Krakow and $939 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $51 in Krakow vs $39 in Male. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $235, with Krakow cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇲🇻 Male

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

02:36 2:36 AM

4 h ahead of Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

103,693 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.96 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.17 MVR (100 MVR = 5.83 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Krakow Male 7,130 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Krakow
Male

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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Male wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Male the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Krakow is about 2.2 times higher, 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: $909 in Krakow versus $939 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $449 in Krakow versus $188 in Male. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Male – a meal for two runs $39 versus $51 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Male is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Male are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Male wins on affordability, Krakow on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.