Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Mlava

For one person, living is cheaper in Mlava: $1,401 a month against $1,846 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mlava
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Mlava Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,846

/mo nomad

Mlava

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,401

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Mlava

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Krakow versus $1,401 in Mlava.

Krakow $1,846
Mlava $1,401

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,616 in Krakow versus $1,989 in Mlava.

Krakow $2,616
Mlava $1,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Krakow versus $2,577 in Mlava.

Krakow $3,387
Mlava $2,577

Living in Krakow is roughly 32% more expensive than in Mlava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 36% above, Mlava 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 zł 47.52

$10.04 zł 39.02

21.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 zł 198

$25.85 zł 100

97.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 zł 37.30

$7.68 zł 29.86

25.00%

Cappuccino

$4.11 zł 15.98

$2.50 zł 9.70

64.40%

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

$2.55 zł 9.91

$1.85 zł 7.21

37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 zł 9.43

$1.63 zł 6.34

49.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 zł 18.20

$2.57 zł 10.00

82.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 zł 18.22

$3.73 zł 14.49

25.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.04 zł 4.06

1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.70

$1.66 zł 6.44

-11.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 zł 6.61

$0.91 zł 3.53

86.81%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 14.84

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 zł 36.90

$8.77 zł 34.07

8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 zł 30.99

$7.15 zł 27.77

11.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 zł 52.6

$11.70 zł 45.44

15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 zł 5.13

$1.36 zł 5.27

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.76

$1.68 zł 6.52

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.75

$1.60 zł 6.23

8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 zł 12.32

$3.20 zł 12.42

-0.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 zł 3.63

$0.97 zł 3.78

-3.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.84

$1.36 zł 5.29

-27.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 zł 4.93

$1.10 zł 4.27

15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 zł 3.15

$0.65 zł 2.53

24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 zł 25.23

$4.80 zł 18.66

35.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 zł 24.33

$6.39 zł 24.82

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.60

$1.05 zł 4.07

12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 zł 6.77

$1.41 zł 5.48

23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 zł 5.89

$1.09 zł 4.22

39.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.87 zł 132

$30.12 zł 117

12.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$2.13 zł 8.28

10.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$0.84 zł 3.27

23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.50 zł 48.57

$9.89 zł 38.41

26.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 zł 6.85

$1.60 zł 6.23

10.00%

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

$30.6K zł 118.8K

$30.9K zł 120.1K

-1.08%

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

$29.1K zł 113.1K

$27.7K zł 107.6K

5.11%

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

$333 zł 1,294

$278 zł 1,081

19.67%

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

$8.93 zł 34.69

$6.20 zł 24.09

44.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.43 zł 67.7

$7.53 zł 29.27

131.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.29 zł 176

$37.75 zł 147

19.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.55 zł 95.4

$22.24 zł 86.4

10.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 zł 33.13

$5.06 zł 19.66

68.58%

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

$458 zł 1,780

$328 zł 1,273

39.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,863 zł 38.3K

$5,091 zł 19.8K

93.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 zł 376

$81.4 zł 316

18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 zł 157

$36.08 zł 140

11.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 zł 356

$89.1 zł 346

2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 472

$76.4 zł 297

59.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 zł 3,653

$600 zł 2,332

56.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 zł 2,925

$505 zł 1,961

49.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 zł 5,607

$987 zł 3,833

46.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 zł 4,477

$805 zł 3,130

43.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,535 zł 21.5K

$2,950 zł 11.5K

87.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 zł 13.7K

$2,201 zł 8,550

60.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 zł 7,314

$1,021 zł 3,967

84.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.89

-3.92%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mlava: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$753 40.8%

Mlava

$505 36% 33% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$359 19.5%

Mlava

$292 20.8% 18.7% $67

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$238 12.9%

Mlava

$221 15.8% 7% $17

Eating Out

Krakow

$229 12.4%

Mlava

$168 12% 26.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$158 8.5%

Mlava

$127 9.1% 19.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Mlava

$48 3.4% 23.2% $14

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Mlava

$41 2.9% 14.1% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $940 in Krakow and $600 in Mlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 84% 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: $51.0 in Krakow vs $26.00 in Mlava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $221 per month, with Mlava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Mlava

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

31,130

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Krakow Mlava 340 km

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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 Mlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mlava wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mlava the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 84% 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: $940 in Krakow versus $600 in Mlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mlava – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $51.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,401 in Mlava versus $1,846 in Krakow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mlava but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Mlava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mlava delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,401 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mlava hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Mlava 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 Mlava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.