Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Nowy Sacz

For one person, living is cheaper in Nowy Sacz: $1,302 a month against $1,815 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Krakow
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,815
/mo nomad
Nowy Sacz
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,302
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Nowy Sacz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,815 in Krakow versus $1,302 in Nowy Sacz.

  • Krakow $1,815
  • Nowy Sacz $1,302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,587 in Krakow versus $1,984 in Nowy Sacz.

  • Krakow $2,587
  • Nowy Sacz $1,984

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,359 in Krakow versus $2,666 in Nowy Sacz.

  • Krakow $3,359
  • Nowy Sacz $2,666

Living in Krakow is roughly 39% more expensive than in Nowy Sacz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Krakow is 34% above, Nowy Sacz is 4% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.83 zł 45.95
$8.66 zł 33.65
36.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.5 zł 196
$38.46 zł 149
31.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.81 zł 38.12
$7.80 zł 30.31
25.77%
Cappuccino
$4.22 zł 16.40
$2.98 zł 11.57
41.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 zł 10.06
$1.92 zł 7.45
34.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 zł 9.12
$1.54 zł 5.99
52.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.63 zł 17.98
$2.74 zł 10.65
68.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.72 zł 18.32
$3.25 zł 12.64
45.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 zł 4.14
$1.02 zł 3.98
4.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 zł 5.84
$1.31 zł 5.07
14.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 zł 6.83
$1.54 zł 5.97
14.29%
Eggs
$3.90 zł 15.13
$3.31 zł 12.86
17.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.40 zł 36.53
$8.53 zł 33.13
10.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.87 zł 30.57
$6.56 zł 25.47
19.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.41 zł 52.1
$11.37 zł 44.16
17.94%
Apples (1kg)
$1.34 zł 5.20
$1.18 zł 4.60
13.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 zł 6.56
$1.72 zł 6.68
-1.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.80 zł 6.98
$1.73 zł 6.72
4.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 zł 11.93
$2.55 zł 9.93
20.39%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 zł 3.40
$0.93 zł 3.62
-5.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 zł 3.98
$1.04 zł 4.05
-1.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 zł 4.70
$1.39 zł 5.41
-12.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 zł 3.12
$0.73 zł 2.85
9.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.24 zł 24.24
$4.81 zł 18.70
29.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 zł 24.86
$6.45 zł 25.08
-0.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 zł 4.70
$1.06 zł 4.13
14.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 zł 6.49
$1.75 zł 6.82
-4.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 zł 6.10
$0.93 zł 3.63
68.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.06 zł 128
$28.06 zł 109
17.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.22 zł 8.63
$2.00 zł 7.76
11.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 zł 3.91
$0.79 zł 3.09
27.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.48 zł 48.51
$9.75 zł 37.89
28.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.67 zł 6.49
$1.66 zł 6.43
0.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K zł 119.3K
$30.6K zł 118.8K
0.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K zł 111.2K
$26.4K zł 102.5K
8.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$325 zł 1,261
$295 zł 1,145
10.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.70 zł 33.80
$9.54 zł 37.08
-8.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.84 zł 69.3
$12.80 zł 49.73
39.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.16 zł 175
$32.47 zł 126
39.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.28 zł 94.3
$20.48 zł 79.6
18.55%
Cinema Ticket
$8.57 zł 33.29
$7.91 zł 30.73
8.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 zł 1,799
$251 zł 976
84.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,760 zł 37.9K
$2,095 zł 8,138
365.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.7 zł 376
$56.2 zł 219
71.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.10 zł 156
$37.64 zł 146
6.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 zł 346
$55.5 zł 216
60.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 zł 473
$72.3 zł 281
68.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$937 zł 3,642
$516 zł 2,003
81.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$735 zł 2,854
$425 zł 1,652
72.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,477 zł 5,738
$1,064 zł 4,133
38.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 zł 4,456
$912 zł 3,542
25.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,395 zł 21.0K
$1,912 zł 7,428
182.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,529 zł 13.7K
$1,126 zł 4,376
213.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Krakow
Nowy Sacz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,894 zł 7,360
$917 zł 3,562
106.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
7.02
-5.70%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nowy Sacz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Krakow
$735
Nowy Sacz
$425 42.1% $309
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Krakow
$351
Nowy Sacz
$317 9.7% $34
Groceries & Markets
Krakow
$237
Nowy Sacz
$212 10.4% $25
Eating Out
Krakow
$227
Nowy Sacz
$162 28.4% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Krakow
$156
Nowy Sacz
$100 36.2% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Krakow
$62
Nowy Sacz
$48 22.5% $14
Getting Around
Krakow
$47
Nowy Sacz
$38 19% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $937 in Krakow and $516 in Nowy Sacz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 107% 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: $50.0 in Krakow vs $38.00 in Nowy Sacz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $212 per month, with Nowy Sacz cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Krakow
🇵🇱 Nowy Sacz
🕒 Local time
14:34 2:34 PM
14:34 2:34 PM
Same time as Krakow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
806,201
83,943
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Krakow Nowy Sacz 73 km
From you
  • Krakow
  • Nowy Sacz

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 Nowy Sacz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Krakow or Nowy Sacz?
Nowy Sacz wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nowy Sacz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Krakow or in Nowy Sacz?
Average pay runs 107% higher in Krakow, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Krakow compared to Nowy Sacz?
Rent for a central apartment: $937 in Krakow versus $516 in Nowy Sacz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Krakow or in Nowy Sacz?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Krakow and in Nowy Sacz?
Dining out is cheaper in Nowy Sacz – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $50.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Krakow or in Nowy Sacz?
At $1,302 in Nowy Sacz versus $1,815 in Krakow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nowy Sacz but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Nowy Sacz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Krakow or Nowy Sacz?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nowy Sacz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,302 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nowy Sacz hard to pass up.
How safe is Krakow compared to Nowy Sacz?
Safety-wise, Krakow and Nowy Sacz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nowy Sacz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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