Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Suwalki

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwalki: $1,491 a month against $1,784 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Suwalki
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Suwalki Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,784

/mo nomad

Suwalki

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Suwalki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Krakow versus $1,491 in Suwalki.

Krakow $1,784
Suwalki $1,491

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,566 in Krakow versus $2,038 in Suwalki.

Krakow $2,566
Suwalki $2,038

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,348 in Krakow versus $2,585 in Suwalki.

Krakow $3,348
Suwalki $2,585

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 32% above, Suwalki 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.50 zł 44.93

$5.18 zł 20.24

122.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 zł 196

$20.65 zł 80.7

142.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 zł 36.20

$8.94 zł 34.92

3.58%

Cappuccino

$4.21 zł 16.44

$3.29 zł 12.85

27.96%

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

$2.36 zł 9.23

$0.92 zł 3.61

156.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 zł 9.14

$2.19 zł 8.55

6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 zł 17.90

$4.52 zł 17.67

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 zł 17.62

$4.96 zł 19.38

-9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 3.99

$0.97 zł 3.78

5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 zł 5.58

$0.87 zł 3.40

64.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.26

$1.10 zł 4.30

45.45%

Eggs

$3.88 zł 15.15

$2.66 zł 10.40

45.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 zł 36.37

$7.80 zł 30.48

19.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 zł 30.48

$5.21 zł 20.36

49.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 zł 52.5

$6.37 zł 24.90

110.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 zł 5.10

$0.73 zł 2.86

79.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 zł 6.71

$1.68 zł 6.56

2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 7.03

$1.67 zł 6.53

7.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 zł 12.15

$4.03 zł 15.76

-22.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.78

$0.53 zł 2.06

83.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.85

$0.91 zł 3.55

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 zł 5.01

$1.12 zł 4.39

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.05

$0.37 zł 1.43

110.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 zł 24.00

$6.24 zł 24.40

-1.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 zł 24.86

$6.43 zł 25.13

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 zł 4.83

$1.14 zł 4.45

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 zł 6.30

$1.72 zł 6.73

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 zł 5.84

$1.04 zł 4.06

43.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.51 zł 127

$30.22 zł 118

7.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.79

$2.60 zł 10.17

-13.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 zł 3.83

$1.25 zł 4.89

-21.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 zł 49.70

$12.48 zł 48.76

1.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 zł 6.80

$1.70 zł 6.64

2.35%

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

$29.9K zł 116.7K

$30.0K zł 117.3K

-0.46%

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

$28.2K zł 110.0K

$29.9K zł 116.8K

-5.80%

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

$319 zł 1,247

$346 zł 1,352

-7.75%

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

$8.85 zł 34.59

$8.97 zł 35.07

-1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 zł 68.2

$15.78 zł 61.7

10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.45 zł 170

$38.42 zł 150

13.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 zł 95.3

$21.85 zł 85.4

11.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 zł 32.79

$9.05 zł 35.36

-7.29%

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

$436 zł 1,704

$595 zł 2,323

-26.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K zł 49.2K

$14.6K zł 57.1K

-13.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 zł 379

$107 zł 419

-9.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 zł 160

$38.72 zł 151

5.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 349

$105 zł 410

-14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 zł 459

$113 zł 442

3.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 zł 3,589

$592 zł 2,315

55.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 zł 2,822

$528 zł 2,062

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 zł 5,916

$969 zł 3,787

56.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 zł 4,569

$811 zł 3,170

44.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 zł 21.2K

$2,953 zł 11.5K

83.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,560 zł 13.9K

$2,184 zł 8,537

62.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,888 zł 7,376

$1,446 zł 5,652

30.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.69

-1.49%

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

Last update for Krakow: November 1, 2026

Last update for Suwalki: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$722 40.5%

Suwalki

$528 35.4% 26.9% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$345 19.4%

Suwalki

$371 24.9% 7.3% $25

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13.2%

Suwalki

$177 11.9% 24.6% $58

Eating Out

Krakow

$221 12.4%

Suwalki

$153 10.2% 30.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.7%

Suwalki

$164 11% 5.6% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$60 3.4%

Suwalki

$57 3.8% 6.2% $3.7

Getting Around

Krakow

$46 2.6%

Suwalki

$43 2.9% 5.3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $918 in Krakow and $592 in Suwalki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Krakow vs $21 in Suwalki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $177 per month, with Suwalki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Suwalki

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

69,575

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Krakow Suwalki 490 km

From you

Krakow
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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 Suwalki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suwalki wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Suwalki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $918 in Krakow versus $592 in Suwalki. 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 Suwalki – a meal for two runs $21 versus $50 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Suwalki are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Suwalki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.