Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Swidnica Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Swidnica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,720 in Krakow versus $1,276 in Swidnica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,522 in Krakow versus $1,910 in Swidnica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Krakow versus $2,543 in Swidnica.

Living in Krakow is roughly 35% more expensive than Swidnica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Krakow is 28% above, Swidnica is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.68 zł 39.05

$8.10 zł 29.60

31.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 zł 201

$26.74 zł 97.7

105.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 zł 35.16

$7.75 zł 28.33

24.13%

Cappuccino

$3.95 zł 14.43

$3.24 zł 11.84

21.91%

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

$2.24 zł 8.18

$1.75 zł 6.39

28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 zł 8.08

$1.41 zł 5.14

56.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.16 zł 15.19

$2.79 zł 10.20

49.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 zł 14.59

$4.01 zł 14.65

-0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 zł 4.24

$1.04 zł 3.79

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 zł 5.22

$1.34 zł 4.90

6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 zł 5.33

$1.43 zł 5.23

2.10%

Eggs

$3.67 zł 13.43

$3.34 zł 12.19

9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 zł 33.93

$9.30 zł 33.99

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 zł 24.32

$6.54 zł 23.90

1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.65 zł 42.59

$12.54 zł 45.82

-7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 zł 4.60

$1.16 zł 4.23

8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.73

$1.76 zł 6.41

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 zł 6.63

$2.07 zł 7.57

-12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 zł 10.99

$3.23 zł 11.81

-6.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 3.80

$1.12 zł 4.10

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 zł 3.71

$1.32 zł 4.81

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 zł 4.93

$1.29 zł 4.70

4.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 zł 2.43

$0.74 zł 2.71

-10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.39 zł 19.71

$5.27 zł 19.25

2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 zł 25.21

$8.23 zł 30.07

-16.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 zł 4.29

$1.32 zł 4.81

-11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 zł 6.40

$2.02 zł 7.38

-13.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 zł 4.09

$1.07 zł 3.92

4.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 zł 149

$32.82 zł 120

23.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 zł 8.86

$2.75 zł 10.05

-12.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 zł 3.76

$0.85 zł 3.10

21.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.71 zł 46.47

$10.93 zł 39.94

16.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 zł 6.15

$1.68 zł 6.13

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

$33.6K zł 122.9K

$33.3K zł 121.6K

1.11%

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

$31.5K zł 115.1K

$30.3K zł 110.8K

3.88%

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

$270 zł 986

$213 zł 779

26.50%

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

$9.32 zł 34.08

$9.85 zł 36.02

-5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.91 zł 61.8

$13.54 zł 49.51

24.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 zł 144

$35.98 zł 132

9.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 zł 81.8

$19.84 zł 72.5

12.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.03 zł 29.33

$7.54 zł 27.55

6.50%

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

$445 zł 1,625

$467 zł 1,707

-4.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K zł 48.6K

$9,245 zł 33.8K

43.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 zł 280

$78.9 zł 288

-3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.87 zł 168

$39.05 zł 143

17.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 zł 372

$90.9 zł 332

12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 zł 408

$97.1 zł 355

14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 zł 3,415

$655 zł 2,395

42.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 zł 2,705

$391 zł 1,427

89.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 zł 5,850

$970 zł 3,546

64.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 zł 4,302

$824 zł 3,011

42.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,972 zł 21.8K

$3,076 zł 11.2K

94.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,887 zł 14.2K

$2,338 zł 8,546

66.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,950 zł 7,129

$1,101 zł 4,023

77.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.77

11.00%

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

Last update for Krakow: June 7, 2026

Last update for Swidnica: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in Krakow and $655 in Swidnica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 77% 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 $27.00 in Swidnica. Groceries flip the comparison at $224 vs $229, with Krakow cheaper for home cooking.

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 Swidnica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swidnica wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Swidnica the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Krakow pays 77% 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: $934 in Krakow versus $655 in Swidnica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Krakow pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Swidnica – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $55.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,276 in Swidnica versus $1,720 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Swidnica but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Swidnica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Swidnica delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,276 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Swidnica hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Swidnica 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 Swidnica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.