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: $1,888 in Krakow versus $1,266 in Swidnica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Krakow versus $2,007 in Swidnica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,553 in Krakow versus $2,748 in Swidnica.

Living in Krakow is roughly 49% more expensive than in Swidnica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Krakow is 37% above, Swidnica is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 zł 48.60

$7.92 zł 29.48

64.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 zł 205

$26.57 zł 99.0

107.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 zł 36.30

$7.36 zł 27.42

32.47%

Cappuccino

$4.37 zł 16.28

$3.31 zł 12.31

32.02%

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

$2.59 zł 9.63

$2.26 zł 8.41

14.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 zł 9.75

$1.97 zł 7.34

32.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 zł 17.70

$2.60 zł 9.69

82.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 zł 15.83

$5.39 zł 20.05

-21.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 zł 4.41

$1.13 zł 4.19

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 zł 6.00

$1.60 zł 5.94

0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.85

$1.51 zł 5.62

21.85%

Eggs

$4.01 zł 14.93

$4.23 zł 15.74

-5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 zł 37.63

$9.69 zł 36.08

4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 zł 30.42

$7.23 zł 26.93

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 zł 52.7

$12.30 zł 45.79

15.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 zł 5.05

$1.31 zł 4.88

3.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.70

$1.65 zł 6.15

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 zł 7.05

$1.72 zł 6.40

9.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 zł 11.96

$3.54 zł 13.17

-9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.60

$1.03 zł 3.82

-5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 zł 4.07

$0.80 zł 2.98

36.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 zł 4.97

$1.53 zł 5.68

-13.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 zł 3.23

$0.69 zł 2.58

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 zł 25.35

$6.33 zł 23.56

7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 zł 25.81

$8.01 zł 29.84

-13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 zł 4.76

$1.22 zł 4.55

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 zł 6.64

$1.85 zł 6.88

-3.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 zł 6.09

$1.10 zł 4.10

49.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.41 zł 132

$30.83 zł 115

14.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 zł 8.92

$2.73 zł 10.15

-12.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 zł 4.13

$1.02 zł 3.82

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.66 zł 47.15

$10.86 zł 40.43

16.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 zł 6.34

$1.64 zł 6.10

3.66%

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

$32.3K zł 120.3K

$32.4K zł 120.7K

-0.30%

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

$29.8K zł 110.9K

$31.1K zł 116.0K

-4.37%

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

$341 zł 1,270

$216 zł 805

57.88%

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

$9.12 zł 33.96

$10.39 zł 38.68

-12.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.14 zł 71.3

$13.44 zł 50.1

42.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.99 zł 175

$39.55 zł 147

18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.87 zł 96.3

$23.37 zł 87.0

10.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 zł 34.33

$7.66 zł 28.51

20.37%

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

$474 zł 1,764

$512 zł 1,908

-7.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K zł 37.5K

$12.5K zł 46.4K

-19.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 zł 381

$98.0 zł 365

4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 zł 152

$41.97 zł 156

-2.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 zł 349

$98.3 zł 366

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 zł 479

$111 zł 415

15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 zł 3,640

$641 zł 2,388

52.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 zł 2,926

$391 zł 1,454

101.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 zł 5,811

$1,030 zł 3,834

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 zł 4,337

$876 zł 3,263

32.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,794 zł 21.6K

$2,992 zł 11.1K

93.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,789 zł 14.1K

$2,357 zł 8,776

60.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,011 zł 7,487

$1,058 zł 3,938

90.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

-5.14%

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

Last update for Krakow: September 6, 2026

Last update for Swidnica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Krakow and $641 in Swidnica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 90% 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $238 per month, with Swidnica cheaper across the board.

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 49% 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.

Average pay runs 90% 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: $978 in Krakow versus $641 in Swidnica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $1,266 in Swidnica versus $1,888 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 $1,266 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 49% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.