Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Szczecinek Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Szczecinek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Krakow versus $1,539 in Szczecinek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,487 in Krakow versus $2,179 in Szczecinek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Krakow versus $2,820 in Szczecinek.

Living in Krakow is roughly 13% more expensive than Szczecinek, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 30% above, Szczecinek 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 zł 38.87

$10.66 zł 38.85

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 zł 201

$24.71 zł 90.1

123.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 zł 33.92

$9.21 zł 33.58

0.98%

Cappuccino

$4.03 zł 14.71

$3.69 zł 13.44

9.21%

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

$2.22 zł 8.08

$1.04 zł 3.80

113.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 zł 8.10

$0.70 zł 2.54

217.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 zł 14.70

$4.19 zł 15.28

-3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 zł 15.16

$1.53 zł 5.60

171.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.01

$1.11 zł 4.04

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.27

$1.06 zł 3.86

36.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 zł 5.37

$1.55 zł 5.63

-5.16%

Eggs

$3.75 zł 13.67

$3.40 zł 12.41

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 zł 33.00

$8.33 zł 30.39

8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 zł 23.23

$7.51 zł 27.38

-15.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 zł 42.12

$12.79 zł 46.63

-9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 zł 4.55

$1.02 zł 3.72

22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 zł 6.62

$1.98 zł 7.21

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.55

$1.94 zł 7.09

-7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 zł 11.42

$3.07 zł 11.18

1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 zł 3.82

$0.93 zł 3.38

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 zł 3.69

$0.70 zł 2.55

44.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 zł 4.95

$1.55 zł 5.66

-12.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 zł 2.42

$0.69 zł 2.53

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 zł 19.99

$5.43 zł 19.80

0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 zł 24.93

$8.48 zł 30.93

-19.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 zł 4.50

$1.11 zł 4.07

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 zł 6.43

$1.60 zł 5.82

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.02

$1.11 zł 4.05

-0.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 zł 144

$32.71 zł 119

20.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 zł 9.14

$2.37 zł 8.63

5.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.70

$0.77 zł 2.82

32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 zł 47.07

$13.61 zł 49.62

-5.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 zł 6.26

$1.76 zł 6.42

-2.27%

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

$33.0K zł 120.3K

$34.3K zł 124.9K

-3.69%

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

$31.4K zł 114.4K

$30.2K zł 109.9K

4.03%

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

$270 zł 985

$361 zł 1,318

-25.28%

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

$9.39 zł 34.23

$11.75 zł 42.83

-20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.80 zł 61.3

$15.59 zł 56.8

7.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 zł 143

$37.01 zł 135

6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 zł 83.2

$19.41 zł 70.8

17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 zł 29.96

$7.54 zł 27.51

9.02%

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

$446 zł 1,626

$377 zł 1,373

18.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K zł 48.5K

$6,552 zł 23.9K

103.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 zł 284

$122 zł 445

-36.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 zł 163

$46.47 zł 169

-3.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 zł 363

$110 zł 400

-9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 407

$90.2 zł 329

23.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 zł 3,310

$505 zł 1,843

79.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 zł 2,799

$494 zł 1,803

55.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 zł 5,780

$962 zł 3,506

64.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 zł 4,335

$807 zł 2,944

47.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 zł 21.6K

$2,673 zł 9,747

121.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 zł 13.9K

$2,552 zł 9,307

49.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,961 zł 7,151

$1,354 zł 4,938

44.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.77

4.2

85.00%

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

Last update for Krakow: June 2, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Krakow and $505 in Szczecinek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 45% 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 $25.00 in Szczecinek. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $227, 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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szczecinek wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Szczecinek the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Krakow pays 45% 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: $908 in Krakow versus $505 in Szczecinek. 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 Szczecinek – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $55.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,539 in Szczecinek versus $1,738 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Szczecinek but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecinek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Szczecinek delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,539 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Szczecinek hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.