Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Szczecinek

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecinek: $1,475 a month against $1,806 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Szczecinek
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Szczecinek Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,806

/mo nomad

Szczecinek

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Szczecinek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Krakow versus $1,475 in Szczecinek.

Krakow $1,806
Szczecinek $1,475

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Krakow versus $2,128 in Szczecinek.

Krakow $2,604
Szczecinek $2,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Krakow versus $2,780 in Szczecinek.

Krakow $3,403
Szczecinek $2,780

Living in Krakow is roughly 22% more expensive than in Szczecinek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 33% above, Szczecinek 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 zł 47.63

$11.46 zł 45.32

5.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 zł 201

$43.98 zł 174

15.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 zł 37.05

$8.70 zł 34.38

7.70%

Cappuccino

$4.08 zł 16.14

$3.46 zł 13.66

17.92%

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

$2.45 zł 9.68

$1.10 zł 4.33

122.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 zł 9.21

$0.84 zł 3.32

177.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 zł 17.61

$3.07 zł 12.12

44.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 zł 18.29

$1.44 zł 5.70

221.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 zł 4.39

$0.89 zł 3.51

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.72

$1.19 zł 4.70

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.89

$1.35 zł 5.35

28.89%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 15.10

$3.48 zł 13.77

9.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 zł 36.54

$7.69 zł 30.41

20.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 zł 30.80

$6.10 zł 24.10

27.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 zł 52.1

$12.92 zł 51.1

1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 zł 5.04

$1.23 zł 4.84

4.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.89

$1.12 zł 4.44

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 zł 7.00

$1.64 zł 6.49

7.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 zł 12.25

$2.50 zł 9.90

24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.48

$0.78 zł 3.07

12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.84

$0.78 zł 3.09

24.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 zł 4.94

$1.27 zł 5.01

-1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.08

$0.70 zł 2.77

11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 zł 24.81

$5.73 zł 22.65

9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 zł 25.58

$7.64 zł 30.19

-15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.65

$1.14 zł 4.52

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.52

$1.42 zł 5.60

16.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 zł 5.86

$1.03 zł 4.08

43.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 zł 135

$30.54 zł 121

11.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.91

$2.30 zł 9.08

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 zł 48.82

$11.32 zł 44.74

9.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.57

$1.44 zł 5.69

15.28%

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

$29.8K zł 117.6K

$31.1K zł 122.8K

-4.17%

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

$29.2K zł 115.3K

$28.4K zł 112.2K

2.78%

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

$332 zł 1,313

$295 zł 1,165

12.70%

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

$8.48 zł 33.51

$7.67 zł 30.33

10.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.59 zł 69.5

$18.39 zł 72.7

-4.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 zł 177

$37.56 zł 148

19.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 zł 96.9

$23.63 zł 93.4

3.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 zł 34.27

$7.37 zł 29.14

17.64%

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

$449 zł 1,777

$205 zł 811

118.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,675 zł 38.2K

$7,514 zł 29.7K

28.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 zł 376

$77.6 zł 307

22.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 zł 158

$37.62 zł 149

6.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 353

$84.3 zł 333

6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 zł 478

$109 zł 432

10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 zł 3,591

$541 zł 2,138

67.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 zł 2,861

$530 zł 2,096

36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 zł 5,891

$1,031 zł 4,074

44.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 zł 4,716

$852 zł 3,369

40.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,323 zł 21.0K

$2,714 zł 10.7K

96.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,604 zł 14.2K

$2,178 zł 8,611

65.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,867 zł 7,380

$1,255 zł 4,962

48.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.2

57.62%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 24, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$724 40.1%

Szczecinek

$530 36% 26.7% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$358 19.8%

Szczecinek

$321 21.7% 10.4% $37

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Szczecinek

$206 13.9% 12.3% $29

Eating Out

Krakow

$224 12.4%

Szczecinek

$185 12.6% 17.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.6%

Szczecinek

$139 9.4% 10.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Szczecinek

$52 3.5% 15.8% $9.8

Getting Around

Krakow

$48 2.6%

Szczecinek

$42 2.9% 11.3% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Krakow and $541 in Szczecinek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $51 in Krakow vs $44 in Szczecinek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $206 per month, with Szczecinek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Szczecinek

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

39,705

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szczecinek wins on cost – living expenses run 18% 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.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $909 in Krakow versus $541 in Szczecinek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Szczecinek – a meal for two runs $44 versus $51 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Szczecinek gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Expats usually find Szczecinek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.