Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Warsaw Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Warsaw

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Krakow versus $2,040 in Warsaw.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,487 in Krakow versus $2,889 in Warsaw.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Krakow versus $3,737 in Warsaw.

Living in Krakow costs roughly 15% less than in Warsaw, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 30% above, Warsaw 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 zł 38.87

$11.04 zł 40.27

-3.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 zł 201

$58.1 zł 212

-5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 zł 33.92

$9.74 zł 35.52

-4.52%

Cappuccino

$4.03 zł 14.71

$4.29 zł 15.64

-6.06%

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

$2.22 zł 8.08

$2.11 zł 7.70

5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 zł 8.10

$1.81 zł 6.62

22.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 zł 14.70

$4.45 zł 16.23

-9.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 zł 15.16

$4.68 zł 17.08

-11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.01

$1.15 zł 4.20

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.27

$1.36 zł 4.97

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 zł 5.37

$1.84 zł 6.70

-20.11%

Eggs

$3.75 zł 13.67

$3.63 zł 13.24

3.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 zł 33.00

$10.11 zł 36.87

-10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 zł 23.23

$6.98 zł 25.45

-8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 zł 42.12

$14.55 zł 53.1

-20.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 zł 4.55

$1.29 zł 4.71

-3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 zł 6.62

$1.79 zł 6.51

1.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.55

$1.94 zł 7.06

-7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 zł 11.42

$3.62 zł 13.21

-13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 zł 3.82

$1.06 zł 3.86

-0.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 zł 3.69

$1.18 zł 4.29

-14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 zł 4.95

$1.44 zł 5.25

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 zł 2.42

$0.67 zł 2.43

-1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 zł 19.99

$5.29 zł 19.30

3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 zł 24.93

$8.29 zł 30.24

-17.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 zł 4.50

$1.43 zł 5.20

-13.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 zł 6.43

$1.88 zł 6.86

-6.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.02

$1.16 zł 4.23

-5.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 zł 144

$29.77 zł 109

32.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 zł 9.14

$2.63 zł 9.60

-4.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.70

$0.98 zł 3.56

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 zł 47.07

$13.42 zł 48.95

-3.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 zł 6.26

$1.71 zł 6.23

0.58%

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

$33.0K zł 120.3K

$33.4K zł 121.8K

-1.20%

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

$31.4K zł 114.4K

$33.6K zł 122.5K

-6.64%

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

$270 zł 985

$357 zł 1,302

-24.40%

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

$9.39 zł 34.23

$10.03 zł 36.58

-6.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.80 zł 61.3

$17.56 zł 64.0

-4.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 zł 143

$44.87 zł 164

-12.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 zł 83.2

$29.23 zł 107

-21.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 zł 29.96

$9.70 zł 35.36

-15.26%

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

$446 zł 1,626

$580 zł 2,114

-23.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K zł 48.5K

$15.7K zł 57.1K

-15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 zł 284

$99.2 zł 362

-21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 zł 163

$46.99 zł 171

-4.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 zł 363

$92.5 zł 337

7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 407

$111 zł 404

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 zł 3,310

$1,161 zł 4,233

-21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 zł 2,799

$890 zł 3,244

-13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 zł 5,780

$2,033 zł 7,414

-22.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 zł 4,335

$1,526 zł 5,566

-22.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 zł 21.6K

$6,283 zł 22.9K

-5.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 zł 13.9K

$4,074 zł 14.9K

-6.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,961 zł 7,151

$2,228 zł 8,126

-12.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.77

7.55

2.91%

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

Last update for Krakow: June 2, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Krakow and $1,161 in Warsaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 14% 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 $58.0 in Warsaw for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $246 per month, with Krakow 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 Warsaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Warsaw. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Krakow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Warsaw earns 14% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $908 in Krakow versus $1,161 in Warsaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Warsaw. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Krakow – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $58.0 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,738 in Krakow versus $2,040 in Warsaw, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krakow but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Krakow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Krakow delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,738 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Krakow hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Warsaw 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 Krakow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.