Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Warsaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Krakow: $1,811 a month against $2,045 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,811

/mo nomad

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Warsaw

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,811 in Krakow versus $2,045 in Warsaw.

Krakow $1,811
Warsaw $2,045

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,597 in Krakow versus $2,944 in Warsaw.

Krakow $2,597
Warsaw $2,944

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Krakow versus $3,843 in Warsaw.

Krakow $3,383
Warsaw $3,843

Living in Krakow costs roughly 11% less than in Warsaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 35% above, Warsaw 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 zł 46.38

$11.46 zł 44.74

3.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 zł 196

$61.2 zł 239

-18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 zł 38.86

$10.40 zł 40.58

-4.23%

Cappuccino

$4.12 zł 16.06

$4.36 zł 17.03

-5.50%

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

$2.57 zł 10.04

$2.22 zł 8.65

15.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 zł 9.51

$2.24 zł 8.73

8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 zł 17.85

$4.67 zł 18.24

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 zł 17.81

$5.20 zł 20.28

-12.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.05 zł 4.11

0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 zł 5.73

$1.54 zł 6.00

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.61

$1.58 zł 6.15

6.96%

Eggs

$3.95 zł 15.40

$3.81 zł 14.88

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 zł 36.31

$8.71 zł 34.00

6.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 zł 30.24

$6.49 zł 25.34

19.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 zł 51.5

$14.86 zł 58.0

-11.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.22

$1.20 zł 4.70

11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.61

$1.67 zł 6.51

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.85

$1.64 zł 6.38

7.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 zł 11.93

$4.25 zł 16.58

-28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 zł 3.61

$0.92 zł 3.60

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.82

$0.87 zł 3.40

12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 zł 4.80

$1.48 zł 5.77

-16.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 zł 3.13

$0.64 zł 2.51

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 zł 24.29

$6.37 zł 24.86

-2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 zł 24.57

$6.37 zł 24.84

-1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 zł 4.62

$1.09 zł 4.25

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 zł 6.89

$1.63 zł 6.37

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 zł 5.85

$1.12 zł 4.35

33.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.54 zł 131

$28.30 zł 110

18.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 zł 8.89

$2.63 zł 10.24

-13.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 zł 3.88

$1.26 zł 4.93

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.22 zł 47.70

$12.86 zł 50.2

-4.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 zł 6.61

$1.70 zł 6.64

-0.59%

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

$30.4K zł 118.8K

$30.2K zł 118.0K

0.72%

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

$28.9K zł 112.7K

$29.7K zł 116.1K

-2.86%

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

$333 zł 1,299

$352 zł 1,375

-5.49%

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

$8.71 zł 33.98

$9.15 zł 35.71

-4.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 zł 67.6

$16.14 zł 63.0

7.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.70 zł 178

$45.94 zł 179

-0.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 zł 98.0

$28.38 zł 111

-11.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 zł 33.90

$8.95 zł 34.93

-2.91%

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

$463 zł 1,805

$600 zł 2,339

-22.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,594 zł 37.4K

$14.3K zł 55.7K

-32.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 zł 387

$112 zł 436

-11.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 zł 157

$41.03 zł 160

-1.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 zł 352

$107 zł 418

-15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 zł 464

$110 zł 431

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 zł 3,692

$1,177 zł 4,594

-19.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 zł 2,800

$977 zł 3,812

-26.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 zł 5,620

$2,096 zł 8,181

-31.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,432

$1,580 zł 6,166

-28.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,602 zł 21.9K

$5,960 zł 23.3K

-6.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 zł 13.8K

$3,860 zł 15.1K

-8.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,855 zł 7,238

$2,096 zł 8,178

-11.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

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

Last update for Krakow: October 3, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$717 39.8%

Warsaw

$977 46.8% 36.2% $259

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$359 19.9%

Warsaw

$378 18.1% 5.2% $19

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13%

Warsaw

$234 11.2% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Krakow

$226 12.6%

Warsaw

$227 10.9% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$157 8.7%

Warsaw

$167 8% 6.3% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$63 3.5%

Warsaw

$64 3.1% 1.2% $0.8

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Warsaw

$42 2% 10.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Krakow and $1,177 in Warsaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 13% 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: $50.0 in Krakow vs $61.0 in Warsaw. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $234, with Warsaw cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

1,861,599 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 13% 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, salaries run 13% lower in Warsaw. 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: $946 in Krakow versus $1,177 in Warsaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Warsaw pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Krakow – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $61.0 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,811 in Krakow versus $2,045 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 $1,811 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 13% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.