Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Warsaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Krakow: $1,815 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Warsaw outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,815

/mo nomad

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/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: $1,815 in Krakow versus $2,032 in Warsaw.

Krakow $1,815
Warsaw $2,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,587 in Krakow versus $2,918 in Warsaw.

Krakow $2,587
Warsaw $2,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,359 in Krakow versus $3,804 in Warsaw.

Krakow $3,359
Warsaw $3,804

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 34% above, Warsaw 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 zł 45.95

$11.51 zł 44.72

2.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 zł 196

$60.6 zł 236

-16.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 zł 38.12

$10.00 zł 38.87

-1.90%

Cappuccino

$4.22 zł 16.40

$4.17 zł 16.22

1.20%

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

$2.59 zł 10.06

$2.27 zł 8.81

14.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$2.21 zł 8.61

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 zł 17.98

$4.60 zł 17.87

0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 zł 18.32

$5.01 zł 19.47

-5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 zł 4.14

$1.05 zł 4.07

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 zł 5.84

$1.52 zł 5.90

-1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.83

$1.54 zł 6.00

14.29%

Eggs

$3.90 zł 15.13

$3.76 zł 14.60

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 zł 36.53

$8.55 zł 33.22

9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 zł 30.57

$6.29 zł 24.43

25.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 zł 52.1

$14.54 zł 56.5

-7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.20

$1.17 zł 4.55

14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.56

$1.73 zł 6.73

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.98

$1.71 zł 6.66

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 zł 11.93

$4.04 zł 15.71

-24.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.40

$0.91 zł 3.53

-3.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 zł 3.98

$0.86 zł 3.34

18.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$1.39 zł 5.39

-12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 zł 3.12

$0.69 zł 2.67

15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 zł 24.24

$6.19 zł 24.04

0.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 zł 24.86

$6.46 zł 25.10

-0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$1.10 zł 4.28

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.63 zł 6.35

2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 zł 6.10

$1.11 zł 4.31

41.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.06 zł 128

$28.52 zł 111

15.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 zł 8.63

$2.47 zł 9.58

-10.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 zł 3.91

$1.31 zł 5.08

-22.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.48 zł 48.51

$12.87 zł 50.0

-3.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.75 zł 6.80

-4.57%

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

$30.7K zł 119.3K

$30.7K zł 119.4K

-0.06%

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

$28.6K zł 111.2K

$30.8K zł 119.5K

-6.92%

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

$325 zł 1,261

$341 zł 1,324

-4.79%

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

$8.70 zł 33.80

$9.00 zł 34.95

-3.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 zł 69.3

$16.19 zł 62.9

10.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 zł 175

$45.81 zł 178

-1.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.28 zł 94.3

$27.81 zł 108

-12.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 zł 33.29

$9.04 zł 35.12

-5.20%

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

$463 zł 1,799

$594 zł 2,306

-22.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,760 zł 37.9K

$14.3K zł 55.6K

-31.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 zł 376

$109 zł 424

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 zł 156

$40.12 zł 156

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 zł 346

$104 zł 405

-14.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 473

$111 zł 431

9.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 zł 3,642

$1,181 zł 4,587

-20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 zł 2,854

$942 zł 3,659

-22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 zł 5,738

$2,074 zł 8,056

-28.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 zł 4,456

$1,533 zł 5,958

-25.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,395 zł 21.0K

$5,932 zł 23.0K

-9.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,529 zł 13.7K

$3,836 zł 14.9K

-8.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,894 zł 7,360

$2,049 zł 7,959

-7.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.68

-0.90%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$735 40.5%

Warsaw

$942 46.4% 28.2% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$351 19.4%

Warsaw

$366 18% 4.3% $15

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$237 13.1%

Warsaw

$231 11.4% 2.5% $6

Eating Out

Krakow

$227 12.5%

Warsaw

$223 11% 1.7% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$156 8.6%

Warsaw

$164 8.1% 4.8% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Warsaw

$64 3.1% 2.6% $1.6

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Warsaw

$42 2.1% 9.9% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $937 in Krakow and $1,181 in Warsaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 8% 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 $237 vs $231, with Warsaw cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

1,861,599 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 12% 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 8% 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: $937 in Krakow versus $1,181 in Warsaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Warsaw pay roughly 3% 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 $1,815 in Krakow versus $2,032 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 $1,815 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 12% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.