Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Zabrze

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabrze: $1,493 a month against $1,815 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Zabrze
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Zabrze Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,815

/mo nomad

Zabrze

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,493

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Zabrze

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,815 in Krakow versus $1,493 in Zabrze.

Krakow $1,815
Zabrze $1,493

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,587 in Krakow versus $2,098 in Zabrze.

Krakow $2,587
Zabrze $2,098

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,359 in Krakow versus $2,703 in Zabrze.

Krakow $3,359
Zabrze $2,703

Living in Krakow is roughly 22% more expensive than in Zabrze, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 34% above, Zabrze 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 zł 45.95

$10.13 zł 39.36

16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 zł 196

$34.13 zł 133

47.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 zł 38.12

$8.65 zł 33.60

13.41%

Cappuccino

$4.22 zł 16.40

$3.76 zł 14.62

12.23%

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

$2.59 zł 10.06

$2.14 zł 8.33

21.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 zł 9.12

$1.89 zł 7.36

24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 zł 17.98

$3.48 zł 13.51

33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 zł 18.32

$4.64 zł 18.02

1.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 zł 4.14

$0.97 zł 3.77

10.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 zł 5.84

$1.19 zł 4.61

26.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.83

$1.46 zł 5.66

20.55%

Eggs

$3.90 zł 15.13

$3.23 zł 12.56

20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 zł 36.53

$7.98 zł 30.99

17.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 zł 30.57

$5.59 zł 21.71

40.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 zł 52.1

$11.95 zł 46.43

12.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.20

$1.03 zł 4.01

30.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 zł 6.56

$1.40 zł 5.42

20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.98

$1.46 zł 5.66

23.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 zł 11.93

$2.61 zł 10.12

17.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 zł 3.40

$0.98 zł 3.81

-10.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 zł 3.98

$0.84 zł 3.27

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$1.24 zł 4.80

-2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 zł 3.12

$0.60 zł 2.33

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 zł 24.24

$5.77 zł 22.40

8.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 zł 24.86

$6.23 zł 24.21

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 zł 4.70

$1.04 zł 4.05

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.71 zł 6.62

-2.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 zł 6.10

$1.06 zł 4.11

48.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.06 zł 128

$30.40 zł 118

8.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 zł 8.63

$1.75 zł 6.79

26.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 zł 3.91

$0.74 zł 2.86

36.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.48 zł 48.51

$10.06 zł 39.07

24.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 zł 6.49

$1.69 zł 6.56

-1.18%

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

$30.7K zł 119.3K

$30.1K zł 116.8K

2.19%

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

$28.6K zł 111.2K

$25.9K zł 100.7K

10.47%

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

$325 zł 1,261

$338 zł 1,312

-3.90%

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

$8.70 zł 33.80

$9.91 zł 38.52

-12.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 zł 69.3

$17.31 zł 67.3

3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 zł 175

$37.82 zł 147

19.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.28 zł 94.3

$24.08 zł 93.6

0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 zł 33.29

$7.70 zł 29.91

11.30%

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

$463 zł 1,799

$477 zł 1,853

-2.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,760 zł 37.9K

$12.1K zł 47.0K

-19.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 zł 376

$70.2 zł 273

37.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 zł 156

$31.68 zł 123

26.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 zł 346

$90.1 zł 350

-1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 zł 473

$92.5 zł 359

31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 zł 3,642

$670 zł 2,601

39.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 zł 2,854

$513 zł 1,995

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 zł 5,738

$975 zł 3,787

51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 zł 4,456

$808 zł 3,139

41.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,395 zł 21.0K

$2,950 zł 11.5K

82.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,529 zł 13.7K

$2,240 zł 8,702

57.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,894 zł 7,360

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

7.19

-7.93%

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

Last update for Krakow: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zabrze: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$735 40.5%

Zabrze

$513 34.4% 30.1% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$351 19.4%

Zabrze

$365 24.5% 3.9% $14

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$237 13.1%

Zabrze

$198 13.3% 16.3% $39

Eating Out

Krakow

$227 12.5%

Zabrze

$195 13.1% 14.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$156 8.6%

Zabrze

$128 8.6% 18.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$62 3.4%

Zabrze

$53 3.6% 14.6% $9.1

Getting Around

Krakow

$47 2.6%

Zabrze

$40 2.7% 14% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $937 in Krakow and $670 in Zabrze. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Krakow vs $34.00 in Zabrze for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $198 per month, with Zabrze cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Zabrze

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

169,831

💱 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

On the map

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Krakow Zabrze 87 km

From you

Krakow
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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 Zabrze: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zabrze wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zabrze the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,722 in Krakow and $2,239 in Zabrze to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $937 in Krakow versus $670 in Zabrze. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Zabrze – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $50.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,493 in Zabrze versus $1,815 in Krakow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zabrze but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Zabrze the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zabrze delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,493 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zabrze hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow and Zabrze 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 Zabrze gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.