Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Zgorzelec

For one person, living is cheaper in Zgorzelec: $1,416 a month against $1,784 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Zgorzelec
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Zgorzelec Living Index

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Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,784

/mo nomad

Zgorzelec

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krakow and in Zgorzelec

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Krakow versus $1,416 in Zgorzelec.

Krakow $1,784
Zgorzelec $1,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,566 in Krakow versus $2,062 in Zgorzelec.

Krakow $2,566
Zgorzelec $2,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,348 in Krakow versus $2,707 in Zgorzelec.

Krakow $3,348
Zgorzelec $2,707

Living in Krakow is roughly 26% more expensive than in Zgorzelec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 32% above, Zgorzelec 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.50 zł 44.93

$8.90 zł 34.77

29.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 zł 196

$51.7 zł 202

-3.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 zł 36.20

$7.51 zł 29.35

23.30%

Cappuccino

$4.21 zł 16.44

$3.09 zł 12.08

36.25%

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

$2.36 zł 9.23

$0.91 zł 3.57

159.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 zł 9.14

$1.63 zł 6.38

43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 zł 17.90

$1.48 zł 5.77

209.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 zł 17.62

$2.05 zł 8.00

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 3.99

$0.95 zł 3.71

7.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 zł 5.58

$1.20 zł 4.70

19.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.26

$1.40 zł 5.47

14.29%

Eggs

$3.88 zł 15.15

$3.51 zł 13.74

10.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 zł 36.37

$8.58 zł 33.54

8.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 zł 30.48

$5.84 zł 22.81

33.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 zł 52.5

$13.05 zł 51.0

2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 zł 5.10

$0.86 zł 3.37

52.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 zł 6.71

$1.50 zł 5.84

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 7.03

$1.64 zł 6.40

9.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 zł 12.15

$1.55 zł 6.04

100.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.78

$0.62 zł 2.42

56.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 zł 3.85

$1.01 zł 3.94

-2.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 zł 5.01

$1.27 zł 4.96

0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 zł 3.05

$0.64 zł 2.49

21.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 zł 24.00

$4.64 zł 18.13

32.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 zł 24.86

$7.53 zł 29.42

-15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 zł 4.83

$0.85 zł 3.32

45.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 zł 6.30

$1.47 zł 5.73

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 zł 5.84

$1.09 zł 4.27

36.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.51 zł 127

$29.10 zł 114

11.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 zł 8.79

$2.32 zł 9.07

-3.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 zł 3.83

$1.05 zł 4.09

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 zł 49.70

$12.75 zł 49.82

-0.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 zł 6.80

$1.62 zł 6.31

7.41%

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

$29.9K zł 116.7K

$30.4K zł 118.7K

-1.65%

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

$28.2K zł 110.0K

$27.7K zł 108.1K

1.75%

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

$319 zł 1,247

$288 zł 1,127

10.68%

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

$8.85 zł 34.59

$7.87 zł 30.75

12.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 zł 68.2

$18.41 zł 71.9

-5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.45 zł 170

$37.66 zł 147

15.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 zł 95.3

$21.48 zł 84.0

13.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 zł 32.79

$7.34 zł 28.67

14.31%

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

$436 zł 1,704

$483 zł 1,887

-9.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K zł 49.2K

$7,450 zł 29.1K

68.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 zł 379

$77.2 zł 301

25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 zł 160

$37.75 zł 148

8.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 zł 349

$86.2 zł 337

3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 zł 459

$109 zł 425

7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 zł 3,589

$599 zł 2,339

53.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 zł 2,822

$515 zł 2,012

40.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 zł 5,916

$968 zł 3,785

56.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 zł 4,569

$824 zł 3,218

41.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 zł 21.2K

$2,959 zł 11.6K

82.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,560 zł 13.9K

$2,159 zł 8,438

64.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,888 zł 7,376

$1,369 zł 5,349

37.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.63

-0.60%

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

Last update for Krakow: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zgorzelec: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krakow

$722 40.5%

Zgorzelec

$515 36.4% 28.7% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krakow

$345 19.4%

Zgorzelec

$315 22.2% 8.9% $31

Groceries & Markets

Krakow

$235 13.2%

Zgorzelec

$202 14.2% 14.1% $33

Eating Out

Krakow

$221 12.4%

Zgorzelec

$152 10.8% 31% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Krakow

$155 8.7%

Zgorzelec

$139 9.9% 10.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Krakow

$60 3.4%

Zgorzelec

$52 3.7% 13.1% $7.9

Getting Around

Krakow

$46 2.6%

Zgorzelec

$41 2.9% 10.1% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $918 in Krakow and $599 in Zgorzelec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Krakow vs $52 in Zgorzelec. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $202, with Zgorzelec cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Krakow

🇵🇱 Zgorzelec

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Krakow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

806,201

29,534

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Krakow Zgorzelec 370 km

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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 Zgorzelec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zgorzelec wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zgorzelec the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $918 in Krakow versus $599 in Zgorzelec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Krakow. 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 $50 versus $52 in Zgorzelec. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Zgorzelec 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 Zgorzelec are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Zgorzelec wins on affordability, Krakow on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.