Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Olsztyn: $1,690 a month against $1,806 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index

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Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,690

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Olsztyn and in Krakow

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Olsztyn and in Krakow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,690 in Olsztyn versus $1,806 in Krakow.

Olsztyn $1,690
Krakow $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,444 in Olsztyn versus $2,604 in Krakow.

Olsztyn $2,444
Krakow $2,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Olsztyn versus $3,403 in Krakow.

Olsztyn $3,199
Krakow $3,403

Living in Olsztyn costs roughly 6% less than in Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olsztyn 24% above, Krakow 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.81 zł 50.7

$12.05 zł 47.69

6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 zł 199

$50.8 zł 201

-0.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 zł 36.15

$9.37 zł 37.09

-2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.45 zł 13.64

$4.08 zł 16.15

-15.44%

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

$2.41 zł 9.53

$2.45 zł 9.69

-1.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 zł 7.42

$2.33 zł 9.22

-19.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 zł 11.90

$4.45 zł 17.63

-32.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 zł 15.42

$4.63 zł 18.31

-15.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 4.04

$1.11 zł 4.39

-8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 zł 5.20

$1.45 zł 5.73

-9.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.62

$1.74 zł 6.90

-18.39%

Eggs

$3.88 zł 15.37

$3.82 zł 15.12

1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 zł 37.90

$9.24 zł 36.58

3.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 zł 28.55

$7.79 zł 30.83

-7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 zł 58.2

$13.17 zł 52.1

11.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.69

$1.28 zł 5.05

-7.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.33

$1.74 zł 6.90

-8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 zł 7.37

$1.77 zł 7.01

5.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 zł 13.86

$3.10 zł 12.26

12.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 zł 3.70

$0.88 zł 3.48

5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.63

$0.97 zł 3.84

20.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 zł 5.31

$1.25 zł 4.95

7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 zł 2.85

$0.78 zł 3.08

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 zł 22.13

$6.28 zł 24.84

-10.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 zł 29.91

$6.47 zł 25.61

16.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 zł 4.44

$1.18 zł 4.66

-5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 zł 5.90

$1.65 zł 6.53

-9.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 zł 3.95

$1.48 zł 5.87

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 zł 99.5

$34.13 zł 135

-26.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 zł 8.25

$2.25 zł 8.92

-7.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 zł 2.87

$1.04 zł 4.13

-29.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 zł 40.84

$12.35 zł 48.87

-16.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 zł 6.23

$1.66 zł 6.58

-5.42%

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

$30.6K zł 121.0K

$29.8K zł 117.8K

2.72%

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

$29.5K zł 116.7K

$29.2K zł 115.5K

1.11%

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

$330 zł 1,307

$332 zł 1,314

-0.52%

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

$9.68 zł 38.29

$8.48 zł 33.54

14.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.33 zł 76.5

$17.59 zł 69.6

9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.06 zł 174

$44.76 zł 177

-1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 zł 88.4

$24.52 zł 97.1

-8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 zł 35.43

$8.67 zł 34.31

3.23%

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

$383 zł 1,517

$449 zł 1,779

-14.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K zł 55.0K

$9,675 zł 38.3K

43.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 zł 393

$95.0 zł 376

4.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.99 zł 194

$40.05 zł 158

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 zł 404

$89.4 zł 354

14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 zł 406

$121 zł 478

-15.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 zł 3,188

$909 zł 3,595

-11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 zł 2,481

$724 zł 2,864

-13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 zł 5,103

$1,490 zł 5,897

-13.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 zł 4,053

$1,193 zł 4,721

-14.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,592 zł 14.2K

$5,323 zł 21.1K

-32.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,440 zł 9,657

$3,604 zł 14.3K

-32.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,395 zł 5,522

$1,867 zł 7,388

-25.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

6.62

13.60%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: October 25, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olsztyn

$627 37.1%

Krakow

$724 40.1% 15.4% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olsztyn

$359 21.3%

Krakow

$358 19.8% 0.3% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Olsztyn

$237 14%

Krakow

$235 13% 1% $2.3

Eating Out

Olsztyn

$211 12.5%

Krakow

$224 12.4% 6.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Olsztyn

$159 9.4%

Krakow

$155 8.6% 2.2% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Olsztyn

$62 3.7%

Krakow

$62 3.4% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Olsztyn

$35 2.1%

Krakow

$48 2.6% 36.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Olsztyn and $909 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Olsztyn vs $51 in Krakow. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $235, with Krakow cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

Same time as Olsztyn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,675

806,201

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Olsztyn Krakow 410 km

From you

Olsztyn
Krakow

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

Olsztyn vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olsztyn wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Olsztyn the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Olsztyn. 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: $806 in Olsztyn versus $909 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,690 per month in Olsztyn versus $1,806 in Krakow – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Olsztyn runs roughly 26% less than in Krakow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Olsztyn 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, Olsztyn and Krakow are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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