Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecin and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecin: $1,343 a month against $1,815 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Szczecin
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Szczecin Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index

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Szczecin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,343

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Szczecin 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 Szczecin and in Krakow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,343 in Szczecin versus $1,815 in Krakow.

Szczecin $1,343
Krakow $1,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,997 in Szczecin versus $2,587 in Krakow.

Szczecin $1,997
Krakow $2,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,651 in Szczecin versus $3,359 in Krakow.

Szczecin $2,651
Krakow $3,359

Living in Szczecin costs roughly 26% less than in Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Szczecin is 1% below, Krakow is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.13 zł 35.49

$11.83 zł 45.95

-22.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.70 zł 178

$50.5 zł 196

-9.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 zł 31.94

$9.81 zł 38.12

-16.21%

Cappuccino

$2.96 zł 11.50

$4.22 zł 16.40

-29.86%

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

$1.86 zł 7.22

$2.59 zł 10.06

-28.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 zł 5.42

$2.35 zł 9.12

-40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 zł 11.70

$4.63 zł 17.98

-34.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 zł 11.53

$4.72 zł 18.32

-37.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 zł 3.56

$1.07 zł 4.14

-14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 zł 5.01

$1.50 zł 5.84

-14.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$1.76 zł 6.83

-37.50%

Eggs

$3.35 zł 13.02

$3.90 zł 15.13

-14.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 zł 36.22

$9.40 zł 36.53

-0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 zł 24.99

$7.87 zł 30.57

-18.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 zł 50.1

$13.41 zł 52.1

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 zł 3.46

$1.34 zł 5.20

-33.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.50

$1.69 zł 6.56

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$1.80 zł 6.98

-15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 zł 9.03

$3.07 zł 11.93

-24.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 zł 3.28

$0.88 zł 3.40

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$1.02 zł 3.98

1.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$1.21 zł 4.70

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 zł 2.17

$0.80 zł 3.12

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 zł 20.43

$6.24 zł 24.24

-15.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 zł 24.05

$6.40 zł 24.86

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 zł 4.13

$1.21 zł 4.70

-12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 zł 5.71

$1.67 zł 6.49

-11.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 zł 3.04

$1.57 zł 6.10

-50.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 zł 98.9

$33.06 zł 128

-22.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.70

$2.22 zł 8.63

-10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 zł 3.40

$1.01 zł 3.91

-13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.65 zł 49.15

$12.48 zł 48.51

1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 zł 6.37

$1.67 zł 6.49

-1.80%

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

$30.0K zł 116.6K

$30.7K zł 119.3K

-2.26%

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

$27.9K zł 108.5K

$28.6K zł 111.2K

-2.40%

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

$241 zł 937

$325 zł 1,261

-25.73%

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

$12.23 zł 47.52

$8.70 zł 33.80

40.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.03 zł 73.9

$17.84 zł 69.3

6.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.45 zł 118

$45.16 zł 175

-32.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.3 zł 196

$24.28 zł 94.3

107.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 zł 24.32

$8.57 zł 33.29

-26.95%

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

$335 zł 1,301

$463 zł 1,799

-27.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,493 zł 29.1K

$9,760 zł 37.9K

-23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 zł 268

$96.7 zł 376

-28.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.31 zł 137

$40.10 zł 156

-11.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 zł 310

$89.1 zł 346

-10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 zł 352

$122 zł 473

-25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 zł 2,339

$937 zł 3,642

-35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 zł 1,922

$735 zł 2,854

-32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,415

$1,477 zł 5,738

-23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 zł 3,240

$1,147 zł 4,456

-27.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,284 zł 12.8K

$5,395 zł 21.0K

-39.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 zł 9,102

$3,529 zł 13.7K

-33.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,556 zł 6,046

$1,894 zł 7,360

-17.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.62

3.02%

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

Last update for Szczecin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szczecin

$495 36.8%

Krakow

$735 40.5% 48.5% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szczecin

$272 20.3%

Krakow

$351 19.4% 28.9% $79

Groceries & Markets

Szczecin

$207 15.4%

Krakow

$237 13.1% 14.3% $30

Eating Out

Szczecin

$167 12.5%

Krakow

$227 12.5% 35.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Szczecin

$124 9.2%

Krakow

$156 8.6% 26.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Szczecin

$43 3.2%

Krakow

$62 3.4% 45% $19

Getting Around

Szczecin

$35 2.6%

Krakow

$47 2.6% 33.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Szczecin and $937 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 22% 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: $46.00 in Szczecin vs $50.0 in Krakow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $237 per month, with Szczecin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Szczecin

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

Same time as Szczecin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

387,700

806,201

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Szczecin Krakow 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Szczecin
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

Szczecin vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szczecin wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Szczecin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Krakow. 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: $602 in Szczecin versus $937 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Szczecin – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $50.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,343 in Szczecin versus $1,815 in Krakow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szczecin but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Szczecin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,343 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Szczecin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Szczecin 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.

Expats usually find Szczecin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.