Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecinek and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecinek: $1,468 a month against $1,815 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Szczecinek
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,468
/mo nomad
Krakow
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,815
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,468 in Szczecinek versus $1,815 in Krakow.

  • Szczecinek $1,468
  • Krakow $1,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,118 in Szczecinek versus $2,587 in Krakow.

  • Szczecinek $2,118
  • Krakow $2,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,769 in Szczecinek versus $3,359 in Krakow.

  • Szczecinek $2,769
  • Krakow $3,359

Living in Szczecinek costs roughly 19% less than in Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Szczecinek 9% above, Krakow 34% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.62 zł 45.14
$11.83 zł 45.95
-1.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.81 zł 166
$50.5 zł 196
-15.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.07 zł 35.22
$9.81 zł 38.12
-7.54%
Cappuccino
$3.48 zł 13.51
$4.22 zł 16.40
-17.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.16 zł 4.51
$2.59 zł 10.06
-55.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 zł 3.38
$2.35 zł 9.12
-62.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 zł 12.05
$4.63 zł 17.98
-33.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 zł 5.34
$4.72 zł 18.32
-70.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 zł 3.51
$1.07 zł 4.14
-15.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.26 zł 4.89
$1.50 zł 5.84
-16.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 zł 5.28
$1.76 zł 6.83
-22.73%
Eggs
$3.53 zł 13.70
$3.90 zł 15.13
-9.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.64 zł 29.69
$9.40 zł 36.53
-18.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.98 zł 23.23
$7.87 zł 30.57
-24.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.19 zł 51.3
$13.41 zł 52.1
-1.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.19 zł 4.64
$1.34 zł 5.20
-11.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.13 zł 4.41
$1.69 zł 6.56
-33.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 zł 6.38
$1.80 zł 6.98
-8.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.43 zł 9.44
$3.07 zł 11.93
-20.85%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 zł 2.94
$0.88 zł 3.40
-13.64%
Onion (1kg)
$0.80 zł 3.12
$1.02 zł 3.98
-21.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 zł 4.96
$1.21 zł 4.70
5.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 zł 2.65
$0.80 zł 3.12
-15.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 zł 21.70
$6.24 zł 24.24
-10.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.53 zł 29.26
$6.40 zł 24.86
17.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 zł 4.36
$1.21 zł 4.70
-7.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 zł 5.71
$1.67 zł 6.49
-11.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.06 zł 4.13
$1.57 zł 6.10
-32.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.13 zł 105
$33.06 zł 128
-17.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.28 zł 8.86
$2.22 zł 8.63
2.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 zł 4.02
$1.01 zł 3.91
2.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.56 zł 44.92
$12.48 zł 48.51
-7.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 zł 5.77
$1.67 zł 6.49
-11.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K zł 120.3K
$30.7K zł 119.3K
0.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.8K zł 108.0K
$28.6K zł 111.2K
-2.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$290 zł 1,126
$325 zł 1,261
-10.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.77 zł 30.20
$8.70 zł 33.80
-10.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.34 zł 71.3
$17.84 zł 69.3
2.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.27 zł 149
$45.16 zł 175
-15.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.63 zł 80.2
$24.28 zł 94.3
-15.03%
Cinema Ticket
$7.59 zł 29.49
$8.57 zł 33.29
-11.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$206 zł 800
$463 zł 1,799
-55.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,398 zł 28.7K
$9,760 zł 37.9K
-24.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3 zł 304
$96.7 zł 376
-19.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.84 zł 143
$40.10 zł 156
-8.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.3 zł 339
$89.1 zł 346
-2.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 zł 421
$122 zł 473
-11.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$559 zł 2,173
$937 zł 3,642
-40.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$526 zł 2,045
$735 zł 2,854
-28.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,019 zł 3,959
$1,477 zł 5,738
-31.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$850 zł 3,303
$1,147 zł 4,456
-25.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,303 zł 12.8K
$5,395 zł 21.0K
-38.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,012 zł 7,816
$3,529 zł 13.7K
-42.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Szczecinek
Krakow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,300 zł 5,049
$1,894 zł 7,360
-31.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.2
6.62
-36.56%

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

Last update for Szczecinek: 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
Szczecinek
$526
Krakow
$735 39.6% $208
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szczecinek
$316
Krakow
$351 11.1% $35
Groceries & Markets
Szczecinek
$206
Krakow
$237 15.1% $31
Eating Out
Szczecinek
$188
Krakow
$227 20.6% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Szczecinek
$140
Krakow
$156 11.9% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Szczecinek
$53
Krakow
$62 16.5% $8.8
Getting Around
Szczecinek
$39
Krakow
$47 20% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Szczecinek and $937 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 46% 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: $43.00 in Szczecinek vs $50.0 in Krakow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $237 per month, with Szczecinek cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Szczecinek
🇵🇱 Krakow
🕒 Local time
01:47 1:47 AM
01:47 1:47 AM
Same time as Szczecinek
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,705
806,201
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Szczecinek Krakow 460 km
From you
  • Szczecinek
  • 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
Szczecinek vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Szczecinek or Krakow?
Szczecinek wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Szczecinek the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Szczecinek or in Krakow?
On paper, salaries run 46% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Szczecinek compared to Krakow?
Rent for a central apartment: $559 in Szczecinek versus $937 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Szczecinek or in Krakow?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Szczecinek and in Krakow?
Dining out is cheaper in Szczecinek – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $50.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Szczecinek or in Krakow?
At $1,468 in Szczecinek versus $1,815 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Szczecinek but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecinek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Szczecinek or Krakow?
Both work as nomad bases, but Szczecinek delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,468 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Szczecinek hard to pass up.
How safe is Szczecinek compared to Krakow?
Safety-wise, Szczecinek 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Szczecinek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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