Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Krakow: $1,815 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Warsaw outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
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Warsaw Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
Learn more

Krakow Living Index

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Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Warsaw versus $1,815 in Krakow.

Warsaw $2,032
Krakow $1,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,918 in Warsaw versus $2,587 in Krakow.

Warsaw $2,918
Krakow $2,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,804 in Warsaw versus $3,359 in Krakow.

Warsaw $3,804
Krakow $3,359

Living in Warsaw is roughly 12% more expensive than in Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 50% above, Krakow 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 44.72

$11.83 zł 45.95

-2.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 zł 236

$50.5 zł 196

20.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 zł 38.87

$9.81 zł 38.12

1.94%

Cappuccino

$4.17 zł 16.22

$4.22 zł 16.40

-1.18%

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

$2.27 zł 8.81

$2.59 zł 10.06

-12.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 zł 8.61

$2.35 zł 9.12

-5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 zł 17.87

$4.63 zł 17.98

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 zł 19.47

$4.72 zł 18.32

6.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$1.07 zł 4.14

-1.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$1.50 zł 5.84

1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$1.76 zł 6.83

-12.50%

Eggs

$3.76 zł 14.60

$3.90 zł 15.13

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 zł 33.22

$9.40 zł 36.53

-9.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 zł 24.43

$7.87 zł 30.57

-20.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 zł 56.5

$13.41 zł 52.1

8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.55

$1.34 zł 5.20

-12.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.73

$1.69 zł 6.56

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.66

$1.80 zł 6.98

-5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 zł 15.71

$3.07 zł 11.93

31.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.53

$0.88 zł 3.40

3.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.34

$1.02 zł 3.98

-15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 zł 5.39

$1.21 zł 4.70

14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.67

$0.80 zł 3.12

-13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 zł 24.04

$6.24 zł 24.24

-0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.46 zł 25.10

$6.40 zł 24.86

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.28

$1.21 zł 4.70

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.35

$1.67 zł 6.49

-2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.31

$1.57 zł 6.10

-29.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.52 zł 111

$33.06 zł 128

-13.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 zł 9.58

$2.22 zł 8.63

11.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 zł 5.08

$1.01 zł 3.91

29.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.87 zł 50.0

$12.48 zł 48.51

3.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 zł 6.80

$1.67 zł 6.49

4.79%

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

$30.7K zł 119.4K

$30.7K zł 119.3K

0.06%

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

$30.8K zł 119.5K

$28.6K zł 111.2K

7.44%

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

$341 zł 1,324

$325 zł 1,261

5.03%

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

$9.00 zł 34.95

$8.70 zł 33.80

3.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.19 zł 62.9

$17.84 zł 69.3

-9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.81 zł 178

$45.16 zł 175

1.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 zł 108

$24.28 zł 94.3

14.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 zł 35.12

$8.57 zł 33.29

5.48%

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

$594 zł 2,306

$463 zł 1,799

28.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K zł 55.6K

$9,760 zł 37.9K

46.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 zł 424

$96.7 zł 376

12.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 zł 156

$40.10 zł 156

0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 405

$89.1 zł 346

17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 431

$122 zł 473

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 zł 4,587

$937 zł 3,642

25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 zł 3,659

$735 zł 2,854

28.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 zł 8,056

$1,477 zł 5,738

40.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 zł 5,958

$1,147 zł 4,456

33.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,932 zł 23.0K

$5,395 zł 21.0K

9.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 zł 14.9K

$3,529 zł 13.7K

8.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 zł 7,959

$1,894 zł 7,360

8.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.62

0.91%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$942 46.4%

Krakow

$735 40.5% 22% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$366 18%

Krakow

$351 19.4% 4.1% $15

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$231 11.4%

Krakow

$237 13.1% 2.6% $6

Eating Out

Warsaw

$223 11%

Krakow

$227 12.5% 1.7% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$164 8.1%

Krakow

$156 8.6% 4.6% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$64 3.1%

Krakow

$62 3.4% 2.5% $1.6

Getting Around

Warsaw

$42 2.1%

Krakow

$47 2.6% 11% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,181 in Warsaw and $937 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 8% 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: $61.0 in Warsaw vs $50.0 in Krakow. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $237, with Warsaw cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

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

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From you

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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

Warsaw vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Warsaw. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Krakow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Warsaw, 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: $1,181 in Warsaw versus $937 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Warsaw pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Krakow – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $61.0 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,815 in Krakow versus $2,032 in Warsaw, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krakow but tight or insufficient in Warsaw. The gap between the two cities makes Krakow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Krakow delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,815 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Krakow hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Warsaw 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 Krakow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.