Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Krakow Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Krakow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,184 in Warsaw versus $1,943 in Krakow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,125 in Warsaw versus $2,761 in Krakow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,066 in Warsaw versus $3,580 in Krakow.

Living in Warsaw is roughly 12% more expensive than in Krakow, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 59% above, Krakow 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.19 zł 45.52

$12.82 zł 47.88

-4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 zł 231

$54.2 zł 202

13.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 zł 39.60

$9.65 zł 36.04

9.84%

Cappuccino

$4.61 zł 17.24

$4.51 zł 16.83

2.22%

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

$2.52 zł 9.41

$2.60 zł 9.72

-3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 zł 8.97

$2.52 zł 9.40

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 zł 18.15

$4.90 zł 18.30

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 zł 19.59

$4.26 zł 15.90

23.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 zł 4.30

$1.17 zł 4.38

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 zł 5.92

$1.61 zł 6.02

-1.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 zł 6.78

$1.82 zł 6.80

Eggs

$3.98 zł 14.86

$4.10 zł 15.32

-2.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 zł 36.24

$9.58 zł 35.78

1.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.33 zł 27.37

$8.04 zł 30.05

-8.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.32 zł 57.2

$13.67 zł 51.1

12.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 zł 4.94

$1.40 zł 5.24

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 zł 6.66

$1.79 zł 6.67

-0.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.88

$1.79 zł 6.68

2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 zł 15.19

$3.25 zł 12.13

24.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 zł 3.49

$0.95 zł 3.56

-1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 zł 3.46

$1.04 zł 3.88

-10.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 zł 5.85

$1.33 zł 4.97

18.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 zł 2.69

$0.84 zł 3.12

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 zł 24.42

$6.48 zł 24.20

0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 zł 24.78

$6.56 zł 24.52

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 zł 4.26

$1.27 zł 4.75

-10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 zł 7.03

$1.71 zł 6.38

9.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 zł 4.50

$1.58 zł 5.91

-24.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.66 zł 111

$35.11 zł 131

-15.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 zł 9.83

$2.38 zł 8.88

10.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 zł 4.92

$1.10 zł 4.10

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 zł 50.6

$12.44 zł 46.47

8.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 zł 6.28

$1.63 zł 6.10

3.07%

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

$32.3K zł 120.6K

$32.7K zł 122.2K

-1.33%

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

$32.0K zł 119.6K

$29.8K zł 111.3K

7.46%

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

$372 zł 1,389

$335 zł 1,252

10.98%

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

$8.79 zł 32.82

$9.40 zł 35.13

-6.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.37 zł 64.9

$19.31 zł 72.2

-10.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 zł 193

$47.25 zł 177

9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.74 zł 111

$26.50 zł 99.0

12.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 zł 36.70

$8.95 zł 33.45

9.72%

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

$608 zł 2,272

$476 zł 1,779

27.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K zł 57.5K

$10.3K zł 38.6K

49.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 zł 430

$101 zł 379

13.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.18 zł 158

$41.76 zł 156

1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 zł 432

$92.6 zł 346

24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 zł 469

$127 zł 476

-1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 zł 4,669

$981 zł 3,665

27.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 zł 3,675

$789 zł 2,948

24.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 zł 7,988

$1,505 zł 5,624

42.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 zł 5,790

$1,165 zł 4,353

33.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,397 zł 23.9K

$5,819 zł 21.7K

9.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,118 zł 15.4K

$3,745 zł 14.0K

9.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,103 zł 7,856

$1,944 zł 7,264

8.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.64

0.60%

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

Last update for Warsaw: August 31, 2026

Last update for Krakow: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Warsaw and $981 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: $62.0 in Warsaw vs $54.0 in Krakow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $246 per month, with Krakow cheaper across the board.

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: $1,250 in Warsaw versus $981 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Warsaw. 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 $54.0 versus $62.0 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,943 in Krakow versus $2,184 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 $1,943 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.