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: $2,040 in Warsaw versus $1,738 in Krakow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Warsaw versus $2,487 in Krakow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Warsaw versus $3,236 in Krakow.

Living in Warsaw is roughly 17% more expensive than Krakow, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 52% above, Krakow 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 zł 40.35

$10.66 zł 38.94

3.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 zł 212

$55.2 zł 202

5.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 zł 35.59

$9.30 zł 33.98

4.73%

Cappuccino

$4.29 zł 15.67

$4.03 zł 14.74

6.45%

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

$2.11 zł 7.72

$2.22 zł 8.09

-4.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 zł 6.63

$2.22 zł 8.12

-18.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 zł 16.26

$4.03 zł 14.72

10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 zł 17.11

$4.16 zł 15.18

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 zł 4.20

$1.10 zł 4.01

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 zł 4.98

$1.45 zł 5.28

-6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.71

$1.47 zł 5.38

25.17%

Eggs

$3.63 zł 13.26

$3.75 zł 13.69

-3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 zł 36.94

$9.05 zł 33.06

11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 zł 25.49

$6.37 zł 23.28

9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 zł 53.2

$11.55 zł 42.20

25.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 zł 4.72

$1.25 zł 4.55

3.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.52

$1.81 zł 6.63

-1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 zł 7.07

$1.80 zł 6.56

7.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 zł 13.24

$3.13 zł 11.44

15.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 zł 3.87

$1.05 zł 3.83

0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.30

$1.01 zł 3.70

16.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 zł 5.26

$1.36 zł 4.96

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 zł 2.44

$0.66 zł 2.42

1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 zł 19.33

$5.48 zł 20.03

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 zł 30.29

$6.84 zł 24.97

21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 zł 5.21

$1.23 zł 4.50

16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 zł 6.88

$1.76 zł 6.44

6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 zł 4.24

$1.10 zł 4.03

5.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.77 zł 109

$39.51 zł 144

-24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 zł 9.62

$2.51 zł 9.16

4.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 zł 3.57

$1.02 zł 3.71

-3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 zł 49.04

$12.91 zł 47.15

3.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 zł 6.24

$1.72 zł 6.27

-0.58%

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

$33.4K zł 122.0K

$33.0K zł 120.5K

1.22%

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

$33.6K zł 122.7K

$31.4K zł 114.6K

7.11%

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

$357 zł 1,305

$270 zł 987

32.27%

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

$10.03 zł 36.65

$9.39 zł 34.29

6.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.56 zł 64.1

$16.80 zł 61.4

4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.87 zł 164

$39.23 zł 143

14.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.23 zł 107

$22.83 zł 83.4

28.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 zł 35.43

$8.22 zł 30.01

18.00%

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

$580 zł 2,117

$446 zł 1,629

29.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K zł 57.2K

$13.3K zł 48.6K

17.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.2 zł 363

$77.8 zł 284

27.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 zł 172

$44.83 zł 164

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 zł 338

$99.5 zł 363

-6.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 404

$111 zł 407

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 zł 4,241

$908 zł 3,316

27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 zł 3,250

$768 zł 2,805

15.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 zł 7,427

$1,585 zł 5,790

28.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 zł 5,576

$1,189 zł 4,342

28.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,283 zł 23.0K

$5,925 zł 21.6K

6.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,074 zł 14.9K

$3,808 zł 13.9K

6.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,228 zł 8,140

$1,961 zł 7,163

13.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

7.77

-2.83%

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

Last update for Warsaw: June 1, 2026

Last update for Krakow: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,161 in Warsaw and $908 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 14% 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: $58.0 in Warsaw vs $55.0 in Krakow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $222 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 17% 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.

Warsaw pays 14% more on average, 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: $1,161 in Warsaw versus $908 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $55.0 versus $58.0 in Warsaw. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,738 in Krakow versus $2,040 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 $1,738 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 17% less than in Warsaw. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.