Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakopane and Gdansk

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakopane: $1,518 a month against $1,717 in Gdansk, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Gdansk despite lower rent and utilities.

72

Cost of Living Index in Zakopane
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Zakopane Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Gdansk
Learn more

Gdansk Living Index

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Zakopane

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,518

/mo nomad

Gdansk

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zakopane and in Gdansk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zakopane and in Gdansk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,518 per month in Zakopane vs $1,717 in Gdansk, rent included.

Zakopane $1,518
Gdansk $1,717

A couple spends around $2,260 per month in Zakopane vs $2,508 in Gdansk, rent included.

Zakopane $2,260
Gdansk $2,508

A family of three spends $3,001 per month in Zakopane vs $3,299 in Gdansk, rent included.

Zakopane $3,001
Gdansk $3,299

Zakopane is about 12% cheaper than Gdansk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Zakopane and Gdansk sit above the global median – Zakopane by 12%, Gdansk by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 zł 32.83

$11.19 zł 44.29

-25.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.80 zł 114

$56.5 zł 224

-49.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 zł 33.16

$8.91 zł 35.27

-5.95%

Cappuccino

$3.39 zł 13.43

$4.00 zł 15.81

-15.25%

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

$2.66 zł 10.54

$2.30 zł 9.09

15.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 zł 7.90

$1.68 zł 6.66

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 zł 9.41

$3.74 zł 14.80

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 zł 18.43

$3.86 zł 15.28

20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 zł 3.55

$0.99 zł 3.93

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 zł 4.92

$1.28 zł 5.07

-3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 zł 5.13

$1.61 zł 6.38

-19.25%

Eggs

$2.32 zł 9.19

$3.70 zł 14.65

-37.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 zł 25.63

$8.54 zł 33.80

-24.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 zł 19.51

$6.43 zł 25.45

-23.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.41 zł 21.42

$13.61 zł 53.9

-60.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.77 zł 3.05

$1.23 zł 4.89

-37.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 zł 5.74

$1.77 zł 7.02

-18.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 zł 5.85

$1.98 zł 7.85

-25.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 zł 10.39

$3.15 zł 12.48

-16.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 zł 1.24

$0.85 zł 3.36

-63.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 zł 3.21

$1.06 zł 4.20

-23.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 zł 2.39

$1.35 zł 5.36

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 zł 2.50

$0.75 zł 2.98

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 zł 17.29

$5.99 zł 23.72

-27.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.60 zł 18.21

$6.85 zł 27.09

-32.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 zł 4.16

$1.16 zł 4.61

-9.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 zł 5.87

$1.83 zł 7.25

-19.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 zł 4.92

$1.19 zł 4.69

4.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.00 zł 170

$29.59 zł 117

45.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 zł 5.96

$2.09 zł 8.26

-27.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 zł 2.69

$1.01 zł 4.01

-32.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 zł 20.24

$12.61 zł 49.88

-59.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.58

$1.60 zł 6.35

3.75%

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

$30.9K zł 122.3K

$30.0K zł 118.8K

2.94%

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

$23.7K zł 93.8K

$28.0K zł 110.9K

-15.45%

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

$247 zł 979

$288 zł 1,138

-13.98%

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

$7.77 zł 30.76

$11.63 zł 46.03

-33.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.68 zł 70.0

$20.01 zł 79.2

-11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.87 zł 35.09

$45.57 zł 180

-80.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 zł 55.3

$28.34 zł 112

-50.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 zł 29.59

$7.80 zł 30.85

-4.10%

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

$301 zł 1,193

$532 zł 2,104

-43.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,287 zł 9,048

$8,130 zł 32.2K

-71.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 zł 215

$87.0 zł 344

-37.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.86 zł 74.6

$47.87 zł 189

-60.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 zł 199

$93.7 zł 371

-46.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.66 zł 185

$104 zł 412

-55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 zł 2,820

$962 zł 3,808

-25.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 zł 3,016

$713 zł 2,822

6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 zł 4,938

$1,622 zł 6,420

-23.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 zł 6,062

$1,175 zł 4,650

30.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,909 zł 23.4K

$5,528 zł 21.9K

6.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,919 zł 23.4K

$3,142 zł 12.4K

88.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,550 zł 6,135

$1,911 zł 7,564

-18.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.67

-2.55%

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

Last update for Zakopane: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gdansk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zakopane

$762 50.2%

Gdansk

$713 41.5% 6.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakopane

$273 18%

Gdansk

$319 18.6% 17% $46

Eating Out

Zakopane

$172 11.3%

Gdansk

$207 12% 20% $34

Groceries & Markets

Zakopane

$158 10.4%

Gdansk

$225 13.1% 42.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Zakopane

$77 5.1%

Gdansk

$150 8.7% 95.4% $73

Getting Around

Zakopane

$53 3.5%

Gdansk

$41 2.4% 21.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Zakopane

$24 1.6%

Gdansk

$61 3.6% 157% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $713 in Zakopane versus $962 in Gdansk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Gdansk. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Zakopane versus $57 in Gdansk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $225 – making Zakopane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Zakopane

🇵🇱 Gdansk

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

Same time as Zakopane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,662

470,633

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zakopane Gdansk 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Zakopane
Gdansk

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

Zakopane vs Gdansk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,518 in Zakopane, $1,717 in Gdansk – Zakopane comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,277 per month in Zakopane and $2,575 in Gdansk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakopane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $713 there versus $962 in Gdansk.

Kindergarten costs $301 per month in Zakopane and $532 in Gdansk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Gdansk, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,518 in Zakopane and $1,717 in Gdansk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zakopane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Zakopane. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gdansk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.