Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zgorzelec and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Zgorzelec: $1,416 a month against $1,784 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Zgorzelec
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Zgorzelec Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
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Krakow Living Index

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Zgorzelec

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,416

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,416 in Zgorzelec versus $1,784 in Krakow.

Zgorzelec $1,416
Krakow $1,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,062 in Zgorzelec versus $2,566 in Krakow.

Zgorzelec $2,062
Krakow $2,566

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,707 in Zgorzelec versus $3,348 in Krakow.

Zgorzelec $2,707
Krakow $3,348

Living in Zgorzelec costs roughly 21% less than in Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zgorzelec 5% above, Krakow 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.90 zł 34.77

$11.50 zł 44.93

-22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 zł 202

$50.1 zł 196

3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 zł 29.35

$9.26 zł 36.20

-18.90%

Cappuccino

$3.09 zł 12.08

$4.21 zł 16.44

-26.60%

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

$0.91 zł 3.57

$2.36 zł 9.23

-61.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.38

$2.34 zł 9.14

-30.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 zł 5.77

$4.58 zł 17.90

-67.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 zł 8.00

$4.51 zł 17.62

-54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 zł 3.71

$1.02 zł 3.99

-6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 zł 4.70

$1.43 zł 5.58

-16.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 zł 5.47

$1.60 zł 6.26

-12.50%

Eggs

$3.51 zł 13.74

$3.88 zł 15.15

-9.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 zł 33.54

$9.31 zł 36.37

-7.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 zł 22.81

$7.80 zł 30.48

-25.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 zł 51.0

$13.43 zł 52.5

-2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.37

$1.31 zł 5.10

-34.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 zł 5.84

$1.72 zł 6.71

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.40

$1.80 zł 7.03

-8.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 zł 6.04

$3.11 zł 12.15

-50.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 zł 2.42

$0.97 zł 3.78

-36.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 zł 3.94

$0.98 zł 3.85

3.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 zł 4.96

$1.28 zł 5.01

-0.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 zł 2.49

$0.78 zł 3.05

-17.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 zł 18.13

$6.14 zł 24.00

-24.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 zł 29.42

$6.36 zł 24.86

18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 zł 3.32

$1.24 zł 4.83

-31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 zł 5.73

$1.61 zł 6.30

-8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 zł 4.27

$1.49 zł 5.84

-26.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.10 zł 114

$32.51 zł 127

-10.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 zł 9.07

$2.25 zł 8.79

3.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 zł 4.09

$0.98 zł 3.83

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.75 zł 49.82

$12.72 zł 49.70

0.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 zł 6.31

$1.74 zł 6.80

-6.90%

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

$30.4K zł 118.7K

$29.9K zł 116.7K

1.67%

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

$27.7K zł 108.1K

$28.2K zł 110.0K

-1.72%

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

$288 zł 1,127

$319 zł 1,247

-9.65%

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

$7.87 zł 30.75

$8.85 zł 34.59

-11.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.41 zł 71.9

$17.45 zł 68.2

5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.66 zł 147

$43.45 zł 170

-13.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 zł 84.0

$24.39 zł 95.3

-11.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 zł 28.67

$8.39 zł 32.79

-12.51%

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

$483 zł 1,887

$436 zł 1,704

10.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 zł 29.1K

$12.6K zł 49.2K

-40.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 zł 301

$96.9 zł 379

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.75 zł 148

$40.89 zł 160

-7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 zł 337

$89.4 zł 349

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 zł 425

$117 zł 459

-7.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 zł 2,339

$918 zł 3,589

-34.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 zł 2,012

$722 zł 2,822

-28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 zł 3,785

$1,514 zł 5,916

-36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 zł 3,218

$1,169 zł 4,569

-29.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,959 zł 11.6K

$5,415 zł 21.2K

-45.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,159 zł 8,438

$3,560 zł 13.9K

-39.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 zł 5,349

$1,888 zł 7,376

-27.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.59

0.61%

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

Last update for Zgorzelec: November 1, 2026

Last update for Krakow: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zgorzelec

$515 36.4%

Krakow

$722 40.5% 40.2% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zgorzelec

$315 22.2%

Krakow

$345 19.4% 9.8% $31

Groceries & Markets

Zgorzelec

$202 14.2%

Krakow

$235 13.2% 16.4% $33

Eating Out

Zgorzelec

$152 10.8%

Krakow

$221 12.4% 44.9% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Zgorzelec

$139 9.9%

Krakow

$155 8.7% 11.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Zgorzelec

$52 3.7%

Krakow

$60 3.4% 15.1% $7.9

Getting Around

Zgorzelec

$41 2.9%

Krakow

$46 2.6% 11.2% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Zgorzelec and $918 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Zgorzelec vs $50 in Krakow. Groceries flip the comparison at $202 vs $235, with Zgorzelec cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Zgorzelec

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

Same time as Zgorzelec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,534

806,201

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Zgorzelec Krakow 370 km

From you

Zgorzelec
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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

Zgorzelec vs Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zgorzelec wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zgorzelec the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Zgorzelec. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $599 in Zgorzelec versus $918 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Krakow. 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 $50 versus $52 in Zgorzelec. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Zgorzelec gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zgorzelec and Krakow are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Zgorzelec wins on affordability, Krakow on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.