🇵🇱 Poland · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Krakow? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, Stare Miasto or KazimierzPLN 3,200–4,500 / month before czynsz
One-bed flat, Podgórze, Krowodrza or Nowa HutaPLN 2,100–3,000 / month before czynsz
Czynsz administracyjny plus utilitiesPLN 700–1,200 / month, higher in a January with district heating
MPK monthly network pass, zones I+IIPLN 204 / month; PLN 99 for zone I alone
Milk bar lunch / obwarzanek from a cartPLN 22–32 / PLN 4
Good to know
Population
≈804,000 in the city; ≈1.4 million in the metropolitan area
Voivodeship
Małopolskie — your residence permit is decided at ul. Przy Rondzie 6 in Kraków, not in Warsaw
Languages
Polish; English is standard in the shared-services and software sector and patchy elsewhere
Currency
Polish złoty (PLN) — Poland is in the EU and Schengen but not the eurozone
Time zone
CET (GMT+1); CEST (GMT+2) from late March to late October
Climate
Humid continental, in a river basin that traps cold air — winter temperature inversions are the reason smog behaves as it does here
Low-emission zone
Strefa Czystego Transportu, live since 1 January 2026 over roughly 60% of the city, camera-enforced
Power and driving
Type C/E sockets, 230 V / 50 Hz; drive on the right
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Krakow checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Krakow
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.