City comparison
Krakow vs Budapest: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
The two cities cost about the same by our estimates. Budapest has the milder winter (about 6°C vs 3°C average highs in Dec to Feb). They’re in different countries, so visa routes, taxes and healthcare differ too: see below.
Choose Krakow for
- English-friendliness
- Safety
- Walkability
- Mountains nearby
Choose Budapest for
- Public transport
- Sunny, warm climate
- Nightlife
- Remote-work scene
Krakow vs Budapest at a glance
| Krakow | Budapest | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Poland | Hungary |
| Single budget / month | €1,700 | €1,700 |
| Couple budget / month | €2,400 | €2,500 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €850 | €750 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 3°C / 37°F | 6°C / 42°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 25°C / 76°F | 28°C / 83°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 1,453 | 1,928 |
| City size | Large city | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | No | No |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Krakow or Budapest?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €1,700 a month for one person in Krakow and €1,700 in Budapest, rent included. For a couple it’s €2,400 vs €2,500, and for a family of four €3,400 vs €3,600.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €850 in Krakow against €750 in Budapest, while a monthly transit pass costs €44 vs €25. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 3°C (37°F) in Krakow and 6°C (42°F) in Budapest. In summer it’s roughly 25°C vs 28°C. Krakow gets about 1,453 hours of sunshine a year and Budapest about 1,928.
1,453 hours of sunshine a year · 673 mm of rain a year · Source: IMGW 1991-2020 normals for Kraków airport via the Wikipedia climate table; sunshine hours are from Meteomodel.pl for an older period (1971-2000)
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2°C / 35°F | -5°C / 24°F |
| Feb | 4°C / 39°F | -4°C / 25°F |
| Mar | 8°C / 47°F | -1°C / 31°F |
| Apr | 15°C / 59°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| May | 20°C / 68°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Jun | 23°C / 74°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| Jul | 25°C / 78°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| Aug | 25°C / 77°F | 13°C / 56°F |
| Sep | 20°C / 67°F | 9°C / 49°F |
| Oct | 14°C / 57°F | 5°C / 40°F |
| Nov | 8°C / 46°F | 1°C / 33°F |
| Dec | 3°C / 37°F | -3°C / 26°F |
1,928 hours of sunshine a year · 526 mm of rain a year · Source: HungaroMet 1991-2020 normals for Budapest, via the Wikipedia climate table; sunshine from an older NCEI period (1961-1990)
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5°C / 40°F | -1°C / 30°F |
| Feb | 7°C / 45°F | 0°C / 32°F |
| Mar | 12°C / 54°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 66°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| May | 23°C / 74°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Jun | 27°C / 80°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Jul | 29°C / 84°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Aug | 29°C / 84°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Sep | 23°C / 74°F | 13°C / 56°F |
| Oct | 17°C / 63°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Nov | 11°C / 51°F | 4°C / 40°F |
| Dec | 5°C / 41°F | -0°C / 32°F |
Daily life
Krakow is a large city; Budapest is a capital / metropolis. Krakow is Poland's most walkable and atmospheric city, with a medieval core, big student population and a growing tech scene. It costs less than Warsaw, but job options are narrower and the winter air is the main environmental complaint. A good fit for remote workers, students and lifestyle-led movers who do not need the capital. Budapest offers capital-city culture, thermal baths and a big nightlife scene at the lowest price level of our four countries. It suits budget-minded remote workers and anyone on the White Card. The trade-offs are Hungarian-language bureaucracy, patchy English outside the center and no US tax treaty.
Living in Krakow: the upsides and downsides
- Beautiful, walkable historic center
- Lower rents than Warsaw
- Big university and tech community
- Downside: Winter smog is a known problem in the cold season
- Downside: Fewer high-paying jobs than Warsaw
Living in Budapest: the upsides and downsides
- Low rents and restaurant prices for a capital
- Excellent trams, metro and cheap monthly pass
- Thermal baths and strong culture
- Downside: Hungarian is extremely difficult
- Downside: Pickpocketing and nightlife scams are common in tourist areas
Visas and residency
Krakow is in Poland and Budapest is in Hungary. The main routes for each:
- Poland Work Permit and Single Residence-and-Work Permit - Work permit, changing
- Hungary Guest Investor Residence Permit - Golden visa, open, €250,000 investment
- Hungary White Card (Digital Nomad Residence Permit) - Digital nomad visa, open, €3,000/mo income
Read the full guides: living in Krakow and living in Budapest.
Related comparisons
- Prague vs Budapest
- Tallinn vs Budapest
- Budapest vs Vienna
- Warsaw vs Krakow
- Krakow vs Prague
- Warsaw vs Budapest
- Berlin vs Budapest
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.