Krakow on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Krakow is one of the easiest European cities on a budget. Plan on about 290 PLN per person per day (bed 150, food 80, sights 50, transport 10).
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | PLN150 | PLN300 | PLN700 |
| Food & drink | PLN80 | PLN160 | PLN350 |
| Sights & tickets | PLN50 | PLN150 | PLN350 |
| Local transport | PLN10 | PLN25 | PLN80 |
| Per person, per day | PLN290 | PLN635 | PLN1,480 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Krakow day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk the Main Market Square and hear the hejnał trumpet call from St Mary's tower
- Walk up Wawel Hill and around the castle courtyards (exhibitions are paid)
- Stroll the Planty, the park ring around the Old Town
- Explore the streets and synagogues' exteriors in Kazimierz
- See the empty chairs memorial on Ghetto Heroes Square in Podgórze
- Visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial (free entry with a booked time slot when unguided visits are offered)
Cheap eats
- Obwarzanek from a street cart: about 3–4 PLN
- Pierogi in a milk bar: roughly 15–25 PLN
- Żurek in a milk bar: roughly 12–20 PLN
- Zapiekanka on Plac Nowy: roughly 15–30 PLN
- Grilled sausage from the blue vans by Hala Targowa: roughly 20–30 PLN
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and guesthouses in Kazimierz and Stradom, 10 minutes' walk from the square, for about 250–400 PLN for a room; dorm beds cost much less.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the Old Town and Kazimierz; trams and buses cost a few złoty. The airport train reaches the main station in about 20 minutes. Take the public bus to Auschwitz from the bus station by Kraków Główny, and the train or bus to Wieliczka.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Main Market Square, St Mary's and Wawel Hill (free outside, a paid exhibition about 40 PLN)
- Lunch: milk bar pierogi and soup (about 35 PLN)
- Afternoon: Kazimierz and Podgórze on foot (free)
- Evening: zapiekanka on Plac Nowy (about 20 PLN) and a beer
- Total: about 120–140 PLN plus your bed (about 150 PLN), so roughly 270–290 PLN
More ways to save
- Book Auschwitz time slots weeks ahead in summer; English guided slots sell out.
- Buy transport tickets in an app or machine and validate them on board.
- Have a translation app ready for milk-bar menus, often only in Polish.
- Withdraw złoty from bank ATMs rather than euro ATMs near the square.
- Visit Wieliczka on its own half-day rather than paying for a long combined tour.
- Carry a refillable bottle; tap water is safe.
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Common questions
Can I visit Krakow on a budget?
Yes, at about 290 PLN a day with a hostel, milk bars and walking.
What is a milk bar?
A cafeteria-style canteen serving home-style Polish food, such as pierogi and soups, for about 25–40 PLN a meal.
What is free in Krakow?
The Main Market Square, Wawel Hill, the Planty, Kazimierz's streets and Ghetto Heroes Square.