---
title: "Kraków vs Warsaw for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/krakow-vs-warsaw
description: "Under balanced weights Warsaw edges it, 67 to 67, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Kraków is stronger on nothing outright; Warsaw on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Kraków vs Warsaw for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Warsaw edges it, 67 to 67, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Kraków is stronger on nothing outright; Warsaw on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Kraków | Warsaw | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 51 | 49 | Kraków |
| Safety | 83 | 83 | tie |
| Healthcare | 74 | 74 | tie |
| Internet | 66 | 64 | Kraków |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 54 | 57 | Warsaw |
| Climate | 25 | 25 | tie |
| Air quality | 72 | 78 | Warsaw |
| Quality of life | 84 | 84 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Kraków | Warsaw | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,458 | $1,511 | Kraków |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $924 | $1,159 | Kraków |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kraków | Warsaw | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 | 0.7 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 74.4 | 74.4 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 82 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 75.4 yrs | 75.4 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kraków | Warsaw | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 39.7 Mbps | 36.8 Mbps | Kraków |
| Upload | 19.9 Mbps | 17.2 Mbps | Kraków |

## Visa

| Metric | Kraków | Warsaw | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kraków | Warsaw | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 134 | 157 | Warsaw |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 4 | Kraków |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 | Warsaw |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kraków | Warsaw | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 17.5 µg/m³ | 14.7 µg/m³ | Warsaw |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kraków or Warsaw?

Kraków is cheaper: about $1,458 per month versus $1,511 for one person.

### Is Kraków or Warsaw safer?

Kraków scores higher on safety (83 vs 83), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Kraków or Warsaw?

Kraków: a measured median of 39.7 Mbps versus 36.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kraków](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/krakow) · [Warsaw](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/warsaw). Sources: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/krakow-vs-warsaw