Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Athens?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Athens or Krakow?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and Krakow. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Athens or Krakow?
Athens
Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.
Krakow
Krakow is Poland's second largest city. It sits on both sides of the Wisla River at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. There are more than 1.4 million residents in the metropolitan area. Krakow is known as a historical and beautiful city that is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tourism makes up a large part of the city's economy, but there is also a university and several local colleges which are major employers as well. Technology has grown in recent years and the city has some notable employees including Google, IBM and Motorola. Other important industries include steel, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAthens €127Krakow €60
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €127, while the average daily cost in Krakow is €60. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Athens and Krakow in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAthens €63Krakow €39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAthens €126Krakow €78
Compare Hotels in Athens and Krakow
Looking for a hotel in Athens or Krakow? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Athens Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Athens €27Krakow €6.00
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:
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Airport Bus for Two€6.40
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Metro€1.50
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Metro€2.00
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Metro from Airport to City Center€8.00
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Taxi from Airport€35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens
Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Athens to Piraeus (Athens) Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Private Athens International Airport to Piraeus Port Transfer: $80
- "Luxurious Transfer": $47
- AIRPORT TRANSFER in Athens : $28
- Airport Private Transfers: $79
- Airport Transfer: $109
- Airport Transfer/ Athens Greece: $28
- Airport Transfer: Athens Airport ATH to Athens by Business Car: $80
- Airport Transfer: Athens Airport ATH to Athens by Luxury Car: $126
- Airport Transfer: Athens to Athens Airport ATH by Luxury Van: $113
- Airport transfer: $131
- Arrival Private Transfer from Athens Airport ATH to Athens City by Minibus: $109
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Private Transfer to or from Berlin: $929
- Private Transfer to or from Budapest: $867
- Warsaw to Luxury Private Transfer: $747
- From Gdansk or One-Way Private Transfer: $669
- Private Transfer to or from Bratislava: $619
- Private transfer! Warsaw Chopin Airport - Krakow City Center: $470
- Private transfer from Krakow to Budapest or from Budapest to Krakow: $299
- Private door-to-door transfer from Krakow to Budapest: $291
- Warsaw - Premium-Class Private Airport Transfer: $288
- Transfer from Krakow (Balice airport) to Krynica Zdroj : $283
- Private Transfer Airport to Warszawa Okęcie: $278
- Private transfer from Katowice AirPort to Krakow City: $272
Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Krakow?
Prices for flights to both Krakow and Athens change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAthens €37Krakow €12
Typical Food Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:
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Ice cream€3.00
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Souvlaki€2.20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens
For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe Athens with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $24
- Street Food Tour Market & City Centre: $42
- Foodies’ Favorite Food tour: $46
- Greek Street Food Tour: $51
- Athens Street Food Tour: Explore City's Iconic Eateries: $52
- Middle-eastern Cuisine Cooking Class with Meal: $52
- Street Food Tour with Local Guide and 7 Tastings: $57
- Traditional Greek Cooking Class and Organic Lunch on Poros: $60
- Alternative, truly authentic food tour in secret Athens: $63
- Greek Traditional Vegan Cooking Class with Meal: $63
- Greek Traditional Vegan Cooking Classes in Athina: $64
- Light Lunch Tasting & Cooking Demo: $67
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Krakow
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Krakow.
- Walking Street Food Tour: $22
- From Polish Folk Show with All-You-Can-Eat Dinner: $32
- Polish Folk Show and Dinner From Krakow: $40
- Folk Show & 3-Course Dinner at Jama Michalika Café: $44
- Romantic Dinner with a Cruise on the Vistula River: $47
- Brewery Dinner -center of Krakow : $49
- Krakow : Folk Show Dinner Drinking and Fun ! Book Now!: $59
- Folk Show Dinner Drinking and Fun in Krakow: $63
- Cabaret Show with Optional Dinner: $69
- Half-Day Krakow Food Tour in Old Town and Kazimierz: $83
- 4-Hour Polish Food Tour: $88
- Polish Pierogi Cooking Class with Farmer's Market Shopping: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Athens €36Krakow €19
Tours and Activities in Athens
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
- Meouzo Online City Tour: $3.20
- Self-guided First Discovery Walk and Reading Tour: $3.21
- Exclusive Self-Guided Audio Tour into Byzantine Gems: $4.60
- A Neoclassical Capital: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.50
- 360 Virtual tour of Ancient Athens: $6.00
- Herakleidon Museum of Ancient Greek Technology: Entry Ticket: $6.42
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Athens: $6.53
- Ancient Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $6.95
- Ancient Agora of Athens Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- The Best of Piraeus: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $6.99
- Greece: Tourist eSIM Data Plan: $7.18
- Ancient Agora: Audiovisual self-guided tour with 3D models: $7.48
Tours and Activities in Krakow
Here are a few actual costs in Krakow for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Tour from Krakow: $64
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Wieliczka Salt Mine 1-Day Tour: $141
- Rynek Underground Museum Guided Tour: $25
- Rynek Underground Museum, Old Town and St. Mary's Basilica Tour: $50
- 1 Day Auschwitz Birkenau Museum Guided Tour Hotel Pick up: $44
- 1 Day Trip Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Tour from Krakow: $34
- 1-Hour Tour to Krakow's Old Town by Electric Golf Cart: $21
- 120 min Old Town Segway Tour in Krakow: $49
- 2 Days Tour in Wawel Hill, Jewish Quarter and Wieliczka with Guide and Lunch: $187
- 2 Hour Private Pinball and Arcade Museum Tour from Krakow: $273
- 2 Hours Old Town Guided Bike Tour in Krakow: $27
- 2-Hour Guided Walking Tour in The Old Town of Krakow: $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAthens €23Krakow €6.32
Sample the Local Flavors in Athens
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:
- Liquer tasting in Polykala's Distillery Show Room in Athens: $17
- Greek Wine Tasting: $23
- Premium Wine Tastings: $35
- Greek Wine Tasting Experience with a Sommelier: $43
- Athens Wine Tasting: $44
- Old Town Athens Wine Tasting: $52
- Wine Tasting Odyssey in Athens: $52
- 2 Hours Wine Tasting Odyssey in Athens: $53
- Best rated Acropolis Wine Tasting : $53
- Greek food and wine tasting: $53
- Rare Greek Wine Tasting w/Sommelier by the Acropolis: $59
- Wine Tasting and Storytelling in a Historical Square in Athina: $60
Typical Alcohol Prices in Krakow
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Krakow:
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Vodka€13
Sample the Local Flavors in Krakow
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Krakow:
- Pub Crawl with 1 Hour of Unlimited Alcoholic Drinks: $22
- Kazimierz Pub Crawl with 1-Hour of Unlimited Drinks: $22
- Pub Crawl - 1-hour Open Bar then Vip to 5 Clubs - Krakow: $24
- Halloween Pub Crawl - Krawl Through Krakow: $24
- Pub tour in Old Town with 1 hour open bar with a guide.: $25
- Kazimierz Pub Crawl + 1-hour Open Bar: $25
- Pub Crawl with Shots, Drinks & Skip-the-Line Entry: $25
- Pub Crawl of Kazimierz Jewish Quarter with a Local Guide : $25
- Three-Hour Pub Crawl: $39
- Wieliczka Vineyard: Wine tasting with local snacks: $44
- Hoppy tours - Krakow brewery tour : $56
- Krakow Wine Tasting Private Tour with Wine Expert: $176
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Athens and Krakow, we can see that Athens is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Krakow would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Krakow and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Athens would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Athens than you might in Krakow.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Athens Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Athens or Krakow?
Krakow has a larger population, and is about 4% larger than the population of Athens. When comparing the sizes of Athens and Krakow, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Athens or Krakow?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Athens or Krakow in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Athens as well as Krakow. The city activities and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Athens this time of year.
Athens is a little warmer than Krakow in the summer. The daily temperature in Athens averages around 27°C (81°F) in July, and Krakow fluctuates around 19°C (67°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Krakow. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Athens this time of the year. In the summer, Athens often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Athens gets 357 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun.
Athens usually gets less rain in July than Krakow. Athens gets 6 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyAthens 27°C (81°F)Krakow 19°C (67°F)
Should I visit Athens or Krakow in the Autumn?
Both Krakow and Athens are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Athens for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Athens is much warmer than Krakow. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Athens in October average around 19°C (67°F), and Krakow averages at about 11°C (51°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Athens. Athens usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during autumn. Athens gets 206 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Athens usually receives around the same amount of rain as Krakow. Athens gets 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberAthens 19°C (67°F)Krakow 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Athens or Krakow in the Winter?
Both Krakow and Athens during the winter are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Athens in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Krakow can be very cold during winter. In January, Athens is generally much warmer than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Athens average around 10°C (51°F), and Krakow fluctuates around -2°C (29°F).
In the winter, Athens often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Athens gets 143 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun.
Athens usually gets more rain in January than Krakow. Athens gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryAthens 10°C (51°F)Krakow -2°C (29°F)
Should I visit Athens or Krakow in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Athens and Krakow. Most visitors come to Athens for the activities around the city and the natural beauty during these months.
Athens is much warmer than Krakow in the spring. The daily temperature in Athens averages around 16°C (60°F) in April, and Krakow fluctuates around 10°C (50°F).
In Athens, it's very sunny this time of the year. Athens usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during spring. Athens gets 226 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Athens usually receives less rain than Krakow. Athens gets 25 mm (1 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilAthens 16°C (60°F)Krakow 10°C (50°F)
Typical Weather for Krakow and Athens
| Athens | Krakow | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 10°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Feb | 11°C (51°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Mar | 12°C (54°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Apr | 16°C (60°F) | 25 mm (1 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| May | 20°C (68°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (76°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (76°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Oct | 19°C (67°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Nov | 16°C (60°F) | 51 mm (2 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Dec | 12°C (54°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) | 1°C (33°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.