Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Beijing?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Beijing or Krakow?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Beijing and Krakow can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Beijing or Krakow?
Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China and, with 21.5 million people, it is the second most populated city in the world after Shanghai. It is a city that keeps pockets of its history hidden in old neighborhoods or back alleys, despite the constant change and modernization that goes on around it. As the capital city of China, there is plenty of history and culture. You can still get yourself lost in one of the last remaining hutongs, which are old neighborhoods that remain untouched by the city's modernization. The alleys that weave between the old homes are lined with drying clothes, corner markets, and people going about their daily lives the way they have for centuries. Surrounding these hutongs you'll find modern buildings and a booming economy, all threatening to destroying these last bits of Beijing's history. Beijing offers a glimpse into a microcosm that represents the entire country of China. Make sure you give yourself enough time in China to truly experience Beijing. You can pass a lot of time soaking up life in the city, which remains as diverse as the country it resides within.
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 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBeijing $77Krakow $65
The average daily cost (per person) in Beijing is $77, while the average daily cost in Krakow is $65. 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 Beijing and Krakow in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBeijing $39Krakow $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBeijing $78Krakow $84
Compare Hotels in Beijing and Krakow
Looking for a hotel in Beijing 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: Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Beijing $7.63Krakow $6.41
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Beijing
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Beijing:
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Taxi$4.71
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Train from Airport for Two$6.90
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Taxi to Hotel$8.28
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2 Metro Passes$2.21
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Metro$0.55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Beijing
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Beijing:
- Jinshanling Great Wall Self-hiking Tour by Private Transfer Service : $98
- Private English Transfer to Shilin Gorge Platform And Ming City Wall : $140
- 1-Day Beijing Layover Tour: Mutianyu Great Wall with Round Airport Transfers: $208
- 1-Day Bejing Layover Tour:Mutianyu Great Wall,Forbidden City & Airport Transfers: $250
- 1-Way Private Transfer between Beijing Airport and City Hotels: $30
- Acrobatic Show at Red Theater With Private Transfer: $45
- Airport Layover Transfer Service to Mutianyu Great Wall & City Sightseeing : $115
- transfer from the airport to the hotel: $65
- Beijing Airport Transfer From Beijing Downtown Hotel: $28
- Beijing Airports (PKX or PEK) to Beijing Hotels private transfer: $50
- Beijing Airpotrs Private Transfers: $50
- Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) Departure Transfer (Central Beijing to PEK): $87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- 1945-1989 Communism Tour of Krakow Nowa Huta with Transfers: $160
- Airport to Cracow transfer by Luxurious VIP limo: $56
- Arrival Private Transfer from Krakow Airport KRK to Krakow City by Business Car: $39
- Arrival Private Transfer from Krakow Airport KRK to Krakow City in Luxury Van: $49
- Arrival Private Transfers from Krakow Airport KRK to Krakow City: $38
- Auschwitz Birkenau Transfer Service- Private Driver from Krakow: $109
- Auschwitz and Birkenau Round-Trip Transfer Premium from Krakow: $273
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour & Transfer from Krakow: $12
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Live Guided Tour and Transfer from Krakow: $32
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum with Private Transfers from Krakow: $217
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum Guided Tour with Ticket and Transfer: $35
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Self-Guided Visit from Krakow with Private Transfers: $131
Is it cheaper to fly into Beijing or Krakow?
Prices for flights to both Krakow and Beijing 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 dayBeijing $21Krakow $13
Typical Food Prices in Beijing
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Beijing:
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Popcorn$0.83
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Hot Pot Dinner$6.90
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Dumpling Breakfast for Two$2.76
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Watermelon$1.93
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Peking Duck Dinner for 2$16
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Two Popsicles$0.83
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Beijing
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Beijing.
- Online Cooking Class Orange Chicken by Sunflower Li: $20
- Deal 20% off Beijing Nango HotSpring Water World with Dinner: $38
- Temple of Heaven Private Tour w/Option Show &Dinner: $60
- Mogolian Hot Pot Dinner with no limit soft drink and local beer .: $70
- discovery more Beijing back street evening food tour with locals : $79
- Acrobatic Show with Peking Duck Dinner Private Tour: $80
- Discovery more local Beijing evening food Tour: $89
- Beijing Evening Guided Tour: Roast Duck Dinner and Acrobatic Show: $102
- Authentic Local Food Tour in Center Beijing: $108
- Beijing’s Delights Dong Si Hutong Half Day Private Food Tour: $110
- Private Beijing Food Tour in Traditional Hutongs: $119
- Old Beijing Lamb Ribs Hot Pot Hutong Food Tour : $125
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
- Discovering Cracow's Local Flavour: Food Tour: $22
- From Polish Folk Show with All-You-Can-Eat Dinner: $32
- Folk Show & 3-Course Dinner at Jama Michalika Café: $44
- Polish Folk Show with 3 course dinner in Krakow legendary restaurant: $45
- Krakow : Folk Show Dinner Drinking and Fun ! Book Now!: $64
- Cabaret Show with Optional Dinner: $70
- Pierogi Cooking Class: Mastering the Art of Polish Dumplings: $74
- 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
- Krakow Bites and Sights Food Tour: $104
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Beijing $24Krakow $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Beijing
Here are a few typical costs in Beijing for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Summer Palace for Two$8.28
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Two Opera Tickets$59
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Temple of Heaven Park Entrance (for 2)$9.66
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Forbidden City (for 2)$17
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Forbidden City Tickets$17
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Audio Guides at Forbidden City$11
Tours and Activities in Beijing
Here are a few actual costs in Beijing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Beijing's Old Hutongs: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.99
- Summer Palace Free Walking Tour: $5.00
- Beijing's Old Hutongs: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.34
- Panda House+City Attractions or Mutianyu Day Tour: $7.19
- Beijing Summer Palace Entrance Ticket (with Optional Guided Service): $7.88
- Beijing Temple of Heaven Entrance Ticket (with Optional Guided Service): $7.88
- Temple of Heaven Ticket: $7.90
- Summer Palace+Ming Tombs/Heaven Temple/China National Museum Tour: $8.00
- Confucius Temple and Imperial College Entrance Ticket : $8.00
- The Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) Entrance Ticket: $8.00
- Forbidden City Admission Tickets Tiananmen square Pre-Booking: $9.00
- Forbidden City Ticket : $9.90
Tours and Activities in Krakow
Here are a few actual costs in Krakow for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Kraków in a nutshell - walking tour: $1.24
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Old Town Audio-Guided Walking Tour with Headset: $3.73
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $4.31
- Old Town Audioguided walking Tour: $4.48
- Home Army Museum Emil Fieldorf “Nil” - Entrance Ticket: $4.54
- From Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour: $4.98
- Wawel Hill Tour with Audio Guide: $5.60
- From Kraków: Wieliczka Salt Mine Trip & Guided Tour: $6.22
- Wawel Hill Audioguide Tour: $6.72
- Krakow Old Town: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour: $7.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBeijing $12Krakow $6.76
Sample the Local Flavors in Beijing
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Beijing:
- Evening Food Private Tour with Brewery Taproom Hopping at Slow Boat in Beijing: $110
- Private Tour-Drum Tower, Hutong Food Taste and Local Brewery Beer: $120
- 5-Hour Private Changyu Chateau Wine Tasting Tour from Beijing: $178
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
- Pub Crawl 1 hour Open Bar and 5 Hours Clubs in Krakow with VIP: $24
- Halloween Pub Crawl - Krawl Through Krakow: $24
- Pub tour in Old Town with 1 hour open bar with a guide.: $25
- Pub Crawl with Shots, Drinks & Skip-the-Line Entry: $25
- Pub Crawl + Unlimited Drinks + VIP entry + Drinking Games & Photographer : $25
- Three-Hour Pub Crawl: $39
- Wieliczka Vineyard: Wine tasting with local snacks: $44
- Tyskie Brewery Tour from Katowice: $120
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Beijing and Krakow, we can see that Beijing is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Beijing is in Asia and Krakow is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Beijing would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Beijing 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 Beijing Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Beijing or Krakow?
Beijing has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Krakow. When comparing the sizes of Beijing 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 Beijing or Krakow?
Both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. And since both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Beijing or Krakow in the Summer?
Both Krakow and Beijing are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Beijing for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.
Beijing is a little warmer than Krakow in the summer. The daily temperature in Beijing averages around 27°C (80°F) in July, and Krakow fluctuates around 19°C (67°F).
It's quite sunny in Krakow. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Beijing. Beijing usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during summer. Beijing gets 224 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun in the summer.
It's quite rainy in Beijing. In July, Beijing usually receives more rain than Krakow. Beijing gets 176 mm (6.9 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyBeijing 27°C (80°F)Krakow 19°C (67°F)
Should I visit Beijing or Krakow in the Autumn?
Both Krakow and Beijing during the autumn are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Beijing in the autumn for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Beijing is a little warmer than Krakow. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Beijing in October average around 14°C (56°F), and Krakow averages at about 11°C (51°F).
It's quite sunny in Beijing. In the autumn, Beijing often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Beijing gets 227 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun.
Beijing usually gets less rain in October than Krakow. Beijing gets 19 mm (0.7 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberBeijing 14°C (56°F)Krakow 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Beijing or Krakow in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Beijing and Krakow. Most visitors come to Beijing for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months.
The weather in Krakow can be very cold. Beijing can be very cold during winter. In January, Beijing is generally much colder than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Beijing average around -4°C (26°F), and Krakow fluctuates around -2°C (29°F).
In Beijing, it's very sunny this time of the year. Beijing usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during winter. Beijing gets 201 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Beijing usually receives less rain than Krakow. Beijing gets 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryBeijing -4°C (26°F)Krakow -2°C (29°F)
Should I visit Beijing or Krakow in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Beijing as well as Krakow. The spring months attract visitors to Beijing because of the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
Beijing is a little warmer than Krakow in the spring. The daily temperature in Beijing averages around 14°C (57°F) in April, and Krakow fluctuates around 10°C (50°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Beijing this time of the year. In the spring, Beijing often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Beijing gets 247 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun.
Beijing usually gets less rain in April than Krakow. Beijing gets 26 mm (1 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilBeijing 14°C (57°F)Krakow 10°C (50°F)
Typical Weather for Krakow and Beijing
| Beijing | Krakow | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -4°C (26°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Feb | -1°C (30°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Mar | 6°C (42°F) | 9 mm (0.4 in) | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (57°F) | 26 mm (1 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| May | 20°C (68°F) | 29 mm (1.1 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jun | 25°C (76°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (80°F) | 176 mm (6.9 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Aug | 25°C (78°F) | 182 mm (7.2 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Sep | 20°C (69°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Oct | 14°C (56°F) | 19 mm (0.7 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Nov | 5°C (41°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Dec | -1°C (29°F) | 2 mm (0.1 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.