Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Chiang Mai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai 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: Chiang Mai or Krakow?
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is both the cultural center of northern Thailand and a launching point for trips into the rural areas, small towns, and lush jungles of the country's northern regions. Known for great food, historic temples, arts and crafts, and a lively night market, Chiang Mai is a very popular destination for travelers. In some areas, tourists and ex-pats dominate, but it's quite easy to get away from the tourist scene and into the real culture of Thailand, as Chiang Mai (and the surrounding countryside) is quite large.
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 G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best 3-Day Tours from Phuket, The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChiang Mai $45Krakow $65
The average daily cost (per person) in Chiang Mai is $45, 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 Chiang Mai and Krakow in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChiang Mai $26Krakow $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChiang Mai $52Krakow $84
Compare Hotels in Chiang Mai and Krakow
Looking for a hotel in Chiang Mai 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: Chiang Mai Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chiang Mai $3.61Krakow $6.41
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Chiang Mai are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$1.09
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Moped Rental$4.89
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chiang Mai
Also for Chiang Mai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 2-Day Transfer Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai by Sleeper Bus : $83
- ATV Riding and Grand Canyon Chiang Mai Include Pickup Transfer: $90
- Chiang Mai #1 Way Private Car transfer to/from Bangkok City: $273
- Chiang Mai #Private Car transfer to/from Mae Sot: $196
- Chiang Mai : Sticky Waterfalls transfer: $23
- Chiang Mai Airport (CNX): One-Way Private Transfer: $12
- Chiang Mai Airport Arrival – Private Transfer from Airport to Four Seasons Hotel: $24
- Chiang Mai Airport CNX to Chiang Dao Private Arrival Transfer: $27
- Chiang Mai Airport CNX to Pai Resorts Round Trip Private Transfer: $154
- Chiang Mai Airport CNX to Pai Thermal Resorts Arrival Transfer: $77
- Chiang Mai Airport Departure – Private Transfer from Hotel to Airport: $13
- Chiang Mai Airport PRIVATE Arrival or Departure Transfer : $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Private Transfer to or from Budapest: $871
- Warsaw to Luxury Private Transfer: $750
- Private Transfer to or from Prague: $747
- From Gdansk or One-Way Private Transfer: $672
- Private Transfer to or from Bratislava: $622
- Private transfer! Warsaw Chopin Airport - Krakow City Center: $425
- Private transfer from Krakow to Budapest or from Budapest to Krakow: $299
- Private door-to-door transfer from Krakow to Budapest: $292
- From Krakow to Wroclaw Airport Private Transfer: $291
- Warsaw - Premium-Class Private Airport Transfer: $288
- Private Transfer from Krakow to Warsaw with 2h of Sightseeing: $287
- Private Transfer Airport to Warszawa Okęcie: $279
Is it cheaper to fly into Chiang Mai or Krakow?
Prices for flights to both Krakow and Chiang Mai 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 dayChiang Mai $10Krakow $13
Typical Food Prices in Chiang Mai
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Chiang Mai:
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Sit Down Dinner (for One)$5.30
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Roti Snack (Bread)$0.65
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Casual Breakfast$1.09
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$5.43
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Mangoes$0.82
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Coffee$1.36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chiang Mai
For Chiang Mai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cooking Evening Class Chiang Mai Visit Organic Garden and Market: $11
- Cooking Morning Class Chiang Mai Visit Organic Garden and Market : $11
- Traditional Khantoke Dinner and Show from Chiang Mai: $19
- Khantoke Dinner with Traditional Performance: $22
- Afternoon Cooking Class in Organic Garden in Chiang Mai: $22
- Evening Cooking Class in Organic Garden Chiang Mai: $22
- Half-Day Thai Cooking Class at Organic Farm in Chiang Mai: $22
- Cooking Class, Market and Thai Herbs Garden Tour: $25
- Authentic Easy Thai Recipes for Home-Style Cooking Half Day AM: $25
- Half Day Evening Cooking Class with Yummy Tasty Thai Cooking School: $25
- Half-Day Thai Cuisine Cooking Experience in Chiang Mai : $27
- Thai and Isaan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $27
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.Chiang Mai $13Krakow $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Chiang Mai
For Chiang Mai, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Thai Cooking Class$35
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Doi Suthep Entrance Ticket$1.63
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Kratong Lessons$2.72
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Pedicure$4.08
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Chiang Mai Museum (for Two)$4.89
Tours and Activities in Chiang Mai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Chiang Mai.
- Scavenger Hunt City Tour for Your Smartphone: $7.73
- Chiang Mai Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.84
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Art in Paradise Illusion Museum Entry Ticket: $11
- Mae Ping River Cruise: $12
- Old City and Temples Guided Walking Tour: $14
- Local Food and Markets Guided Walking Tour: $14
- Skip the Line: Chiang Mai Art in Paradise Admission Ticket: $14
- Tweechol Botanic Garden Half Day Adventure : $15
- Chiang Mai Michelin Food Walking Tour with Professional Tour Guide: $15
- Chiang Mai Old City & Temples Guided Walking Tour - 2 Hrs: $15
- Circuit Karting Experience at Chiang Mai Circuit - Go Kart: $16
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
- Krakow Jewish Quarter Tour in a Small Group. : $49
- Rynek Underground Museum Guided Tour: $25
- Magic Christmas tour in Wieliczka: $153
- 1 Day Auschwitz Birkenau Museum Guided Tour Hotel Pick up: $51
- 1 Day Trip Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum Guided Tour from Krakow: $34
- 1 Hour Traditional Gondola Sightseeing Vistula River Cruise: $16
- 1-Hour Tour to Krakow's Old Town by Electric Golf Cart: $21
- 2 Day Private Krakow City Tour, Old Town and Jewish Quarter: $153
- 2 Hour Private Pinball and Arcade Museum Tour from Krakow: $273
- 2 Hours Old Town Guided Bike Tour in Krakow: $27
- 2-Hour Guided Tour in Kraków-Płaszów Concentration Camp : $22
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChiang Mai $6.73Krakow $6.76
Typical Alcohol Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Chiang Mai are as follows:
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Wine$2.72
Sample the Local Flavors in Chiang Mai
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Chiang Mai:
- Chiang Mai Pub Crawl: The Best Bars & Pubs in Chiang Mai!: $9.55
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 Chiang Mai and Krakow, we can see that Krakow is more expensive. And not only is Chiang Mai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chiang Mai 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 Krakow would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Krakow than you might in Chiang Mai.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chiang Mai Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chiang Mai or Krakow?
Chiang Mai has a larger population, and is about 32% larger than the population of Krakow. When comparing the sizes of Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai or Krakow?
Krakow has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Chiang Mai experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Krakow in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Chiang Mai as well as Krakow. Chiang Mai attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In July, Chiang Mai is generally much warmer than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Chiang Mai average around 30°C (86°F), and Krakow fluctuates around 19°C (67°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Krakow. In the summer, Chiang Mai often gets less sunshine than Krakow. Chiang Mai gets 146 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun.
Chiang Mai receives a lot of rain in the summer. Chiang Mai usually gets more rain in July than Krakow. Chiang Mai gets 161 mm (6.3 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain this time of the year. June to September in Chiang Mai is the rainy season.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyChiang Mai 30°C (86°F)Krakow 19°C (67°F)
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Krakow in the Autumn?
Both Krakow and Chiang Mai are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Chiang Mai throughout the year.
Chiang Mai is much warmer than Krakow in the autumn. The daily temperature in Chiang Mai averages around 29°C (83°F) in October, and Krakow fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during autumn. Chiang Mai gets 226 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It's quite rainy in Chiang Mai. In October, Chiang Mai usually receives more rain than Krakow. Chiang Mai gets 122 mm (4.8 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn. The dry season in Chiang Mai is November to February.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberChiang Mai 29°C (83°F)Krakow 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Krakow in the Winter?
Both Krakow and Chiang Mai during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Chiang Mai because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
Krakow can be very cold during winter. In the winter, Chiang Mai is much warmer than Krakow. Typically, the winter temperatures in Chiang Mai in January average around 23°C (74°F), and Krakow averages at about -2°C (29°F).
It's quite sunny in Chiang Mai. In the winter, Chiang Mai often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Chiang Mai gets 283 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun.
Chiang Mai usually gets less rain in January than Krakow. Chiang Mai gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year. November to February is the dry season in Chiang Mai.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryChiang Mai 23°C (74°F)Krakow -2°C (29°F)
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Krakow in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Chiang Mai and Krakow. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Chiang Mai year-round.
Chiang Mai can become quite hot in the spring. In April, Chiang Mai is generally much warmer than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Chiang Mai average around 31°C (88°F), and Krakow fluctuates around 10°C (50°F).
In Chiang Mai, it's very sunny this time of the year. Chiang Mai usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during spring. Chiang Mai gets 275 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Chiang Mai usually receives around the same amount of rain as Krakow. Chiang Mai gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring. Also, June to September is the rainy season in Chiang Mai.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilChiang Mai 31°C (88°F)Krakow 10°C (50°F)
Typical Weather for Krakow and Chiang Mai
| Chiang Mai | Krakow | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 23°C (74°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (78°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Mar | 29°C (83°F) | 13 mm (0.5 in) | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Apr | 31°C (88°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| May | 31°C (87°F) | 158 mm (6.2 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jun | 30°C (86°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Jul | 30°C (86°F) | 161 mm (6.3 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Aug | 29°C (85°F) | 236 mm (9.3 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Sep | 29°C (85°F) | 228 mm (9 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Oct | 29°C (83°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (80°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Dec | 24°C (75°F) | 20 mm (0.8 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.