Which place is cheaper, Ljubljana or Krakow?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Krakow or Ljubljana?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Krakow or Ljubljana? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Krakow or Ljubljana?
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.
Ljubljana
Most people don't travel to Ljubljana to see specific sights, as there aren't many famous attractions around town. Instead, this is a city that is about atmosphere. It's a city that you explore and immerse yourself in completely. You meet the people, you go to the clubs, you find the interesting restaurants. That is the best way to learn about Ljubljana.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Poland, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Krakow, The Best 2-Week Tours in Slovenia, and The Best Bicycle Tours in Slovenia.
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Krakow Prices
Poland PricesLjubljana Prices
Slovenia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKrakow $82Ljubljana $115
The average daily cost (per person) in Krakow is $82, while the average daily cost in Ljubljana is $115. 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 Krakow and Ljubljana in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKrakow $46Ljubljana $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKrakow $92Ljubljana $126
Compare Hotels in Krakow and Ljubljana
Looking for a hotel in Krakow or Ljubljana? 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 and Ljubljana Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Krakow $7.11Ljubljana $24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Budapest: Private transfer to Krakow or Krakow to Budapest: $692
- Private transfer between Warsaw and Zakopane(one way or round-trip): $298
- Fast Track Wawel Castle and Old Town Tour with Transfers: $298
- Wheelchair accessible PRIVATE transfer to Auschwitz - Birkenau: $295
- Krakow Airport (KRK) to Poprad - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $281
- Luxury Private Transfer from Krakow to Vienna: $277
- Transfer from Katowice airport to Zakopane: $271
- Private Transfer to/from Warsaw: $261
- Krakow Balice Airport- Austria Vienna city private transfer: $255
- Krakow / Cracow Balice Airport - Warszawa City Warsaw Airports Private transfer: $224
- Ski Trip + Thermal Baths with Private Transfers from Krakow: $224
- Transfer from Krakow (Balice airport) to Kielce: $216
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ljubljana
Also for Ljubljana, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- CO2-Offset Arrival Transfer Ljubljana Airport to Ljubljana City: $86
- E-bike experience between vineyards of Goriška Brda - transfer from Ljubljana: $159
- Ljubljana Airport(LJU) to Ljubljana - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $83
- Ljubljana Airport- Lake Bled or vice versa. Private transfer.: $146
- Ljubljana to Ljubljana Airport (LJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $41
- Ljubljana- Airport Ljubljana. Private transfer.: $103
- Private Transfer from Budapest to Ljubljana: $686
- Private Transfer from Ljubljana Airport (LJU) to Celje: $226
- Private Transfer from Ljubljana Airport (LJU) to Kranj: $77
- Private Transfer from Ljubljana Airport (LJU) to Kranjska Gora: $198
- Private Transfer from Ljubljana Airport (LJU) to Ljubljana City: $77
- Private Transfer from Ljubljana Airport (LJU) to Novo Mesto: $256
Is it cheaper to fly into Krakow or Ljubljana?
Prices for flights to both Ljubljana and Krakow 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 dayKrakow $25Ljubljana $33
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Krakow
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Krakow.
- Traditional Polish Food Tour in Kraków: $26
- Brewery Dinner -center of Krakow: $53
- Pierogi Cooking Class with Market Shopping and Local Snacks: $81
- Traditional Polish Food Tour in Krakow Old Town: $97
- Krakow Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting and Dinner: $104
- Krakow Pierogi Cooking Class with Market Visit & Home-Cooked Meal: $112
- Traditional Jewish Ashkenazi Food Tour in Krakow: $118
- Deluxe Polish Food Tour Experience in Krakow: $119
- The 10 Tastings of Krakow With Locals: Private Food Tour: $165
- Katowice Private Traditional Polish Food Tour: $191
- Private Food Tour in Krakow Poland: $195
- Zakopane: Private Traditional Polish Food Tour: $236
Typical Food Prices in Ljubljana
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ljubljana:
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Horsemeat Hot Dog$2.33
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ljubljana
For Ljubljana, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Slovenian Dinner and Show: $77
- The Cradle of Lipizzaner horses - Half Day Trip from Ljubljana: $175
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Krakow $22Ljubljana $17
Tours and Activities in Krakow
Here are a few actual costs in Krakow for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Hour Traditional Gondola Sightseeing Vistula River Cruise: $18
- 1,5-Hour Jewish Quarter Kazimierz Walking Guided Tour in Krakow: $27
- 1-Hour Tour to Krakow's Old Town by Electric Golf Cart: $21
- 1.5h Crazy Guides' Communism Tour of Nowa Huta in Classic Car: $114
- 2 Days Krakow Tour Auschwitz Wieliczka and Schindler: $244
- 2 Days in Auschwitz, Wawel and Wieliczka Tour: $256
- 2 Hour Bottomless Brunch Experience with 3 Course Meal And Drinks: $70
- 2-Hour City Walking Tour in Creepy Krakow: $22
- 2-Hour Guided Tour in Kraków-Płaszów Concentration Camp: $29
- 3-Hour E-Bike Tour In Krakow: $52
- 4-Hours Krakow Extreme Off-Road Quad Bike Tour: $159
- 60 Minute Krakow Sightseeing Cruise on the Vistula River: $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ljubljana
For Ljubljana, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Castle Tower Entrance (for 2)$9.31
Tours and Activities in Ljubljana
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ljubljana.
- Bridges and Dragons self guided tour of Ljubljana: $7.99
- Ljubljana Historic Downtown Audio Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
- Discover Lovely Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
- Ljubljana Castle: Entrance Ticket: $18
- Classic Ljubljana Group Tour: $18
- Gokart Experience through World of LED Lights: $19
- Guided Boat Tour in Ljubljana: $24
- Ljubljana Festively Decorated Walking Tour: $24
- Ljubljana 2Hours Walking Tour with Local Guide: $24
- Self Guided Secrets of Ljubljana Exploration Game Tour: $31
- Discovery Walk in a green city adventure filled with history: $33
- Love tour in Ljubljana - Tales of Love in Ljubljana: $34
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKrakow $7.49Ljubljana $13
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$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Krakow
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Krakow:
- Ultimate Katowice Pub Crawl & VIPClub Entry by Fun Explorers: $8.25
- Halloween Pub Crawl - Krawl Through Krakow: $27
- Krakow Pub Crawl with 1 Hr of unlimited alcohol & 4 clubs/pubs: $35
- Pub Crawl + Unlimited Drinks + VIP entry + Drinking Games & Photographer: $35
- Krakow Evening Pub Crawl: $48
- Wieliczka Vineyard: Wine tasting with local snacks: $59
- Krakow Wine Tasting Private Tour with Wine Expert: $176
Typical Alcohol Prices in Ljubljana
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Ljubljana are as follows:
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Drinks at a Sidewalk Cafe (for 2)$6.98
Sample the Local Flavors in Ljubljana
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Ljubljana:
- Wine Tasting, Slovenian Wine Story: $58
- 2-Hour Interactive Wine Tasting Experience in Ljubljana: $71
- BEER WAY Kamnik Beer Tasting & Brewery Tour: $105
- Food & Wine Tour Ljubljana - Local Foodie Adventure in Slovenia: $112
- Maribor and Styria Tour with Wine Tasting: $130
- Wine Tour Slovenia: $282
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krakow and Ljubljana, we can see that Ljubljana 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 Ljubljana would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ljubljana 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 Krakow Expensive? and Is Ljubljana Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Krakow or Ljubljana?
Krakow has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Ljubljana. When comparing the sizes of Krakow and Ljubljana, 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 Krakow or Ljubljana?
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 Krakow or Ljubljana in the Summer?
Both Ljubljana and Krakow during the summer are popular places to visit. Furthermore, many visitors come to Ljubljana in the summer for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Krakow is cooler than Ljubljana. Typically, the summer temperatures in Krakow in July average around 19°C (67°F), and Ljubljana averages at about 22°C (72°F).
In Ljubljana, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Krakow. In the summer, Krakow often gets less sunshine than Ljubljana. Krakow gets 201 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Ljubljana receives 260 hours of full sun.
Ljubljana gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Krakow usually gets less rain in July than Ljubljana. Krakow gets 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Ljubljana receives 122 mm (4.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyKrakow 19°C (67°F)Ljubljana 22°C (72°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Ljubljana in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Krakow and Ljubljana. Furthermore, most visitors come to Ljubljana for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area during these months.
In October, Krakow is generally cooler than Ljubljana. Daily temperatures in Krakow average around 11°C (51°F), and Ljubljana fluctuates around 13°C (56°F).
Krakow usually receives less sunshine than Ljubljana during autumn. Krakow gets 97 hours of sunny skies, while Ljubljana receives 116 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Ljubljana receives a lot of rain in the autumn. In October, Krakow usually receives less rain than Ljubljana. Krakow gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Ljubljana receives 115 mm (4.5 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberKrakow 11°C (51°F)Ljubljana 13°C (56°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Ljubljana in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Krakow as well as Ljubljana. Additionally, the winter months attract visitors to Ljubljana because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
The weather in Ljubljana can be very cold. Krakow can be very cold during winter. Krakow is much colder than Ljubljana in the winter. The daily temperature in Krakow averages around -2°C (29°F) in January, and Ljubljana fluctuates around 1°C (34°F).
In the winter, Krakow often gets less sunshine than Ljubljana. Krakow gets 38 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Ljubljana receives 47 hours of full sun.
Krakow usually gets less rain in January than Ljubljana. Krakow gets 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Ljubljana receives 82 mm (3.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryKrakow -2°C (29°F)Ljubljana 1°C (34°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Ljubljana in the Spring?
Both Ljubljana and Krakow are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Also, the activities around the city and the natural beauty are the main draw to Ljubljana this time of year.
In the spring, Krakow is cooler than Ljubljana. Typically, the spring temperatures in Krakow in April average around 10°C (50°F), and Ljubljana averages at about 12°C (54°F).
Krakow usually receives less sunshine than Ljubljana during spring. Krakow gets 132 hours of sunny skies, while Ljubljana receives 162 hours of full sun in the spring.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Ljubljana. In April, Krakow usually receives less rain than Ljubljana. Krakow gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Ljubljana receives 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilKrakow 10°C (50°F)Ljubljana 12°C (54°F)
Typical Weather for Ljubljana and Krakow
| Krakow | Ljubljana | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 1°C (34°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) |
| Feb | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 4°C (39°F) | 80 mm (3.2 in) |
| Mar | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 98 mm (3.8 in) |
| Apr | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) |
| Jun | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 155 mm (6.1 in) |
| Jul | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) |
| Aug | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 145 mm (5.7 in) |
| Sep | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 18°C (65°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) |
| Oct | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 115 mm (4.5 in) |
| Nov | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 135 mm (5.3 in) |
| Dec | 1°C (33°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 2°C (36°F) | 101 mm (4 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.