Which place is cheaper, Pittsburgh or Krakow?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Krakow or Pittsburgh?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Krakow or Pittsburgh? 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 Pittsburgh?
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.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is a city in western Pennsylvania at the junction of 3 rivers. Set between the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, and a mountain ridge called Mt Washington, Pittsburgh has a unique character that is evident from the moment you arrive. Juxtaposed with the rumbling freight trains and the iconic bridges are the Bladerunner-esque self-driving Uber vehicles, scanning the roads with spinning Lidar scanners. Its Gilded Age sites, including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, speak to its history as an early-20th-century industrial capital. In the North Shore neighborhood are the modern Andy Warhol Museum, Heinz Field football stadium, and PNC Park baseball stadium. Experiencing periods of boom and bust since its founding, the city is in a boom now, and it's a fun place to visit, with top-notch museums, great gardens and parks, and amazing food.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Anchorage, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKrakow $65Pittsburgh $181
The average daily cost (per person) in Krakow is $65, while the average daily cost in Pittsburgh is $181. 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 Pittsburgh in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKrakow $42Pittsburgh $106
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKrakow $84Pittsburgh $212
Compare Hotels in Krakow and Pittsburgh
Looking for a hotel in Krakow or Pittsburgh? 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 Pittsburgh Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Krakow $6.41Pittsburgh $22
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pittsburgh
Also for Pittsburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh City - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $97
- Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) to Pittsburgh hotel/address - Arrival Private Transfer: $48
- Pittsburgh City to Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) - Departure Private Transfer: $48
Is it cheaper to fly into Krakow or Pittsburgh?
Prices for flights to both Pittsburgh 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
-
Food Meals for one dayKrakow $13Pittsburgh $54
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pittsburgh
For Pittsburgh, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Pittsburgh's Strip District Food Tour: $70
- Pittsburgh's Strip District Food Tour: $70
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Krakow $20Pittsburgh $38
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
Tours and Activities in Pittsburgh
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Pittsburgh.
- Eastbound Pennsylvania Turnpike: A Self-Guided Driving Tour: $6.22
- Pittsburgh to Logstown Settler's History: A Self-Guided Driving Tour: $6.32
- Entrance Ticket to AT BLAQK House Collections: $7.00
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Pittsburgh by Crazy Dash: $10
- Smartphone-Guided Walking Tour of Downtown Pittsburgh: $25
- Smartphone-Guided Tour of Downtown Pittsburgh Sights & Stories: $28
- Public Art Walking Tour: $30
- Pittsburg 101 Tour: $30
- Pittsburgh 101 Walking History Tour: $32
- Black & Ghost Tour: $33
- Downtown History and Architecture Tour: $33
- Best of the Burgh Walking Tour of Pittsburgh: $33
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayKrakow $6.76Pittsburgh $33
Typical Alcohol Prices in Krakow
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Krakow:
-
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Pittsburgh
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Pittsburgh:
- Pittsburgh Bar Hunt: Party Through Pittsburgh Bar Crawl: $13
- Wigle Whiskey Rebellion Distillery Tour: $22
- New! Bites & Brews: Pittsburgh Brewery Walk: $50
- Bike and Brewery Tour: $69
- Pittsburgh Signature Guided Brewery Tour: $105
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krakow and Pittsburgh, we can see that Pittsburgh is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Krakow is in Europe and Pittsburgh is in North America, 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 Pittsburgh would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Krakow or Pittsburgh?
Krakow has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Pittsburgh. When comparing the sizes of Krakow and Pittsburgh, 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.
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.