Which place is cheaper, Pompeii or Krakow?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Krakow or Pompeii?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Krakow or Pompeii? 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 Pompeii?
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.
Pompeii
Pompeii was once a 160-acre Roman port city, called home by more than 20,000 residents. In 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius erupted and after burying the entire city 16 feet deep in ash, the debris destroyed everything in its path, killing thousands of people and affecting more than 200 square miles around the area.
However, the phenomenon is that the ash preserved everything as it was in that time and to this day, you can visit and observe life as it was nearly two thousand years ago, as figures of people running from the explosion have been burned permanently into history.
The best time to visit Pompeii is during spring, after the rains of March and before the scorching heat of June and July. On the downside, this is the beginning of the busy season for tourists, so while you'll enjoy pleasant weather, you won't be likely to avoid crowds. Conversely, November starts the low-season for travel, so you can easily skip the crowds, though you may have to compromise on weather, as the rains return this time of year. Rain and crowds won't be an issue if you visit during winter, but be warned, temperatures drop down to the 50's during the day, accompanied by winds.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy, and The Best Walking Tours in Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKrakow $64Pompeii $161
The average daily cost (per person) in Krakow is $64, while the average daily cost in Pompeii is $161. 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 Pompeii in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKrakow $42Pompeii $75
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKrakow $84Pompeii $150
Compare Hotels in Krakow and Pompeii
Looking for a hotel in Krakow or Pompeii? 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 Pompeii Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Krakow $6.40Pompeii $57
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Zakopane to Chocholow Thermal Pools 3h Ticket with Hotel Transfer: $93
- Zakopane and Sleigh Ride with Transfers and Lunch Option: $186
- Zakopane Tour from Krakow with Transfers and Lunch Option: $65
- Zakopane Private Transfer from to Krakow or Krakow Airport: $253
- Wroclaw: Private Transfer from/to Krakow: $248
- Wooden Architecture Museum Private Transfer Round Trip: $153
- Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour with Hotel Transfers: $65
- Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour from Krakow with Hotel Transfer: $77
- Warsaw to Luxury Private Transfer: $747
- Warsaw - Premium-Class Private Airport Transfer: $288
- VAN Private transfer: Krakow Airport - Krakow City: $43
- Two Krakow Airport Transfers, Auschwitz-Birkenau & Salt Mine: $161
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pompeii
Also for Pompeii, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Organic Wine Tasting & Lunch on Vesuvius with Transfer from Pompeii: $132
- Private transfer Ravello to Naples: $121
- Private transfer from Ravello to Naples: $121
- Small Group Pompeii Wine Tasting with Lunch & Transfer Included : $97
- Transfer Private from Ravello to Naples: $239
- Transfer Ravello to Naples: $121
- Transfer from Pompeii to Naples or viceversa: $66
- Transfers Ravello - Naples: $207
- Transfers from Naples to Sorrento Positano Amalfi Ravello Maiori: $97
Is it cheaper to fly into Krakow or Pompeii?
Prices for flights to both Pompeii 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 $13Pompeii $38
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pompeii
For Pompeii, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Neapolitan Dinner in Pompei - Villa Franca - Family Restourant: $38
- Cooking Class with Italian Mamma in Pompeii: $65
- Lunch or dinner and cooking demo at a local home in Pompei: $93
- Pompei tour with a 2000 years roman dinner: $112
- Small Group Market tour and Cooking class in Pompei: $142
- Private Pizza & Tiramisu Class at a Cesarina's home with tasting in Pompei: $158
- Private Cooking Class with Lunch or Dinner in Pompei: $158
- Private market tour and cooking class with lunch or dinner in Pompei: $206
- guided tour of the ruins and cooking class fresh pasta : $272
- Cooking class: Pasta Experience in Pompei, Italy: $300
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Krakow $20Pompeii $82
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
Tours and Activities in Pompeii
For Pompeii, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- The Rise, Fall, and Rediscovery of A Self-Guided Tour: $20
- Pompeii Express 1 hour Guided Tour: $21
- Pompeii Ticket with Optional Guided Tour: $31
- PompeiI VIP: Guided Tour with your Archaeologist in a Small Group : $32
- Entrance ticket to the Valle dell'Orso Water Park: $33
- Pompeii for kids or adults skip the line small group walking tour 2 hours: $33
- Pompeii Skip the Line ticket + Audioguide: $35
- Pompeii Archeological Site Fast Track Entry Ticket : $36
- Pompeii tour with archaeologist: $38
- Pompeii Tour with experienced guide: $38
- guided tour of the archaeological excavations of Pompeii: $38
- Semi-Private Tour of Pompeii Ruins: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKrakow $6.75Pompeii $7.84
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Pompeii
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Pompeii:
- Wine Tasting Tour on the Slopes of Vesuvius: $46
- Wine Tasting on Mt. Vesuvius: $55
- Seafood Lunch with Wine Tasting & Tour on a golf cart: $87
- Guided Tour of Pompeii Ruins with Lunch and Wine Tasting: $98
- Private Wine Tour and Tasting in Pompeii with a Local: $124
- Pompeii Guided Tour & Horse Riding on Vesuvius with Wine Tasting: $191
- Pompeii, Herculaneum and scenic drive of the Mt. Vesuvius with wine tasting: $207
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krakow and Pompeii, we can see that Pompeii 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 Pompeii would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pompeii 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 Pompeii Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Krakow or Pompeii?
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 Pompeii in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Krakow as well as Pompeii. Also, many travelers come to Pompeii for the family-friendly experiences.
Krakow is cooler than Pompeii in the summer. The daily temperature in Krakow averages around 19°C (67°F) in July, and Pompeii fluctuates around 23°C (74°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Pompeii. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Krakow this time of the year. In the summer, Krakow often gets less sunshine than Pompeii. Krakow gets 201 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Pompeii receives 313 hours of full sun.
Krakow usually gets more rain in July than Pompeii. Krakow gets 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Pompeii receives 26 mm (1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyKrakow 19°C (67°F)Pompeii 23°C (74°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Pompeii in the Autumn?
Both Pompeii and Krakow are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities.
In the autumn, Krakow is much colder than Pompeii. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Krakow in October average around 11°C (51°F), and Pompeii averages at about 17°C (63°F).
Krakow usually receives less sunshine than Pompeii during autumn. Krakow gets 97 hours of sunny skies, while Pompeii receives 189 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Pompeii. In October, Krakow usually receives less rain than Pompeii. Krakow gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Pompeii receives 132 mm (5.2 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberKrakow 11°C (51°F)Pompeii 17°C (63°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Pompeii in the Winter?
Both Pompeii and Krakow during the winter are popular places to visit. Furthermore, most visitors come to Pompeii for the museums during these months.
Krakow can get quite cold in the winter. In January, Krakow is generally much colder than Pompeii. Daily temperatures in Krakow average around -2°C (29°F), and Pompeii fluctuates around 8°C (47°F).
In the winter, Krakow often gets less sunshine than Pompeii. Krakow gets 38 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Pompeii receives 115 hours of full sun.
Pompeii gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Krakow usually gets less rain in January than Pompeii. Krakow gets 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Pompeii receives 111 mm (4.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryKrakow -2°C (29°F)Pompeii 8°C (47°F)
Should I visit Krakow or Pompeii in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Krakow and Pompeii.
Krakow is cooler than Pompeii in the spring. The daily temperature in Krakow averages around 10°C (50°F) in April, and Pompeii fluctuates around 13°C (55°F).
Krakow usually receives less sunshine than Pompeii during spring. Krakow gets 132 hours of sunny skies, while Pompeii receives 189 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Krakow usually receives less rain than Pompeii. Krakow gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Pompeii receives 71 mm (2.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilKrakow 10°C (50°F)Pompeii 13°C (55°F)
Typical Weather for Pompeii and Krakow
| Krakow | Pompeii | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 8°C (47°F) | 111 mm (4.4 in) |
| Feb | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 99 mm (3.9 in) |
| Mar | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Apr | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 52 mm (2.1 in) |
| Jun | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) | 21°C (69°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) |
| Jul | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 23°C (74°F) | 26 mm (1 in) |
| Aug | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 24°C (74°F) | 46 mm (1.8 in) |
| Sep | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) |
| Nov | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 161 mm (6.3 in) |
| Dec | 1°C (33°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 118 mm (4.6 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.