Which place is cheaper, Portland or Krakow?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Krakow or Portland?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Krakow or Portland? 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 Portland?
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.
Portland
Referred to as "The City of Roses", Portland is the largest city in Oregon. It sits on the banks of the Columbia River and offers breathtaking views of Mount Hood when the weather allows. Portland is famous for its alternative vibe, live music scene, and popular microbreweries. It's also a mecca for environmentally conscious urban planning. The downtown area is quite compact and walkable. While the city itself may be smaller than you expect, it is still the largest metropolitan area between San Francisco and Seattle.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland, The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKrakow $65Portland $180
The average daily cost (per person) in Krakow is $65, while the average daily cost in Portland is $180. 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 Portland in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKrakow $42Portland $97
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKrakow $84Portland $194
Compare Hotels in Krakow and Portland
Looking for a hotel in Krakow or Portland? 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 Portland Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Krakow $6.41Portland $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Zakopane: Private Transfer to Krakow: $139
- Zakopane and Sleigh Ride with Transfers and Lunch Option: $187
- Zakopane Tour & Thermal Baths with Private Transfers from Krakow: $164
- Zakopane Private Transfer from to Krakow or Krakow Airport: $254
- Zakopane Private Transfer: $148
- Zakopane Extreme Shooting Range with Hotel Transfer: $76
- Wroclaw: Private Transfer from/to Krakow: $249
- Wieliczka Salt mine private transfer-Krakow Balice Airport: $10
- Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour with Hotel Transfers: $66
- Warsaw to Luxury Private Transfer: $750
- Warsaw - Premium-Class Private Airport Transfer: $288
- VAN Private transfer: Krakow City - Krakow Airport: $43
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Portland
Also for Portland, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Lake Oswego to Portland Airport (PDX) - Departure Private Transfer: $71
- Portland Airport (PDX) to Beaverton hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer: $75
- Portland Airport (PDX) to Lake Oswego - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $142
- Portland Airport (PDX) to Tigard hotel or address - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $151
- Portland International Airport - Private transfer from/to Oregon City: $127
- Portland downtown to Portland Airport (PDX) - Departure Private Transfer: $61
- Private Transfer from Portland Airport (PDX) to Astoria Port: $88
- Tigard hotel or address to Portland Airport (PDX) - Departure Private Transfer: $75
- Waterfall Express -PDX: Waterfall Trolley Tickets + Transfer: $60
Is it cheaper to fly into Krakow or Portland?
Prices for flights to both Portland 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 $13Portland $43
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
Typical Food Prices in Portland
For Portland, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Afternoon Drinks (for 2)$9.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Portland
For Portland, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Walking Pizza Tour: $75
- Secret Food Tour with Local Guide: $94
- Brunch on Mississippi Food Tour: $95
- Downtown Portland Food Tour : $99
- Downtown Food Tour: $102
- Mississippi Avenue Walking Food Tour: $105
- The Vibrant Kerns Hood Food Tour: $105
- The Bustling Buckman Hood Food Tour: $105
- Portland Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $109
- Mississippi Avenue Walking Food Tour: $110
- All-Inclusive Downtown Portland Food Tour: $119
- 2.5-hour Dinner Cruise on Willamette River: $127
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Krakow $20Portland $24
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 Portland
For Portland, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Smartphone Old Port Portland, ME Audio Walking Tour APP/GPS: $6.75
- Portland, Maine: Walking Tour Audio Guide: $8.99
- Downtown Portland In-App Audio Tour (ENG): $9.00
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure Smartphone Audio Guide: $10
- Waterfront Scavenger Hunt Self-Guided Tour: $13
- Downtown Scavenger Hunt & Self-Guided Walking Tour: $13
- Portland (Along the Waterfront) Scavenger Hunt & Self-Guided Tour: $13
- Portland Exploration: Self-Guided Driving & Walking Tour: $14
- Self-Guided Sightseeing Driving Audio Tour: $15
- Portland Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $21
- Smartphone-Guided Walking Tour of Downtown Portland: $25
- Ghosts, Poltergeists, and Psychopaths Walking Tour: $26
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKrakow $6.76Portland $17
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Portland
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Portland:
- Haunted Underground Shanghai Tunnel Tour with Brewery Tastings: $40
- Portland Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $40
- Weird Bar Crawl with Fanatical Local: $59
- Guided Bike Tour with Brewery Visits: $65
- Portland, Maine: Old Port Brewery & Pub Walking Tour: $89
- Portland, Maine: Local Brewery & Spirits Bus Tour: $99
- Afternoon Tour in Columbia Gorge Waterfall with Free Wine Tasting: $111
- Waterfalls, Mt Hood, and Wine Tour (Tasting Fees Included): $135
- Silver Falls Hike and Wine Tour: $179
- Willamette Valley Wine Tasting from Portland: $189
- Bed and Breakfast Wine Tour - Small Group, Joinable/Sharable: $198
- From Willamette Valley Full-Day Wine Tour: $210
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krakow and Portland, we can see that Portland 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 Portland 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 Portland would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Portland 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 Portland Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Krakow or Portland?
Krakow has a larger population, and is about 40% larger than the population of Portland. When comparing the sizes of Krakow and Portland, 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 Portland?
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 Portland in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Krakow as well as Portland. Additionally, most visitors come to Portland for the hiking, the small town charm, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In the summer, Krakow is around the same temperature as Portland. Typically, the summer temperatures in Krakow in July average around 19°C (67°F), and Portland averages at about 68°F (20°C).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Portland. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Krakow this time of the year. In the summer, Krakow often gets less sunshine than Portland. Krakow gets 201 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Portland receives 338 hours of full sun.
Krakow usually gets more rain in July than Portland. Krakow gets 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Portland receives 0.7 inches (18 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyKrakow 19°C (67°F)Portland 68°F (20°C)
Should I visit Krakow or Portland in the Autumn?
Both Portland and Krakow are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Also, the autumn months attract visitors to Portland because of the hiking trails, the shopping scene, the music scene, the small town atmosphere, and the natural beauty of the area.
In October, Krakow is generally cooler than Portland. Daily temperatures in Krakow average around 11°C (51°F), and Portland fluctuates around 55°F (13°C).
Krakow usually receives less sunshine than Portland during autumn. Krakow gets 97 hours of sunny skies, while Portland receives 155 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Krakow usually receives less rain than Portland. Krakow gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Portland receives 2.6 inches (67 mm) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberKrakow 11°C (51°F)Portland 55°F (13°C)
Should I visit Krakow or Portland in the Winter?
Both Portland and Krakow during the winter are popular places to visit. Also, the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Portland this time of year.
It's quite cold in Portland in the winter. The weather in Krakow can be very cold. Krakow is much colder than Portland in the winter. The daily temperature in Krakow averages around -2°C (29°F) in January, and Portland fluctuates around 40°F (4°C).
In the winter, Krakow often gets less sunshine than Portland. Krakow gets 38 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Portland receives 86 hours of full sun.
Portland gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Krakow usually gets less rain in January than Portland. Krakow gets 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Portland receives 5.2 inches (132 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryKrakow -2°C (29°F)Portland 40°F (4°C)
Should I visit Krakow or Portland in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Krakow and Portland. Also, many travelers come to Portland for the small town charm and the natural beauty.
In the spring, Krakow is around the same temperature as Portland. Typically, the spring temperatures in Krakow in April average around 10°C (50°F), and Portland averages at about 51°F (11°C).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Portland this time of the year. Krakow usually receives less sunshine than Portland during spring. Krakow gets 132 hours of sunny skies, while Portland receives 231 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Krakow usually receives less rain than Portland. Krakow gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Portland receives 2.4 inches (61 mm) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilKrakow 10°C (50°F)Portland 51°F (11°C)
Typical Weather for Portland and Krakow
| Krakow | Portland | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 40°F (4°C) | 5.2 inches (132 mm) |
| Feb | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 44°F (7°C) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) |
| Mar | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 47°F (9°C) | 3.6 inches (92 mm) |
| Apr | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 51°F (11°C) | 2.4 inches (61 mm) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 2 inches (51 mm) |
| Jun | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) | 64°F (18°C) | 1.5 inches (39 mm) |
| Jul | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 68°F (20°C) | 0.7 inches (18 mm) |
| Aug | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 69°F (20°C) | 1 inches (25 mm) |
| Sep | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.7 inches (44 mm) |
| Oct | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 55°F (13°C) | 2.6 inches (67 mm) |
| Nov | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 46°F (8°C) | 5.4 inches (136 mm) |
| Dec | 1°C (33°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 40°F (5°C) | 6.1 inches (156 mm) |
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.