A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Krakow vs. Sao Paulo for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Krakow or Sao Paulo?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Krakow or Sao Paulo? 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 Sao Paulo?

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.

Sao Paulo

With a population of around 11 million, and 20 million in the metropolitan area, Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It's also one of the wealthiest cities in the southern hemisphere, although you don't have to look far to see the income disparities and inequalities that exist. The city is diverse and culturally rich, with excellent food, music, and entertainment.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Brazil, and The Best Adventure Tours to Brazil.


Which place is cheaper, Sao Paulo or Krakow?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Krakow is $65, while the average daily cost in Sao Paulo is $53. 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 Sao Paulo in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Krakow $42
    Sao Paulo $30
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Krakow $84
    Sao Paulo $60
Compare Hotels in Krakow and Sao Paulo

Looking for a hotel in Krakow or Sao Paulo? 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.

Hotels in Krakow


Hotels in Sao Paulo


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 Sao Paulo Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Krakow $6.41
    Sao Paulo $5.96

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 Sao Paulo

Also for Sao Paulo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Campinas Airport (VCP) to Praia Grande/Santos - Private Transfer: $63
  • Campinas Airport (VCP) to Praia/Santos Hotels Round-Trip Transfer: $125
  • Campinas Airport (VCP) to Praia/Santos hotels - Arrival Transfer: $63
  • Campinas Airport (VCP) to Sao Paulo hotels - Arrival Transfer: $38
  • Campinas Airport (VCP) to Sao Paulo hotels - Round-Trip Transfer: $77
  • Campinas Airport (VCP)to Praia Grande/Santos - RoundTrip Transfer: $125
  • Campinas Viracopos Airport (VCP) to Sao Paulo - Private Transfer: $38
  • Departure Private Transfers: Sao Paulo to Guarulhos Airport GRU in Business Car: $123
  • Departure private transfer from São Paulo city to Guarulhos Airport by minibus: $197
  • Downtown to Sao Paulo Airport (GRU) - Departure Private Transfer: $181
  • Private Arrival Transfer | Congonhas Airport (CGH) x São Paulo City: $95
  • Private Arrival Transfer | Viracopos Airport (VCP) x São Paulo City : $300

Is it cheaper to fly into Krakow or Sao Paulo?

Prices for flights to both Sao Paulo 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 day
    Krakow $13
    Sao Paulo $15

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 Sao Paulo

For Sao Paulo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Private Traditional Brazilian or Paulistano Cooking Class with a Chef: $130
  • Authentic Brazilian Cooking Experience in SP: Feijoada & Moqueca: $189

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Krakow $20
    Sao Paulo $4.08

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 Sao Paulo

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sao Paulo.

  • Downtown São Paulo's Epic History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • São Paulo (Ibirapuera) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.84
  • São Paulo Paulista Avenue City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.89
  • Walking Tour Historic Center in São Paulo: $13
  • Discover Sao Paulo History Guided Tour: $27
  • Night Walking Tour through the Bars of São Paulo : $35
  • Night Walking Tour through the Bars of Augusta street: $35
  • Breakfast Tour in Bom Retiro: $43
  • São Paulo: 2 Hours - Liberdade "Street Food" Tour: $54
  • City Tour Meet São Paulo Half-Day: $64
  • Bixiga Walking Tour: $67
  • Sao Paulo Culture Walking Tour: $69

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Krakow $6.76
    Sao Paulo $3.55
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 Sao Paulo

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sao Paulo:

  • São Paulo Nightlife: Pub Crawl in the City that Never Sleeps!: $49
  • Half Day Private Wine Tour from São Roque: $54
  • Wine Tour in São Roque by car - tour with local guides: $98
  • 4 Hours Pub Crawl in Vila Madalena: $150


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krakow and Sao Paulo, we can see that Krakow is more expensive. And not only is Sao Paulo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Krakow is in Europe and Sao Paulo is in South 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 Sao Paulo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Krakow Expensive? and Is Sao Paulo Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Krakow or Sao Paulo?

Sao Paulo has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Krakow. When comparing the sizes of Krakow and Sao Paulo, 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 Sao Paulo?

Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Sao Paulo is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Krakow has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].

Should I visit Krakow or Sao Paulo in the Summer?

Both Sao Paulo and Krakow during the summer are popular places to visit.

Krakow is cooler than Sao Paulo in the summer. The daily temperature in Krakow averages around 19°C (67°F) in July, and Sao Paulo fluctuates around 25°C (77°F)in January.

Sao Paulo gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Krakow usually gets less rain in July than Sao Pauloin January. Krakow gets 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Sao Paulo receives 170 mm (6.7 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July and January
    Krakow 19°C (67°F) 
    Sao Paulo 25°C (77°F)

Should I visit Krakow or Sao Paulo in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Krakow and Sao Paulo.

In the autumn, Krakow is much colder than Sao Paulo. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Krakow in October average around 11°C (51°F), and Sao Paulo averages at about 22°C (72°F)in April.

In October, Krakow usually receives less rain than Sao Pauloin April. Krakow gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Sao Paulo receives 50 mm (2 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October and April
    Krakow 11°C (51°F) 
    Sao Paulo 22°C (72°F)

Should I visit Krakow or Sao Paulo in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Krakow as well as Sao Paulo.

Krakow can be very cold during winter. In January, Krakow is generally much colder than Sao Pauloin July. Daily temperatures in Krakow average around -2°C (29°F), and Sao Paulo fluctuates around 19°C (66°F).

Krakow usually gets more rain in January than Sao Pauloin July. Krakow gets 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Sao Paulo receives 20 mm (0.8 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January and July
    Krakow -2°C (29°F) 
    Sao Paulo 19°C (66°F)

Should I visit Krakow or Sao Paulo in the Spring?

Both Sao Paulo and Krakow are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.

Krakow is much colder than Sao Paulo in the spring. The daily temperature in Krakow averages around 10°C (50°F) in April, and Sao Paulo fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in October.

In April, Krakow usually receives less rain than Sao Pauloin October. Krakow gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Sao Paulo receives 90 mm (3.5 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April and October
    Krakow 10°C (50°F) 
    Sao Paulo 21°C (70°F)

Typical Weather for Sao Paulo and Krakow

Krakow Sao Paulo
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan -2°C (29°F) 34 mm (1.3 in) 25°C (77°F) 170 mm (6.7 in)
Feb 0°C (32°F) 32 mm (1.3 in) 25°C (77°F) 170 mm (6.7 in)
Mar 5°C (40°F) 34 mm (1.3 in) 24°C (75°F) 120 mm (4.7 in)
Apr 10°C (50°F) 49 mm (1.9 in) 22°C (72°F) 50 mm (2 in)
May 15°C (59°F) 83 mm (3.3 in) 21°C (70°F) 30 mm (1.2 in)
Jun 18°C (64°F) 96 mm (3.8 in) 19°C (66°F) 20 mm (0.8 in)
Jul 19°C (67°F) 86 mm (3.4 in) 19°C (66°F) 20 mm (0.8 in)
Aug 19°C (66°F) 85 mm (3.3 in) 19°C (66°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Sep 15°C (60°F) 52 mm (2 in) 21°C (70°F) 60 mm (2.4 in)
Oct 11°C (51°F) 45 mm (1.8 in) 21°C (70°F) 90 mm (3.5 in)
Nov 5°C (41°F) 45 mm (1.8 in) 23°C (73°F) 110 mm (4.3 in)
Dec 1°C (33°F) 40 mm (1.6 in) 24°C (75°F) 150 mm (5.9 in)