Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Lucerne?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Lucerne or Krakow?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Lucerne and Krakow. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Lucerne or Krakow?
Lucerne
Lucerne is a relatively small city in the center of Switzerland. It is located across the lake from Altdorf and it has a thriving tourism industry. It's close proximity to many of the major sights in the country make it a great base for exploration. Many people use it as a jumping off point for exploring Mount Rigi and the Rutli Meadow.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Switzerland, The Best 2-Week Tours in Switzerland, The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLucerne $214Krakow $64
The average daily cost (per person) in Lucerne is $214, while the average daily cost in Krakow is $64. 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 Lucerne and Krakow in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLucerne $137Krakow $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLucerne $274Krakow $84
Compare Hotels in Lucerne and Krakow
Looking for a hotel in Lucerne or Krakow? 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: Lucerne Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lucerne $13Krakow $6.40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lucerne
Also for Lucerne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bad Ragaz Resorts to Zurich Airport ZRH - Departure Transfer: $126
- From Canyoning in Interlaken w/ Return Transfer: $257
- INTERLAKEN Private Transfer from Zurich Airport: $744
- LAUTERBRUNNEN Private Transfer from Zurich Airport: $722
- Private transfer from Zurich airport to Lucerne: $547
- Lucerne City to Zurich City One-Way Private Transfer : $300
- Private Transfer from Lucerne to Zurich Airport: $284
- Private Transfer from Lucerne to Zurich English Speaking Driver: $134
- Rafting in Interlaken with Return Transfer from Lucerne: $257
- Zurich Airport (ZRH) to Bad Ragaz Resorts - Round-Trip Transfer: $251
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:
- Private Transfer to or from Berlin: $929
- Private Transfer to or from Budapest: $867
- Warsaw to Luxury Private Transfer: $747
- From Gdansk or One-Way Private Transfer: $669
- Private Transfer to or from Bratislava: $619
- Private transfer! Warsaw Chopin Airport - Krakow City Center: $470
- Private transfer from Krakow to Budapest or from Budapest to Krakow: $299
- Private door-to-door transfer from Krakow to Budapest: $291
- Warsaw - Premium-Class Private Airport Transfer: $288
- Transfer from Krakow (Balice airport) to Krynica Zdroj : $283
- Private Transfer Airport to Warszawa Okęcie: $278
- Private transfer from Katowice AirPort to Krakow City: $272
Is it cheaper to fly into Lucerne or Krakow?
Prices for flights to both Krakow and Lucerne 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 dayLucerne $62Krakow $13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lucerne
For Lucerne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Swiss Alps: Traditional Swiss Fondue Cooking Class: $82
- Lake Candlelight Dinner Cruise: $141
- From Zurich: 2-Day Mt.Titlis including 4-course dinner: $547
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lucerne $34Krakow $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lucerne
For Lucerne, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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1 Day Bicycle Rental$34
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The Swiss Transport Museum Entrance Fee$35
Tours and Activities in Lucerne
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Lucerne.
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Revealing Self-Guided Reading City Tour: $5.47
- Smartphone walking tour - cool Lucerne old town: $5.47
- Walking Tour - Around the Old Town Lucerne: $5.60
- The Lives and Legends of A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Lucerne Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Tour: $6.42
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.42
- Revealing Self-Guided Audio City Tour: $11
- Porrentruy Secret Tour: $13
- Scavenger Hunt and Self-guided Walking Tour: $15
- Swiss Chocolate Adventure Experience: $20
- Guided Walking Tour with an Official Guide: $27
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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLucerne $22Krakow $6.75
Sample the Local Flavors in Lucerne
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lucerne:
- 3 Hour Unique Wine Tour - Half Day in Swiss Alps: $166
- Lake Lucerne Region Wine Tasting: $273
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lucerne and Krakow, we can see that Lucerne 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 Lucerne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lucerne 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 Lucerne Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Lucerne or Krakow?
Krakow has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Lucerne. When comparing the sizes of Lucerne and Krakow, 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 Lucerne or Krakow?
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 Lucerne or Krakow in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Lucerne as well as Krakow. The city activities and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Lucerne this time of year.
Lucerne is a little warmer than Krakow in the summer. The daily temperature in Lucerne averages around 21°C (70°F) in July, and Krakow fluctuates around 19°C (67°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Krakow. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Lucerne this time of the year. In the summer, Lucerne often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Lucerne gets 241 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun.
Lucerne usually gets around the same amount of rain in July as Krakow. Lucerne gets 89 mm (3.5 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyLucerne 21°C (70°F)Krakow 19°C (67°F)
Should I visit Lucerne or Krakow in the Autumn?
Both Krakow and Lucerne are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Lucerne for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Lucerne is a little warmer than Krakow. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Lucerne in October average around 13°C (56°F), and Krakow averages at about 11°C (51°F).
Lucerne usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during autumn. Lucerne gets 120 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Lucerne usually receives more rain than Krakow. Lucerne gets 70 mm (2.8 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberLucerne 13°C (56°F)Krakow 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Lucerne or Krakow in the Winter?
Both Krakow and Lucerne during the winter are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Lucerne in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Krakow can be very cold during winter. Lucerne can get quite cold in the winter. In January, Lucerne is generally much warmer than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Lucerne average around 3°C (37°F), and Krakow fluctuates around -2°C (29°F).
In the winter, Lucerne often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Lucerne gets 55 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun.
Lucerne usually gets more rain in January than Krakow. Lucerne gets 77 mm (3 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryLucerne 3°C (37°F)Krakow -2°C (29°F)
Should I visit Lucerne or Krakow in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Lucerne and Krakow. Most visitors come to Lucerne for the activities around the city and the natural beauty during these months.
Lucerne is a little warmer than Krakow in the spring. The daily temperature in Lucerne averages around 12°C (53°F) in April, and Krakow fluctuates around 10°C (50°F).
Lucerne usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during spring. Lucerne gets 150 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Lucerne usually receives more rain than Krakow. Lucerne gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilLucerne 12°C (53°F)Krakow 10°C (50°F)
Typical Weather for Krakow and Lucerne
| Lucerne | Krakow | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 3°C (37°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Feb | 5°C (40°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Mar | 8°C (46°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Apr | 12°C (53°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| May | 16°C (60°F) | 101 mm (4 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jun | 19°C (66°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Jul | 21°C (70°F) | 89 mm (3.5 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Aug | 21°C (69°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Sep | 18°C (64°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Oct | 13°C (56°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Nov | 7°C (45°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Dec | 4°C (39°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 1°C (33°F) | 40 mm (1.6 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.