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

Should you visit Melbourne or Krakow?

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

Should I visit Melbourne or Krakow? 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: Melbourne or Krakow?

Melbourne

Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.

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 Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland.


Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Melbourne?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Melbourne is $179, while the average daily cost in Krakow is $65. 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 Melbourne and Krakow in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Melbourne $120
    Krakow $42
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Melbourne $240
    Krakow $84
Compare Hotels in Melbourne and Krakow

Looking for a hotel in Melbourne 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.

Hotels in Melbourne


Hotels in Krakow


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: Melbourne Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Melbourne $20
    Krakow $6.41
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:


  • Airport Bus
    $11
  • Tram Ride
    $2.51

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne

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

  • Luxury Airport Transfers & Best Limo Service in Melbourne: $88
  • Melbourne Airport Arrival Or Departure Luxury Car Transfers : $110
  • Airport Transfers: $143
  • Arrival Transfer Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Sedan: $115
  • Arrival Transfer from Melbourne Airport MEL to Melbourne in Van: $163
  • Avalon Airport Transfers: $167
  • Ballarat - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $179
  • Departure Transfer Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Sedan: $115
  • Departure Transfer from Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Van: $163
  • From Melbourne Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Melbourne: $79
  • From Lake Mountain Ski Resort Tour with Transfers: $958
  • GoBlu-EV: 100% Electric Cabs for Airport & City Transfer in MEL: $33

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

Is it cheaper to fly into Melbourne or Krakow?

Prices for flights to both Krakow and Melbourne 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
    Melbourne $31
    Krakow $13
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne

For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Coffee
    $2.64
  • Pizza
    $4.62

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne

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

  • Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
  • Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $54
  • Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $79
  • Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
  • Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $87
  • Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $98
  • Pizza Making Party: $100
  • Secret Food Tours Melbourne: $107
  • Secret Food Tour: $109
  • Chinese Cooking Class Master: $118
  • Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise: $124
  • Choose Your Asian Cuisine Cooking Masterclass: $130

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Melbourne $28
    Krakow $20

Tours and Activities in Melbourne

For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Melbourne:Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $3.23
  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
  • Melbourne Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $3.29
  • Escape Game and Tour: $6.46
  • Marvellous A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
  • Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
  • MoPA Children's Museum Admission Ticket: $9.25
  • Immigration Museum Entry Ticket: $9.91
  • Melbourne Museum Entry Ticket: $9.91
  • Melbourne Gardens Explorer Minibus Tour: $9.91
  • Scienceworks Entry Ticket: $9.91
  • Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $11

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Melbourne $17
    Krakow $6.76
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:


  • Bottle of Wine
    $5.12

Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne

Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Melbourne Pub Crawl: $17
  • Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $19
  • Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $26
  • MELBOURNE Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Tour: $26
  • Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $33
  • Laid back,Small-Group Yarra Valley Wine Tour :Wine,Gin,Cider+more: $87
  • Yarra Valley Day Trip with Local Wine Tastings from Melbourne: $102
  • Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $116
  • Yarra Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $129
  • Southern Gippsland boutique Wine Tour with Tapas from Melbourne : $140
  • Wine Tour Yarra Valley, Vic - inc. 2 course lunch + glass of wine: $165
  • Mornington Peninsula Premium Tour with Wine Tasting at Yabby Lake : $172

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


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Melbourne and Krakow, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Melbourne is in Pacific and Krakow is in Europe, 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne 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 Melbourne Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Melbourne or Krakow?

Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Krakow. When comparing the sizes of Melbourne 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 Melbourne or Krakow?

Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Melbourne 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 Melbourne or Krakow in the Summer?

Both Krakow and Melbourne during the summer are popular places to visit. The summer months attract visitors to Melbourne because of the beaches, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences.

In the summer, Melbourne is around the same temperature as Krakow. Typically, the summer temperatures in Melbourne in January average around 20°C (68°F), and Krakow averages at about 19°C (67°F)in July.

In Krakow, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Melbourne. In the summer, Melbourne often gets more sunshine than Krakowin July. Melbourne gets 271 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun.

Melbourne usually gets less rain in January than Krakowin July. Melbourne gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures January and July
    Melbourne 20°C (68°F) 
    Krakow 19°C (67°F)

Should I visit Melbourne or Krakow in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Melbourne and Krakow. The city's sights and attractions and the shopping scene are the main draw to Melbourne this time of year.

In April, Melbourne is generally a little warmer than Krakowin October. Daily temperatures in Melbourne average around 15°C (60°F), and Krakow fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).

Melbourne usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during autumn. Melbourne gets 170 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun in the autumn.

In April, Melbourne usually receives more rain than Krakowin October. Melbourne gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures April and October
    Melbourne 15°C (60°F) 
    Krakow 11°C (51°F)

Should I visit Melbourne or Krakow in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Melbourne as well as Krakow. Many travelers come to Melbourne for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.

Krakow can get quite cold in the winter. Melbourne is much warmer than Krakow in the winter. The daily temperature in Melbourne averages around 9°C (49°F) in July, and Krakow fluctuates around -2°C (29°F)in January.

In the winter, Melbourne often gets more sunshine than Krakowin January. Melbourne gets 139 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun.

Melbourne usually gets more rain in July than Krakowin January. Melbourne gets 43 mm (1.7 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures July and January
    Melbourne 9°C (49°F) 
    Krakow -2°C (29°F)

Should I visit Melbourne or Krakow in the Spring?

Both Krakow and Melbourne are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many visitors come to Melbourne in the spring for the beaches and the activities around the city.

In the spring, Melbourne is a little warmer than Krakow. Typically, the spring temperatures in Melbourne in October average around 14°C (57°F), and Krakow averages at about 10°C (50°F)in April.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Melbourne. Melbourne usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during spring. Melbourne gets 216 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun in the spring.

In October, Melbourne usually receives more rain than Krakowin April. Melbourne gets 62 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures October and April
    Melbourne 14°C (57°F) 
    Krakow 10°C (50°F)

Typical Weather for Krakow and Melbourne

Melbourne Krakow
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 20°C (68°F) 45 mm (1.8 in) -2°C (29°F) 34 mm (1.3 in)
Feb 20°C (68°F) 43 mm (1.7 in) 0°C (32°F) 32 mm (1.3 in)
Mar 19°C (65°F) 35 mm (1.4 in) 5°C (40°F) 34 mm (1.3 in)
Apr 15°C (60°F) 50 mm (2 in) 10°C (50°F) 49 mm (1.9 in)
May 13°C (55°F) 55 mm (2.2 in) 15°C (59°F) 83 mm (3.3 in)
Jun 10°C (50°F) 37 mm (1.5 in) 18°C (64°F) 96 mm (3.8 in)
Jul 9°C (49°F) 43 mm (1.7 in) 19°C (67°F) 86 mm (3.4 in)
Aug 10°C (51°F) 51 mm (2 in) 19°C (66°F) 85 mm (3.3 in)
Sep 12°C (53°F) 48 mm (1.9 in) 15°C (60°F) 52 mm (2 in)
Oct 14°C (57°F) 62 mm (2.4 in) 11°C (51°F) 45 mm (1.8 in)
Nov 16°C (61°F) 49 mm (1.9 in) 5°C (41°F) 45 mm (1.8 in)
Dec 18°C (65°F) 47 mm (1.9 in) 1°C (33°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)