Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Tokyo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Tokyo or Krakow?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Tokyo 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: Tokyo or Krakow?
Tokyo
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is by far the most populous city in the world with a staggering 37 million people. As a worldwide hub for technology and business, it hosts millions of visitors annually. But Tokyo is not just a place for business trips. With its incredible mixture of historical temples and shrines, remarkably beautiful parks, endless shopping malls, and genuinely wonderful people, Tokyo is a terrific place to visit and to explore.
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 2-Week Tours in Japan, The Best Bicycle Tours in Japan, The Best 10-Day Tours in Poland, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Poland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTokyo $157Krakow $65
The average daily cost (per person) in Tokyo is $157, 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 Tokyo and Krakow in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTokyo $77Krakow $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTokyo $154Krakow $84
Compare Hotels in Tokyo and Krakow
Looking for a hotel in Tokyo 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: Tokyo Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tokyo $17Krakow $6.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tokyo
Also for Tokyo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Tokyo to Narita Airport: $224
- Airport Transfer between Narita and Tokyo or Disney or Yokohama: $222
- Airport transfer between Haneda and Tokyo or Disney or Yokohama: $124
- Arrival Private Transfer: Haneda Airport HND to Tokyo in Sedan: $279
- Departure Private Transfer: Tokyo to Haneda Airport HND in Sedan: $279
- Departure Transfer from Tokyo City to Haneda Airport HND by van: $75
- From Haneda Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Tokyo City: $92
- From Tokyo:Private tour to Kamakura with Round-way transfer: $599
- Fuji-Q Highland 1-Day Pass with Private Transfer: $239
- Hakuba: Private transfer from/to Tokyo/HND by minibus max 9: $843
- Haneda Airport (HND) Private Transfer to Central Tokyo: $109
- Haneda Airport (HND) to/from Tokyo 23 Ward Private Transfer: $110
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Tokyo or Krakow?
Prices for flights to both Krakow and Tokyo 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 dayTokyo $37Krakow $13
Typical Food Prices in Tokyo
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Tokyo:
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Late Night Noodles$5.23
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Conveyor Belt Sushi Snack$5.23
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Meal at Airport$6.81
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tokyo
For Tokyo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Takoyaki cooking experience in Kabukicho, Shinjuku: $23
- Easy Ramen Cooking Experience in Kabukicho, Shinjuku: $26
- 2 Hours Japanese Style Pub and Food Tour in Ueno: $33
- Private Sushi Roll Cooking Class in Japan: $38
- Food Tour in Tsukiji : $48
- Sushi Making Experience in Tsukiji 90-Minute cooking class: $54
- Japanese Traditional Cooking Class: $59
- Wagyu and 7 Japanese Dishes Cooking Class: $61
- 【Contemporary Culture】Food tour I Always Visit in Shibuya: $65
- Tokyo Wagyu Culinary Tour Cooking Culture and Tasting: $66
- Small-Group Wagyu Beef and 7 Japanese Dishes Tokyo Cooking Class: $68
- Private Food Tour in Downtown Yanesen and Nezu Shrine: $73
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tokyo $69Krakow $20
Tours and Activities in Tokyo
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tokyo.
- Japan: Zen and Tea Ceremony Audio Guided Tour: $3.27
- Ancient Orient Museum Admission Ticket: $3.92
- Samurai and Bushido Audio Guided Tour: $4.71
- 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour Subway Ticket: $5.23
- Asakusa（Tokyo）: Smartphone Audio Guide Tour: $6.54
- Audio Guide Tour: Deeper Experience of Shinjuku Sightseeing: $6.54
- Tokyo Shibuya Bar Hopping Tour: $6.54
- Ueno: Self-Guided Tour of Ameyoko and Hidden Gems: $6.54
- Shibuya Sightseeing with an Audio Guide: $6.54
- Akihabara (Tokyo): English Audio Guide Tour: $6.54
- Ueno Park Self-Guided Tour with Audio Guide: $6.54
- Harajuku: Audio Guide Tour of Takeshita Street: $6.54
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTokyo $33Krakow $6.76
Typical Alcohol Prices in Tokyo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Tokyo:
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Sake$3.92
Sample the Local Flavors in Tokyo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tokyo:
- Tokyo Pub Crawl: $25
- 3-Hour Tokyo Pub Crawl Weekly Welcome Guided Tour in Shibuya: $52
- Toshimaya Sake Brewery Tour with Sake Tasting: $92
- barhopping tour&bar crawl in Retro Town Shimokitazawa: $98
- Tokyo | 3 Hours Brewery Tour with Sake Sommelier: $105
- Private Sake Tasting at 300 Years Old Sake Brewery in Tokyo : $105
- 【Harajuku】Night Pub Crawl with Local Japanese: $125
- Private Local Craft Brewery Tour in Tokyo: $150
- Wooden Barrel Sake Brewery Tour and Unlimited Tasting Near Tokyo: $167
- Private Walking Tour with Sake Brewery Visit in Chichibu: $190
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tokyo and Krakow, we can see that Tokyo is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tokyo is in Asia 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 Tokyo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tokyo 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 Tokyo Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tokyo or Krakow?
Tokyo has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Krakow. When comparing the sizes of Tokyo 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 Tokyo 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 Tokyo or Krakow in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Tokyo as well as Krakow. The summer months attract visitors to Tokyo because of the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
Tokyo is a little warmer than Krakow in the summer. The daily temperature in Tokyo averages around 26°C (78°F) in July, and Krakow fluctuates around 19°C (67°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Krakow. In the summer, Tokyo often gets less sunshine than Krakow. Tokyo gets 137 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun.
Tokyo receives a lot of rain in the summer. Tokyo usually gets more rain in July than Krakow. Tokyo gets 127 mm (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 JulyTokyo 26°C (78°F)Krakow 19°C (67°F)
Should I visit Tokyo or Krakow in the Autumn?
Both Krakow and Tokyo are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Tokyo this time of year.
In the autumn, Tokyo is much warmer than Krakow. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Tokyo in October average around 18°C (64°F), and Krakow averages at about 11°C (51°F).
Tokyo usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during autumn. Tokyo gets 129 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It's quite rainy in Tokyo. In October, Tokyo usually receives more rain than Krakow. Tokyo gets 165 mm (6.5 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 OctoberTokyo 18°C (64°F)Krakow 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Tokyo or Krakow in the Winter?
Both Krakow and Tokyo during the winter are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Tokyo for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Krakow can get quite cold in the winter. In January, Tokyo is generally much warmer than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Tokyo average around 5°C (42°F), and Krakow fluctuates around -2°C (29°F).
In the winter, Tokyo often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Tokyo gets 175 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun.
Tokyo usually gets more rain in January than Krakow. Tokyo gets 45 mm (1.8 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 JanuaryTokyo 5°C (42°F)Krakow -2°C (29°F)
Should I visit Tokyo or Krakow in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Tokyo and Krakow. Many visitors come to Tokyo in the spring for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
Tokyo is a little warmer than Krakow in the spring. The daily temperature in Tokyo averages around 14°C (58°F) in April, and Krakow fluctuates around 10°C (50°F).
Tokyo usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during spring. Tokyo gets 161 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun in the spring.
Tokyo gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Tokyo usually receives more rain than Krakow. Tokyo gets 125 mm (4.9 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 AprilTokyo 14°C (58°F)Krakow 10°C (50°F)
Typical Weather for Krakow and Tokyo
| Tokyo | Krakow | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 5°C (42°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | -2°C (29°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Feb | 6°C (42°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 0°C (32°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Mar | 9°C (47°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) | 5°C (40°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (58°F) | 125 mm (4.9 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| May | 19°C (66°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jun | 22°C (71°F) | 186 mm (7.3 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Jul | 26°C (78°F) | 127 mm (5 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Sep | 23°C (74°F) | 180 mm (7.1 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Oct | 18°C (64°F) | 165 mm (6.5 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Nov | 13°C (55°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Dec | 8°C (46°F) | 46 mm (1.8 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.