How much money do you need for a weekend in Kraków? Two budgets, real prices and how much to carry in cash
What a weekend in Kraków costs on a careful budget and on a premium one: food, transfers, Wieliczka, Auschwitz, Zakopane, and how much of it you need in cash.
In short: Not counting your hotel, a careful weekend in Kraków costs roughly 600–800 PLN per person, and a premium one roughly 2,000–3,000 PLN per person. Most of it can be paid by card. In cash, carry about 150–250 PLN on a budget trip and 300–500 PLN on a premium one. Prices below were checked in November 2026 and are approximate; confirm tickets on the official sites before you book.
Kraków has a wider price range than most visitors expect. The same city has traditional milk bars where a full lunch costs less than a cocktail elsewhere, and restaurants recognised by the Michelin Guide where a tasting dinner passes 400 PLN per person. So “how much money do I need?” has no single answer. This guide gives two: one for a careful wallet and one for a premium one.
What things cost
All prices are in złoty (PLN). To see what that means in your currency, check today’s rates on our home page.
Getting from the airport
| Option | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Train to Kraków Główny | about 20 PLN | about 20 min |
| City bus | under 10 PLN | 30–45 min |
| Official airport taxi to the Old Town | about 110 PLN, fixed by zone | 25–40 min |
| Ride-hailing app | 60–150 PLN, depending on demand | 25–40 min |
Getting around
The Old Town and Kazimierz are walkable, and many visitors never use public transport. If you do, a 60-minute ticket costs 8 PLN and a 24-hour city ticket 20 PLN. Ticket machines at stops and on board take cards.
Food and drink
| Budget | Mid-range | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch or dinner, per person | 25–45 PLN (milk bar, full meal) | 50–90 PLN (main course) | 250–400 PLN and more (fine dining, tasting menus) |
| Coffee | 12–15 PLN | 15–22 PLN | 20–30 PLN |
| Beer (0.5 l) | 12–16 PLN | 16–25 PLN | 25–35 PLN |
| Street food (zapiekanka, obwarzanek) | 3–25 PLN |
A milk bar (bar mleczny) is a self-service canteen with home-style Polish food: soups, pierogi, cutlets with potatoes. It is where students and pensioners eat, and it is a perfectly good lunch. At the other end, Kraków has a growing list of restaurants distinguished by the Michelin Guide, where dinner with wine is a serious expense and worth booking ahead.
Tipping is customary in restaurants with table service: around 10% if you are happy and service is not already on the bill.
Main attractions and day trips
| Attraction | Price per adult | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wieliczka Salt Mine, Tourist Route | about 143–159 PLN with a foreign-language guide | 2–3 hours underground; train from Kraków Główny takes 20–30 min |
| Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, guided tour (3.5 h) | about 150 PLN | Book online in advance on the Museum’s official site; a limited number of free passes without a guide is available |
| Auschwitz organised trip from Kraków, with transport | usually 160–300 PLN | A full day; operators and quality vary |
| Zakopane by bus | 20–40 PLN each way | 2–3 hours each way, depending on traffic |
Wawel, museums and church towers add smaller amounts. Each has its own price list, and several museums have a free day each week.
The careful wallet: about 600–800 PLN per person
An example for two full days, per person, without accommodation.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Airport train, return | 40 PLN |
| City transport (two 24-hour tickets, or walk and save) | 0–40 PLN |
| Breakfasts from a bakery, two days | 40 PLN |
| Two milk-bar lunches | 70 PLN |
| Two dinners in mid-range restaurants, with a drink | 180 PLN |
| Coffee, beer, street food | 100 PLN |
| One major attraction (Wieliczka or Auschwitz) | 150–200 PLN |
| Small entries, souvenirs, tips | 80 PLN |
| Total | about 660–750 PLN |
In cash: 150–250 PLN. Everything on this list can usually be paid by card except the small things: an obwarzanek from a street cart, a stall at a market, a tip, a public toilet, a souvenir from a craft seller.
The premium wallet: about 2,000–3,000 PLN per person
The same two days with comfort as the priority.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Airport taxi, return | 220 PLN |
| Taxis in the city | 100–150 PLN |
| Breakfasts and coffee in good cafés | 150 PLN |
| Two lunches in good restaurants | 250–300 PLN |
| One fine-dining dinner with wine | 500–700 PLN |
| One dinner in a good restaurant | 200–300 PLN |
| Cocktails and wine bars | 150–250 PLN |
| Wieliczka Salt Mine | 160 PLN |
| Auschwitz organised trip with transport | 200–300 PLN |
| Shopping, tips, extras | 200–400 PLN |
| Total | about 2,100–2,900 PLN |
In cash: 300–500 PLN. The bills are bigger but they are card payments. Cash at this level goes on tips for drivers, guides and hotel staff, on markets and on the occasional small place that prefers notes.
Private guides and drivers, a private tour of Auschwitz or a chauffeured day in Zakopane move the total well above this range. Ask for the price in advance and whether it can be paid by card.
Why you need less cash than you think
Poland is one of the most card-friendly countries in Europe. Contactless payment works in restaurants, shops, taxis, ticket machines and most museums. Two rules save money:
- When a terminal asks which currency to charge, choose PLN. See our guide to paying in PLN and dynamic currency conversion.
- Do not exchange your whole budget into cash. Unspent złoty have to be changed back, and you pay the spread a second time.
Cash is still worth having for market stalls and seasonal fairs, including the Christmas market on the Main Square, which runs from late November. It is also the simplest way to tip.
How to get your złoty
If you are bringing euros, pounds or dollars in notes, exchange what you need for the first day or two when you reach the Old Town, and top up later if necessary. Our office at Floriańska 37 is under two minutes from the Main Square and about 12 minutes on foot from the station, with 0% commission and both rates on the board.
- Which number on the board applies to you: buy and sell rates explained.
- Coming straight from the train: the walk from Kraków Główny station.
- Bringing sterling: exchanging pounds to złoty in Kraków.
- More on ATMs and your first hours: the money guide for visitors to Kraków.
A quick checklist
- Budget weekend: 600–800 PLN per person, 150–250 PLN of it in cash.
- Premium weekend: 2,000–3,000 PLN per person, 300–500 PLN of it in cash.
- Accommodation is extra and is normally paid by card.
- Book Auschwitz and Wieliczka online in advance, especially in season.
- Pay by card in PLN; exchange cash in the city, not at the airport.
Frequently asked questions
How much spending money do I need for a weekend in Kraków?
Excluding accommodation, a careful traveller can manage on roughly 600 to 800 PLN per person for two days, including one major attraction. A premium weekend with taxis, fine dining and guided trips typically runs from 2,000 to 3,000 PLN per person.
How much cash should I carry in Kraków?
Most payments can be made by card. As a working rule, carry 150 to 250 PLN in cash for a budget weekend and 300 to 500 PLN for a premium one, for markets, tips, small purchases and places that prefer cash.
How much does a meal cost in Kraków?
The range is wide. A full lunch in a traditional milk bar costs about 25 to 45 PLN. A main course in a mid-range restaurant is usually 50 to 90 PLN, and dinner at one of the city's Michelin-recognised restaurants can exceed 400 PLN per person.
How much are Wieliczka Salt Mine and Auschwitz tickets?
As of November 2026, the Wieliczka Tourist Route with a foreign-language guide costs about 143 to 159 PLN depending on the season. A 3.5-hour guided tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial costs about 150 PLN, and organised trips from Kraków with transport usually cost 160 to 300 PLN.
Is Kraków expensive?
By Western European standards it is good value, especially for food, public transport and culture. It is also a city where you can spend a great deal if you choose to, because the top end of dining and hotels is well developed.
Written from the counter of a currency exchange office at Floriańska 37 in Kraków. General information, not financial advice. Rates in examples are illustrative; current rates are on our home page.