Townleap

Cost of Living: Krakow vs Split (2026)

Poland vs Croatia — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Krakow
Split
$976/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,077/mo
$23k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

−$9k/yr
5 yr
PR path
Freelance setup
JDG
  • VAT-free under €47k
  • €450/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Obrt
  • VAT-free under €40k
  • 37% social
  • €450/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRSplit summers average 86°F vs 73°F. You can get by in English in both — your Duolingo streak can wait.
Krakow edges ahead 75 to 70. Split isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
Household
Krakow
Metric
Split
$639/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$670/mo
$4,044
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$5,244
82 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
78 / 100
0.4 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.8 / 100k
6.5 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
8.1 / 100k
75 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
70 / 100
73°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
86°F
25°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
39°F
88 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
27.7 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
8.9 μg/m³
73 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
77 / 100
7.4 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
6.5 / 10
4.2 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
1.8 / 9
18 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
50 / 100
68/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
74/100
$51k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$50k
3.8% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
3.0% · Boringly steady
65/100 — Patchy
Grid reliability
higher is better
82/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
A median Software Engineer in Krakow takes home $4,450/mo under Standard employee. In Split: $2,122/mo under Standard employee.
$2,328/mo more in Krakow
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$91k
💰
Gross income
$38k
−$18k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$5k
−$20k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$8k
$53k/yr
$4k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$25k/yr
$2k/mo
−$30k
🏠
Cost of living
−$34k
$23k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
−$9k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Krakow
$101/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Krakow
0.4 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Krakow
7.4/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
73°F vs 86°F summers
🗣️
English
Split
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

46% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
59% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.1h
Shortest day
Dec
8.9h
16.4h
Longest day
Jun
15.4h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

improving
Democracy trend
stable
improving
Inflation trend
improving
software-itbpogame-devtourism
Industries
active
Startup ecosystem
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Easy
EU visa
Moderate
RU visa
Easy
UA visa
Partner can work immediately
Spouse works
Not recognized
konkubinat (informal — no legal recognition)
Partner pathway
Conditional (3+ yr)
izvanbračna zajednica / životno partnerstvo (same-sex)

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Life-threatening only
Abortion access
On request
Gestational limit
10 wk

Near-total ban since 2021. Only permitted for life/health threat or rape/incest. One of Europe's most restrictive.

On request up to 10 weeks. Access limited in practice due to widespread conscientious objection.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Not recognized
Marriage
Civil union
Not allowed
Adoption
Step-child only
Yes
Job protection
Yes
No
Hate crime law
Yes

Krakow vs Split — Common Questions

Is Krakow cheaper than Split?

Krakow is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $976/month there vs $1077/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Krakow or Split?

Krakow is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Krakow has a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 and Split has 0.77 per 100,000.

Should I move to Krakow or Split?

Krakow edges ahead 75 to 70. Split isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Krakow or Split?

Krakow: Poland Temporary Residence (moderate requirements, Up to 3 years). Split: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Krakow or Split?

Split is warmer in summer (86°F vs 73°F). Krakow has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Krakow or Split without speaking the local language?

Split is easier for street-level English (74/100) than Krakow (68/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Krakow vs Split?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $976/month in Krakow, $1077/month in Split (Numbeo). That's 9% cheaper rent in Krakow.

Is Krakow or Split better for democracy and rule of law?

Krakow scores 7.4/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.5/10 for Split. Both are functional democracies, though the gap matters if you're planning to stay long enough to care about local politics.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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