When I was in Kraków this November, they were just starting to set up the Christmas Market, and it looked like it was going to be awesome, so I decided to come back and check it out. I’m glad I did too, the main square (Rynek Główny) had a lot of booths with cool items, great food, and a stage where they had traditional performances from people of all ages; great stuff! Up by the train station/shopping center (Kraków Główny/Galeria Krakowska), there were also a few more booths and an ice skating rink. That area’s always a bit busy, but the real Christmas vibes were down in the old town square.

This was a 5-night stay…

• Accommodation –  $199.12* (additional information below)
• Getting around locally – $0
• Living expenses – $114.08 (groceries and eating out; I definitely spent a bit extra eating at the Christmas market this time around)
• Activities – $0
• Mobile phone/data  – $12.44 (I use Google Fi which provides service in most countries. If you’re interested, and based in the U.S., you can use this paid link to sign up, which will give me a referral fee at no extra cost to you)
• Medical insurance – $11.52 (I’m using SafetyWing; rates are determined by age, and mine is slightly above the base. If you’re interested there is a paid link/banner on the right side of the page)

Total $337.16 / 5-nights = $67.43 per

*Hotel info

• I booked an apartment at the Perfect place to stay in Kraków City Center W2 through Booking.com. There was a little hiccup when I arrived; for some reason, I wasn’t sent instructions which is the normal procedure. But it was easy to contact them on WhatsApp through a link in the Booking.com app. The apartment is a short walk from the old town, which I didn’t mind at all, and it’s also pretty close to the train station; probably around a 10-minute walk to either. This was one of those places that have a washing machine, but no drying rack… I’ll never understand this. It was a nice enough place for the price, so in a similar situation, I think I’d book again.

Transportation to and from varies too much, so I’ve left it out of the above breakdown along with most incidental/one-time personal costs. But for those interested, this trip included a direct train ride from Poznań Główny to Kraków Główny on PKP Intercity (TLK) for 88 PLN ($21.63) (1st class). All other standard day to day expenses are included to give an idea of how much basic living costs in the area are. Groceries will sometimes include basic personal care items (i.e. toothpaste, deodorant, etc.).

** I try to use Rakuten whenever it’s an option; why not take the money. It works as a browser add-on, and there is also an app. Note from their site “Stores pay us a commission for sending our members to their websites, and we share it with you. It’s that simple!” If you haven’t signed up yet, and are interested, please consider using this referral link to help support me, and get a signup bonus. I use it regularly and recommend it, but take a look for yourself to decide if it’s right for you. When you sign up using the link, use it spending $, we each get $! The $ varies which I’ve recently seen at $40 and $30. They state “Offer may be modified or canceled anytime.” Payments are made by PayPal or you can have a check sent to you.

*** At time of writing – 4,05 PLN = 1 USD

**** Since I’m doing this as a living situation, I don’t go out to top-rated restaurants, or touristy places too much. I do eat out a lot, but not anything very special; I try to be cost-conscious, eating as a local would; a broke college guy that is LOL! I’ll try to note any differences to this above.

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