Being the season, I looked up Christmas Markets in Poland and Wrocław came up as the best in a few articles. It was definitely a nice one with a lot of booths, mulled wine vendors (some 2 story bars), and even amusement rides for small kids. I’d put it towards the top of my list for sure, though I have to be honest… the food was better in Krakow and Gdansk.
This was a 7-night stay…
- Accommodation – $347.59* (additional information below)
- Getting around locally – $3.69 (one 24 hr bus/tram ticket 15 PLN)
- Living expenses – $123.40 (groceries and eating out; I spent a bit extra eating at the Christmas market)
- Activities – $0
- Mobile phone/data – $17.41 (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 – $16.13 (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 $508.22 / 7-nights = $72.60 per
*Hotel info
- I booked at the Gold Apartments through Booking.com. This is one of many accommodations in Poland where there is no front desk and I had to reach out to the owner to get instructions on how to get in. This often leads to issues, and wasn’t the smoothest in this case either. But the apartment was pretty good and the location was excellent; right down the street from the main square (Market Square – Rynek).
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 Kraków Główny to Wrocław Głównyon PKP Intercity (TLK) for 44,90 PLN ($11.02) (2nd 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 paid entry tourist attractions 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.
I’m continuously trying to figure out how best to provide the most useful information, so if you have any ideas please let me know; you can comment/DM on social media, below, or send me an email (MeanderingMax@gmail.com). I appreciate your support!