PL flag
Gdańsk

Poland

vs
PL flag
Kraków

Poland

Climate

Gdańsk logs 3 hot days a year to Kraków's 9 — Gdańsk wins by 6. Gdańsk also leads on frost days by 34.

GdańskKraków
Sunny days
140128
Hot days
39
Frost days
5690
Rain days
129143
Snow days
921
Outdoor dinner months
3/123/12
Avg wind
4.3 m/s2.8 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,7501,669
Darkest month sun
22 hrs/mo42 hrs/mo
UV peak month
5.25.4

Gdańsk

Feels-like °C

-12
-10
-4
3
12
19
20
21
13
4
-3
-11

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Kraków

Feels-like °C

-7
-6
1
6
15
23
24
23
16
9
0
-5

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Kraków is $53/mo cheaper

Gdańsk runs about $1,581/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Kraków's $1,528/mo — Kraków comes in $53 cheaper each month, roughly 3% less.

Gdańsk

$1,581

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,229Comfort $2,344
Cheaper than 71%in Among 217 Europe cities

Kraków

$1,528

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,172Comfort $2,383
Cheaper than 75%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

Gdańsk and Kraków score neck-and-neck on mobility (3.2 vs 3.4, 0–5 scale).

3.2/5
vs
3.4/5
GdańskKraków
WalkabilityTransitCyclingMotorbikeAirport
WalkabilityTransitCyclingMotorbikeFlightsAirport
Kraków leads

Culture

Kraków's culture score of 4.0 sits well above Gdańsk's 3.2, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

3.2/5
vs
4.0/5
GdańskKraków
HistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Kraków leads

Nature & Outdoors

Gdańsk and Kraków score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.0 vs 4.0, 0–5 scale).

4.0/5
vs
4.0/5
GdańskKraków
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingSurfing
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing

Safety

Gdańsk and Kraków score neck-and-neck on safety (3.6 vs 3.6, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.6/5
GdańskKraków
Flooding

Career

Kraków's career score of 3.8 sits well above Gdańsk's 3.1, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

3.1/5
vs
3.8/5
GdańskKraków
JobsEconomyCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Kraków leads

Social & Community

Kraków's social & community score of 3.1 sits well above Gdańsk's 2.9, with the biggest gap on urban energy.

2.9/5
vs
3.1/5
GdańskKraków
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Kraków leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Kraków scores 3.4 vs Gdańsk's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.

2.8/5
vs
3.4/5
GdańskKraków
RestaurantsVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Kraków leads

Family

On family, Kraków scores 3.0 vs Gdańsk's 2.5 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

2.5/5
vs
3.0/5
GdańskKraków
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGym
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa
Kraków leads

Healthcare

Gdańsk and Kraków score neck-and-neck on healthcare (2.7 vs 2.7, 0–5 scale).

2.7/5
vs
2.7/5
GdańskKraków
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Gdańsk averages 11.9 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Kraków's 18.8 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Gdańsk breathes ~37% cleaner air (7.0 µg/m³ lower).

Gdańsk

Kraków

11.9µg/m³
18.8µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Moderate
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Gdańsk (398K) and Kraków (723K) are 1.8x in population — Kraków is the larger metro, Gdańsk the smaller; on land area Kraków spans roughly 1.6x more ground.

1.7x

Kraków is roughly 1.7x the scale of Gdańsk

Combined population & area comparison

PL flagKraków
1.7x
PL flagGdańsk
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.PL flagKraków723K1.8x
2.PL flagGdańsk398K1x
Area
1.PL flagKraków176 km²1.6x
2.PL flagGdańsk108 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
10 km18 km

PL flagGdańsk

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
20 km15 km

PL flagKraków

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Gdańsk vs Kraków

Which is cheaper, Gdańsk or Kraków?
Kraków is approximately $53 per month cheaper. Gdańsk averages $1,581/mo while Kraków averages $1,528/mo.
How does the climate compare between Gdańsk and Kraków?
Sunny days: 140 vs 128 d — Gdańsk higher Annual sunshine: 1,750 vs 1,669 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 22 vs 42 hrs/day — Kraków higher Hot days (>30°C): 3 vs 9 d — Gdańsk lower Frost days: 56 vs 90 d — Gdańsk lower Rainy days: 129 vs 143 d — Gdańsk lower Snowy days: 9 vs 21 d — Gdańsk lower
Is Gdańsk or Kraków safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 3.6/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to Gdańsk or Kraków?
Gdańsk and Kraków are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Kraków is generally more affordable, while Gdańsk may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Gdańsk and Kraków stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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