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SettleMetric

CITY / CITYVerified city comparison

KrakówvsWrocław.

Wrocław is stronger on 1 of 8 headline facts; Kraków on 0. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Kraków $753/mo, Wrocław $753/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Kraków 23.6%, Wrocław 23.6%. Climate comfort: Kraków 6/12 mo, Wrocław 6/12 mo.

VerifiedUpdated

14 compared criteria · 17 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited

pl / pl · SettleMetric

01

The key differences

The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.

Headline result

Wrocław leads on 1 of 8

Kraków

0

Wrocław

1

01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Kraków
$753/mo

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Wrocław
$753/mo

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
02Freelancer tax burden
Kraków
23.6%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Wrocław
23.6%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
03Homicide rate
Kraków
0.69/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Wrocław
0.69/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
04Climate comfort
Kraków
6/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (15.1°C), May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 6.
Wrocław
6/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Months whose 1991–2020 normals have mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and precipitation below 150mm: April (15.3°C), May, June, July, August and September (20.0°C) = 6. October just misses on temperature at 14.3°C; no month is excluded on rainfall, because the wettest, July, brings 91.4mm.
05Internet speed
Kraków
42 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
Notes
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
Wrocław
42 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
Notes
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
06English proficiency
Kraków
Very high

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Wrocław
Very high

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
07Private healthcare cost
Kraków
$1,600/yr

LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
Notes
Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
Wrocław
$1,600/yr

LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
Notes
Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
08Air quality (PM2.5)
Kraków
17.5 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Krakow/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Krakow/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 17.47 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage, from seven stations — four urban background, two urban industrial and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 50.0585°N 19.9860°E, 0.7km from the city centre, over a footprint of 771,069 people against the 816,614 municipal population. Restated from the EEA city viewer's 2022–2023 two-year average so that all four Polish cities rest on the same single reference year, 2024, as the rest of this dataset.
Notes
Three and a half times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but well above the 2030 EU limit (10), and the dirtiest air of the four Polish cities in this dataset. Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean, and two of the seven stations are industrial. The series has fallen a long way, from 24.68 in 2021 to 17.07 in 2023, and 2024 is essentially flat against that.
Wrocławstronger
15.5 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Wroclaw/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Wroclaw/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 15.467 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, from five stations — three urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 51.1025°N 17.0570°E, 2.6km from the city centre, over a footprint of 640,648 people, close to the 672,601 municipal population. 2024 is the reference year used for every city in this dataset taken from the same file.
Notes
About three times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). The series has fallen a long way — 29.1 in 2013, 22.3 in 2018, 14.78 in 2023 — and the 2024 uptick is within the year-to-year noise of this record. Coal and wood heating in the surrounding low-rise housing drives the winter peak, so heating-season readings run well above the annual mean.

02

Which city fits your plan?

Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.

Remote IT / freelancer

Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.

A close call for this plan

01Freelancer tax burden
Kraków
23.6%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Wrocław
23.6%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
02Internet speed
Kraków
42 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
Notes
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
Wrocław
42 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
Notes
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
03English proficiency
Kraków
Very high

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Wrocław
Very high

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Kraków
$753/mo

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Wrocław
$753/mo

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
05Domestic delivery quality
Kraków
Excellent

InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
Wrocław
Excellent

InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.

Family

Relocating with a partner and school-age children.

Wrocław fits better — 1 of 5

01International schools
Kraków
7

IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
IB finder results for country=PL, keyword 'Krakow': British International School of Cracow, International School of Krakow, Open Future, Kolegium Europejskie, VI LO, VIII PALO, Da Vinci's.
Notes
±1 uncertainty; CIS/COBIS-only schools not yet counted.
Wrocław
no verified data
02Homicide rate
Kraków
0.69/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Wrocław
0.69/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
03Private healthcare cost
Kraków
$1,600/yr

LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
Notes
Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
Wrocław
$1,600/yr

LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
Notes
Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
04Air quality (PM2.5)
Kraków
17.5 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Krakow/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Krakow/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 17.47 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage, from seven stations — four urban background, two urban industrial and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 50.0585°N 19.9860°E, 0.7km from the city centre, over a footprint of 771,069 people against the 816,614 municipal population. Restated from the EEA city viewer's 2022–2023 two-year average so that all four Polish cities rest on the same single reference year, 2024, as the rest of this dataset.
Notes
Three and a half times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but well above the 2030 EU limit (10), and the dirtiest air of the four Polish cities in this dataset. Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean, and two of the seven stations are industrial. The series has fallen a long way, from 24.68 in 2021 to 17.07 in 2023, and 2024 is essentially flat against that.
Wrocławstronger
15.5 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Wroclaw/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Wroclaw/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 15.467 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, from five stations — three urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 51.1025°N 17.0570°E, 2.6km from the city centre, over a footprint of 640,648 people, close to the 672,601 municipal population. 2024 is the reference year used for every city in this dataset taken from the same file.
Notes
About three times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). The series has fallen a long way — 29.1 in 2013, 22.3 in 2018, 14.78 in 2023 — and the 2024 uptick is within the year-to-year noise of this record. Coal and wood heating in the surrounding low-rise housing drives the winter peak, so heating-season readings run well above the annual mean.
05English proficiency
Kraków
Very high

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Wrocław
Very high

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.

Money & crypto

Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.

A close call for this plan

01Crypto regulation
Kraków
Legal regulated

Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
Wrocław
Legal regulated

Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
02Financial control level
Kraków
Low

biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
Wrocław
Low

biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
03Freelancer tax burden
Kraków
23.6%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Wrocław
23.6%

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.

Calm lifestyle

Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.

Wrocław fits better — 1 of 4

01Homicide rate
Kraków
0.69/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Wrocław
0.69/100k

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
02Air quality (PM2.5)
Kraków
17.5 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Krakow/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Krakow/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 17.47 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage, from seven stations — four urban background, two urban industrial and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 50.0585°N 19.9860°E, 0.7km from the city centre, over a footprint of 771,069 people against the 816,614 municipal population. Restated from the EEA city viewer's 2022–2023 two-year average so that all four Polish cities rest on the same single reference year, 2024, as the rest of this dataset.
Notes
Three and a half times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but well above the 2030 EU limit (10), and the dirtiest air of the four Polish cities in this dataset. Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean, and two of the seven stations are industrial. The series has fallen a long way, from 24.68 in 2021 to 17.07 in 2023, and 2024 is essentially flat against that.
Wrocławstronger
15.5 µg/m³

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Wroclaw/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Wroclaw/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 15.467 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, from five stations — three urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 51.1025°N 17.0570°E, 2.6km from the city centre, over a footprint of 640,648 people, close to the 672,601 municipal population. 2024 is the reference year used for every city in this dataset taken from the same file.
Notes
About three times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). The series has fallen a long way — 29.1 in 2013, 22.3 in 2018, 14.78 in 2023 — and the 2024 uptick is within the year-to-year noise of this record. Coal and wood heating in the surrounding low-rise housing drives the winter peak, so heating-season readings run well above the annual mean.
03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Kraków
$753/mo

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Wrocław
$753/mo

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
04Climate comfort
Kraków
6/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (15.1°C), May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 6.
Wrocław
6/12 mo

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Months whose 1991–2020 normals have mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and precipitation below 150mm: April (15.3°C), May, June, July, August and September (20.0°C) = 6. October just misses on temperature at 14.3°C; no month is excluded on rainfall, because the wettest, July, brings 91.4mm.

03

The full comparison

Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.

01

Taxes

1 verified fact
01+Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileKraków23.6Wrocław23.6

What this measures

Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.

Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days

Kraków

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.

Wrocław

SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jan 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.

02

Legalization

1 verified fact
01+Remote-work legalization easeKrakówLong stay pathWrocławLong stay path

What this measures

Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

Kraków

Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office — business-activity residence permit

Official source

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
No digital nomad visa (verified absent on gov.pl); Poland Business Harbour suspended since Jan 2024. Realistic long-stay route: temporary residence via business activity (renewable, up to 3 years) — but sole-proprietorship registration is limited to specific statuses, so most non-EU/non-US freelancers route through a company.

Wrocław

Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office — business-activity residence permit

Official source

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
No digital nomad visa (verified absent on gov.pl); Poland Business Harbour suspended since Jan 2024. Realistic long-stay route: temporary residence via business activity (renewable, up to 3 years) — but sole-proprietorship registration is limited to specific statuses, so most non-EU/non-US freelancers route through a company.

03

Cost of living

1 verified fact
01+Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentKraków753Wrocław753

What this measures

Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.

Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days

Kraków

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).

Wrocław

GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Monthly spending by category (national, excl. rent)

GUS Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 31, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
GUS 2024 one-person household spending by COICOP category, minus the actual-rentals line, CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×1.068) and converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Categories sum to the ~$753/mo cost-of-living aggregate. National average — city living runs somewhat higher.
total753 USD/mo
Food & non-alcoholic drinks205 USD
Utilities (electricity, gas, water)147 USD
Other (alcohol, tobacco, misc.)77 USD
Transport59 USD
Restaurants & eating out59 USD
Recreation & culture55 USD
Health (out-of-pocket)55 USD
Household goods38 USD
Communications32 USD
Clothing & footwear26 USD

04

Housing

0 verified facts

Rent by apartment type

Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).

Kraków

ZnajdzNajem Kraków report (by room + district), Otodom Analytics cross-check

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
City-wide asking rent by room count (ZnajdzNajem, 2026-07-03: studio 2,206, 1-2rm 2,883, 3rm 3,778, 4rm 5,125 PLN) split into central vs outside using ZnajdzNajem district multipliers (central Stare Miasto/Kazimierz/Zwierzyniec ×1.216; outside Nowa Huta/Prądnik Biały ×0.860), converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Cross-checked against Otodom Analytics by-size brackets (May 2026).
Notes
Central/outside cells are DERIVED (city room-average × district multiplier). City-wide-by-room and district averages are directly observed. Central = Stare Miasto and adjacent districts; outside = Nowa Huta, Prądnik Biały, etc.
Wrocław

Otodom Analytics via Bankier.pl rental report, July 2026

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Aug 28, 2026
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Attempted from the two routes the other Polish cities use. Otodom Analytics publishes this city by floor-area bracket only, which fixes the room dimension but not the central/outside one; ZnajdzNajem, the source of the district multipliers behind the Krakow and Warsaw matrices, returns HTTP 522 from its own origin for every city and month, and its report pages carry "noindex", so the Internet Archive holds no copy. The observed city-wide figures are recorded in rent-1br-center instead of being reshaped into cells that were never measured.
Notes
Directly observed city-wide averages for June 2026, which is as far as the readable sources go: studio (up to 40 m²) 2,411 PLN, 1-bedroom class (40–59 m²) 2,986 PLN, 2–3 rooms (60–89 m²) 3,990 PLN. Otodom Analytics publishes no bracket above 89 m², so the 3-bedroom row has no observation at all, and no readable source splits any of these by central versus outer district.
01Studio
Kraków
$712$505 outside
Wrocław
021-bedroom
Kraków
$930$659 outside
Wrocław
032-bedroom
Kraków
$1,220$864 outside
Wrocław
043-bedroom
Kraków
$1,655$1,172 outside
Wrocław

05

Safety

1 verified fact
01+Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearKraków0.7Wrocław0.7

What this measures

Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).

Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days

Kraków

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.

Wrocław

Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.

06

Climate

2 verified facts
01+Climate comfortpleasant months/yearKraków6Wrocław6

What this measures

Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.

Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days

Kraków

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (15.1°C), May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 6.

Wrocław

SettleMetric computation over climate-normals

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2020
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Months whose 1991–2020 normals have mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and precipitation below 150mm: April (15.3°C), May, June, July, August and September (20.0°C) = 6. October just misses on temperature at 14.3°C; no month is excluded on rainfall, because the wettest, July, brings 91.4mm.
02+Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Kraków17.5Wrocławstronger15.5

What this measures

Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.

Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days

Kraków

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Krakow/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Krakow/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 17.47 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage, from seven stations — four urban background, two urban industrial and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 50.0585°N 19.9860°E, 0.7km from the city centre, over a footprint of 771,069 people against the 816,614 municipal population. Restated from the EEA city viewer's 2022–2023 two-year average so that all four Polish cities rest on the same single reference year, 2024, as the rest of this dataset.
Notes
Three and a half times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but well above the 2030 EU limit (10), and the dirtiest air of the four Polish cities in this dataset. Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean, and two of the seven stations are industrial. The series has fallen a long way, from 24.68 in 2021 to 17.07 in 2023, and 2024 is essentially flat against that.

Wrocław

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database 2026 (v8.0), row "Wroclaw/POL" 2024 — original data European Environment Agency, Air Quality Statistics

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2024
Verified
Aug 28, 2026
Method
Row "Wroclaw/POL", year 2024, pm25_concentration 15.467 µg/m³ at 98% temporal coverage, from five stations — three urban background, one suburban background and one urban traffic. The row aggregates a station centroid of 51.1025°N 17.0570°E, 2.6km from the city centre, over a footprint of 640,648 people, close to the 672,601 municipal population. 2024 is the reference year used for every city in this dataset taken from the same file.
Notes
About three times the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); inside the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). The series has fallen a long way — 29.1 in 2013, 22.3 in 2018, 14.78 in 2023 — and the 2024 uptick is within the year-to-year noise of this record. Coal and wood heating in the surrounding low-rise housing drives the winter peak, so heating-season readings run well above the annual mean.

07

Healthcare

1 verified fact
01+Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldKraków1,600Wrocław1,600

What this measures

Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.

Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days

Kraków

LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
Notes
Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).

Wrocław

LuxMed / Medicover / Signal Iduna comprehensive (with-inpatient) plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
Notes
Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).

08

Money & crypto

2 verified facts
01+Crypto regulationKrakówLegal regulatedWrocławLegal regulated

What this measures

Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

Kraków

Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.

Wrocław

Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
02+Financial control levelKrakówLowWrocławLow

What this measures

Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

Kraków

biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.

Wrocław

biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
May 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.

09

Infrastructure

3 verified facts
01+Domestic delivery qualityKrakówExcellentWrocławExcellent

What this measures

Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

Kraków

InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.

Wrocław

InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Dec 31, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
02+International delivery easeKrakówMinor frictionWrocławMinor friction

What this measures

Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

Kraków

European Commission — removal of the €150 customs duty exemption (Reg. EU 2026/382)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 IOSS consignments (until the 2028 Customs Data Hub); VAT collected at checkout via IOSS. Predictable but no longer duty-free.

Wrocław

European Commission — removal of the €150 customs duty exemption (Reg. EU 2026/382)

Official source

Data as of
Jul 1, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 IOSS consignments (until the 2028 Customs Data Hub); VAT collected at checkout via IOSS. Predictable but no longer duty-free.
03+Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadKraków41.7Wrocław41.7

What this measures

Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.

Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days

Kraków

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
Notes
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.

Wrocław

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland

Open data

Data as of
Dec 31, 2023
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
Notes
M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.

10

Language

1 verified fact
01+English proficiencyKrakówVery highWrocławVery high

What this measures

Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

Kraków

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.

Wrocław

EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)

Research

Data as of
Nov 1, 2025
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Notes
Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.

11

Education

1 verified fact
01+International schoolsaccredited international schools, countKraków7Wrocławno verified data

What this measures

Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).

Higher is better· accredited international schools, count· re-verified every 730 days

Kraków

IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of
Jul 3, 2026
Verified
Jul 3, 2026
Method
IB finder results for country=PL, keyword 'Krakow': British International School of Cracow, International School of Krakow, Open Future, Kolegium Europejskie, VI LO, VIII PALO, Da Vinci's.
Notes
±1 uncertainty; CIS/COBIS-only schools not yet counted.

Wrocław

Not counted. ibo.org — the registry the Kraków and Warsaw counts are built on — returns HTTP 403 to automated requests, no Internet Archive snapshot of its Poland query exists, and the Polish national school register (RSPO) has no "international school" category among its 107 institution types, so it cannot substitute. Counting schools on their own websites' claims was rejected here for the same reason it was rejected for Málaga.