A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bad Gastein vs. Krakow for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Bad Gastein or Krakow?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Bad Gastein and Krakow can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bad Gastein or Krakow?

Bad Gastein

Located in the High Tauern Mountains south of Salzburg, Bad Gastein is a spa and ski town known for hotels and villas built into steep and forested slopes. While the town is most visited in the winter for skiing purposes, it is also a home base for many hiking opportunities throughout the summer.

Krakow

Krakow is Poland's second largest city. It sits on both sides of the Wisla River at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. There are more than 1.4 million residents in the metropolitan area. Krakow is known as a historical and beautiful city that is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tourism makes up a large part of the city's economy, but there is also a university and several local colleges which are major employers as well. Technology has grown in recent years and the city has some notable employees including Google, IBM and Motorola. Other important industries include steel, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.

For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Austria, The Best Christmas Market Tours in Austria, The Best Budget Tours to Poland, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Krakow.


Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Bad Gastein?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Bad Gastein is €147, while the average daily cost in Krakow is €70. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Bad Gastein and Krakow in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bad Gastein 62
    Krakow 39
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bad Gastein 124
    Krakow 78
Compare Hotels in Bad Gastein and Krakow

Looking for a hotel in Bad Gastein or Krakow? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Bad Gastein


Hotels in Krakow


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Bad Gastein Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Bad Gastein 40
    Krakow 6.05

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:

  • Krakow to Auschwitz Birkenau Guided Tour with Private Transfer: $179
  • 1 Day Trip Auschwitz Birkenau and Salt Mines with Hotel Transfer: $70
  • Arrival Private Transfers from Krakow Airport KRK to Krakow City: $53
  • Auschwitz Birkenau Round Transfer, Private Driver from Krakow: $155
  • Auschwitz Birkenau Tour from Private Transfer + Ticket: $213
  • Auschwitz Birkenau Transfer and Guide with Salt Mine Combo Option: $82
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour from Krakow with Ticket & Transfer: $62
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum with Private Transfers from Krakow: $238
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour from Katowice with Private Transfers: $227
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour with Transfer: $118
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau guided tour from Krakow with Ticket & Transfer: $33
  • Balice KRK airport OneWay PRIVATE TRANSFER to/from Krakow’s hotel: $35

Is it cheaper to fly into Bad Gastein or Krakow?

Prices for flights to both Krakow and Bad Gastein change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Bad Gastein 60
    Krakow 22

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Krakow

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Krakow.

  • Small-Group Online Cooking Class Polish Pierogi : $30
  • Krakow Tipsy Polish Food Tour with History Pierogi and Shots: $39
  • Pierogi Cooking Class with Market Shopping and Local Snacks: $82
  • Eat Like a Local in Krakow - Food Tour with BeMyGuest: $99
  • Krakow Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting and Dinner: $105
  • Krakow Bites and Sights Food Tour: $114
  • Polish Pierogi Cooking Class with Farmer's Market Shopping: $114
  • Deluxe Polish Food Tour Experience in Krakow: $121
  • Private Food Tour in Krakow Poland: $198
  • Go Karting Experience with Pizza and Drinks in Krakow: $299

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Bad Gastein 21
    Krakow 19

Tours and Activities in Krakow

Here are a few actual costs in Krakow for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Krakow Unveiled: Self-Guided Heritage Tour: $3.57
  • Krakow Stories: Self Guided Audio Guide Tour: $3.57
  • A Walk With the Dead Krakow Ghost Tour: $3.57
  • Archdiocesan Museum in Krakow – Entry Ticket: $3.95
  • Archeological Museum - Skip The Line Ticket : $4.52
  • The Best of A Walking Tour Through the Heart of the City: $4.78
  • Krakow Old Town Mysteries: Exploration Game and Tour: $5.96
  • Home Army Museum in Krakow - Skip The Line Ticket: $6.67
  • Wawel Hill Audio-Guided Tour: $8.36
  • Krakow Self Guided Audio Experience: $9.00
  • Krakow Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Tour: $9.55
  • Art Documentation Centre CRICOTEKA in Krakow - Entrance Ticket: $11

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Bad Gastein 7.86
    Krakow 6.38

Typical Alcohol Prices in Krakow

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Krakow:


  • Vodka
    13

Sample the Local Flavors in Krakow

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Krakow:

  • 1 Hour of Open Bar Pub Crawl + Karaoke + VIP Entry to Best Clubs : $28
  • Pub Crawl Krawl Through Krakow: $28
  • Krakow Pub Crawl with 1 Hr of unlimited alcohol & 4 clubs/pubs: $29
  • Pub Crawl 1hr Unlimited Beer + Vodka then Clubs in Katowice: $31
  • Tyskie Brewery Tour from Katowice: $131


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bad Gastein and Krakow, we can see that Bad Gastein is more expensive. And not only is Krakow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Krakow would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Krakow and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bad Gastein would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bad Gastein than you might in Krakow.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bad Gastein Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Bad Gastein or Krakow?

Krakow has a larger population, and is about 130 times larger than the population of Bad Gastein. When comparing the sizes of Bad Gastein and Krakow, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.