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

Should you visit Turku or Krakow?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Turku or Krakow, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Turku or Krakow?

Turku

Turku, a city on the southwest coast of Finland, straddles the Aura River. Dating from the 13th century, it's known for Turku Castle, a medieval fortress with a history museum, perched at the river mouth. Restaurants line the cobbled riverside streets. On the eastern bank lies the Old Great Square, a former trade hub, surrounded by grand buildings. The nearby Turku Cathedral houses a royal tomb and a museum. The historic castle and cathedral point to the city's rich cultural history when it was the Finnish capital, and contemporary Turku is full of experimental art and vibrant festivals, thanks in part to its spirited university population (the country's second largest), who make Turku's nightlife young and fun. As the first city many visitors encounter arriving by ferry from Sweden and Aland, it's a splendid introduction to the Finnish mainland.

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 The Best Luxury Tours to Finland, The Best Budget Tours to Finland, The Best Budget Tours to Poland, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Krakow.


Which place is cheaper, Krakow or Turku?

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 Turku is €159, 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 Turku and Krakow in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Turku 76
    Krakow 39
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Turku 152
    Krakow 78
Compare Hotels in Turku and Krakow

Looking for a hotel in Turku 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 Turku


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: Turku Hotel Prices and Krakow Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Turku 44
    Krakow 6.05

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Turku

Also for Turku, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Turku Private Transfer from Turku (TKU) Airport to City centre: $80
  • Turku Private Transfer from Turku city centre to Turku airport: $80

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krakow

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Krakow:

  • Budapest: Private transfer to Krakow or Krakow to Budapest: $482
  • Private Transfer to/from Budapest: $441
  • Private transfer from Krakow to Warsaw private driver service: $299
  • Krakow - Berlin private transfer with cleansed vehicle : $292
  • Private transfer: Krakow Airport - Zakopane: $286
  • Luxury Private Transfer from Krakow to Vienna: $281
  • The Jewish History of Krakow with Guide, Tickets & Transfers: $276
  • Zakopane Private Transfer from to Krakow or Krakow Airport: $274
  • Luxury Private Transfer from Krakow to Budapest: $269
  • Private Transfer to/from Warsaw: $261
  • Wieliczka Salt Mine Private Transfer : $239
  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum with Private Transfers from Krakow: $238

Is it cheaper to fly into Turku or Krakow?

Prices for flights to both Krakow and Turku 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
    Turku 56
    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.
    Turku 22
    Krakow 19

Tours and Activities in Turku

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Turku.

  • Experience Turku with a local guide: $287

Tours and Activities in Krakow

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

  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Wieliczka Salt Mine 1-Day Tour: $185
  • Energylandia Theme Park Ticket and Transportation From Krakow: $82
  • Magic Christmas tour in Wieliczka: $167
  • The Footsteps of John Paul II & Divine Mercy Private Tour: $161
  • Wawel Castle and Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour in Krakow with Lunch: $154
  • 1 DAY Tours - Auschwitz and Salt Mine - Shared transport+tickets: $155
  • 1 Hour Tour in Kraków Old Town: $94
  • 1,5-Hour Jewish Quarter Kazimierz Walking Guided Tour in Krakow: $24
  • 1-Hour Tour to Krakow's Old Town by Electric Golf Cart: $19
  • 2 Hour Bottomless Brunch Experience with 3 Course Meal And Drinks: $71
  • 2 Hour Private Pinball and Arcade Museum Tour from Krakow: $299
  • 3-Day Krakow Guided Tour: Jewish Heritage with Wieliczka and Auschwitz: $262

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Turku 12
    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 Turku and Krakow, we can see that Turku 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 Turku would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Turku 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 Turku Expensive? and Is Krakow Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Turku or Krakow?

Krakow has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Turku. When comparing the sizes of Turku 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.


When is the best time to visit Turku or Krakow?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Turku or Krakow in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Turku as well as Krakow.

In the summer, Turku is cooler than Krakow. Typically, the summer temperatures in Turku in July average around 16°C (61°F), and Krakow averages at about 19°C (67°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Krakow. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Turku this time of the year. In the summer, Turku often gets more sunshine than Krakow. Turku gets 262 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 201 hours of full sun.

Turku usually gets less rain in July than Krakow. Turku gets 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 86 mm (3.4 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July
    Turku 16°C (61°F) 
    Krakow 19°C (67°F)

Should I visit Turku or Krakow in the Autumn?

Both Krakow and Turku are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities.

In October, Turku is generally much colder than Krakow. Daily temperatures in Turku average around 6°C (43°F), and Krakow fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).

Turku usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Krakow during autumn. Turku gets 90 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 97 hours of full sun in the autumn.

In October, Turku usually receives more rain than Krakow. Turku gets 69 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October
    Turku 6°C (43°F) 
    Krakow 11°C (51°F)

Should I visit Turku or Krakow in the Winter?

Both Krakow and Turku during the winter are popular places to visit.

It's quite cold in Krakow in the winter. The weather in Turku can be very cold. Turku is much colder than Krakow in the winter. The daily temperature in Turku averages around -6°C (20°F) in January, and Krakow fluctuates around -2°C (29°F).

In the winter, Turku often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Krakow. Turku gets 39 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Krakow receives 38 hours of full sun.

Turku usually gets more rain in January than Krakow. Turku gets 46 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 34 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January
    Turku -6°C (20°F) 
    Krakow -2°C (29°F)

Should I visit Turku or Krakow in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Turku and Krakow.

It's quite cold in Turku in the spring. In the spring, Turku is much colder than Krakow. Typically, the spring temperatures in Turku in April average around 3°C (37°F), and Krakow averages at about 10°C (50°F).

Turku usually receives more sunshine than Krakow during spring. Turku gets 182 hours of sunny skies, while Krakow receives 132 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Turku usually receives less rain than Krakow. Turku gets 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while Krakow receives 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April
    Turku 3°C (37°F) 
    Krakow 10°C (50°F)

Typical Weather for Krakow and Turku

Turku Krakow
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan -6°C (20°F) 46 mm (1.8 in) -2°C (29°F) 34 mm (1.3 in)
Feb -7°C (20°F) 31 mm (1.2 in) 0°C (32°F) 32 mm (1.3 in)
Mar -3°C (27°F) 33 mm (1.3 in) 5°C (40°F) 34 mm (1.3 in)
Apr 3°C (37°F) 38 mm (1.5 in) 10°C (50°F) 49 mm (1.9 in)
May 9°C (49°F) 33 mm (1.3 in) 15°C (59°F) 83 mm (3.3 in)
Jun 14°C (58°F) 38 mm (1.5 in) 18°C (64°F) 96 mm (3.8 in)
Jul 16°C (61°F) 74 mm (2.9 in) 19°C (67°F) 86 mm (3.4 in)
Aug 15°C (59°F) 83 mm (3.2 in) 19°C (66°F) 85 mm (3.3 in)
Sep 10°C (51°F) 65 mm (2.6 in) 15°C (60°F) 52 mm (2 in)
Oct 6°C (43°F) 69 mm (2.7 in) 11°C (51°F) 45 mm (1.8 in)
Nov 1°C (33°F) 67 mm (2.6 in) 5°C (41°F) 45 mm (1.8 in)
Dec -4°C (25°F) 57 mm (2.3 in) 1°C (33°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)