Budget and Cost of Living in Poland: Our Real Figures
By Jérôme R · Visited in July 2026 · Updated · How we work
How much does a trip to Poland really cost? Rather than generic estimates, here's our full budget, costed item by item from our own receipts and bank statements, for two weeks on the road as a family of 4.
Our total budget (real floor)
True story, July 2026: our total budget, calculated from prepaid payments and expenses recorded on the ground, comes to around €6,350 for 14 nights, for 4 people — an average of about €450/day for the whole family, including international travel and car hire. This figure is a floor: our receipt records cover only about 60-70% of day-to-day spending, whereas the fixed items (flights, car, accommodation) are complete.
Total (floor): around €6,350
What that looks like day to day
For a more concrete idea: a restaurant meal averaged 52-75 zł per person (roughly €12-17), with a range from 16 to 120 zł depending on whether it was just a drink or a full meal. A 50cl draught beer on a terrace was around 19 zł (€4.40), a pizza in the mountains between 34 and 45 zł, and an ice cream between 9 and 27 zł.
What we actually paid, item by item (July 2026)
True story, July 2026: these prices come from our own receipts, invoices and bank statements (family of four, high season). Euro amounts use the rate shown on our statements, about 4.3 zł to €1.
These prices date from July 2026 and may have changed since.
The price of petrol in Poland
True story, July 2026: we paid between 7.39 and 7.59 zł a litre for unleaded 95 (roughly €1.72-€1.77), so a full tank (~45 litres) came to between 335 and 345 zł (€78-€80). Over the whole trip (around 2,900 km covered), our total fuel budget came to around €381, generally cheaper than what we'd pay back home at the same time of year.
Good to know
▸ Good to know
- Budget more than just day-to-day spending if you're hiring a car: the extra insurance imposed on site can add a significant cost — see our article on the airport-to-centre transfer in Kraków.
- Petrol prices generally stay lower than back home.
- Dining and accommodation rates vary a lot from one city to another and by season — our figures date from peak season (July).
Frequently asked questions
What budget should I plan for a trip to Poland?
For a family of 4 over 14 nights, our real budget (flights, car, accommodation, meals, sightseeing) came to around €6,350, including international travel.
Is Poland expensive?
No, day-to-day cost of living (restaurants, supermarkets, fuel) stays generally more affordable than back home; the main expenses on a trip remain international travel and car hire.
What does a meal cost in Poland?
Allow on average 52 to 75 zł per person (€12-17) for a restaurant meal, with a range from 16 to 120 zł depending on the type of meal.