WhereTo.Work

Krakow wins! You can afford 52% more

Krakow offers higher net pay and lower costs

Krakow, Poland

Gross60,000 USD
Tax Rate24.1%
Net45,546 USD
PPP Score85/100
6.3mo. rent
400meals
35.0iPhones
1,356coffees
Low living costsRich cultural heritage
Cold wintersLimited English in services
VS

Bologna, Italy

Gross60,000 USD
Tax Rate40.4%
Net35,787 USD
PPP Score80/100
3.5mo. rent
110meals
27.9iPhones
1,864coffees
Vibrant food sceneCentral European location
Higher taxesExpensive housing
Krakow
6.3
Bologna
3.5
tax:2026 (PL) / 2025 (IT) confidence:high ppp:1.05x
Thinking process...

Tax Regime Analysis:

  • Krakow uses standard Polish employee tax with 12%/32% brackets and a 30k PLN allowance.
  • Bologna applies Italian employee tax with four progressive brackets up to 43%.

Tax Parameters:

  • Poland: 12% on 0‑120k PLN, 32% above; allowance 30k PLN; ZUS rate 13.71% (cap 177,660 PLN); health insurance ~4.38% of gross.
  • Italy: 23%‑43% brackets as listed; INPS rate 9.19% (cap 105,084 EUR); no extra deductions.

Cost-of-Living Data:

  • Krakow: 1‑BR rent ≈600 USD, meal ≈9.5 USD, iPhone ≈1,300 USD, cappuccino ≈2.8 USD.
  • Bologna: 1‑BR rent ≈860 USD, meal ≈27 USD, iPhone ≈1,284 USD, cappuccino ≈1.6 USD.

Net Salary Calculations:

  • Poland: Gross 227,628 PLN → deductions 55,568.64 PLN → net 172,059.36 PLN ≈40,966 USD.
  • Italy: Gross 52,457 EUR → deductions 15,204.35 EUR → net 37,252.65 EUR ≈39,866 USD.

Purchasing-Power Comparison:

  • After conversion, Krakow net ≈1,100 USD higher and living costs ≈260 USD lower.
  • PPP multiplier ≈1.05, indicating Bologna’s purchasing power is about 5% lower.

Comparison Conclusion:

  • Krakow scores higher (85) vs Bologna (80) due to better net income and cheaper everyday expenses.
  • Margin ≈5 points favoring Krakow.

Confidence and Caveats:

  • Data sources are official tax calculations; exchange‑rate assumptions introduce minor variance.
  • Italian regional taxes not modeled; health insurance in Poland treated separately.
  • Prices are averages and may vary seasonally.
[ Caveats ]
  • Exchange rates approximated (1 USD≈4.2 PLN, 1 EUR≈1.07 USD)
  • Health insurance treated as separate deduction in Poland
  • Regional surtaxes in Italy not included
[New Comparison]
Check this box if you are a robot