🇮🇹
Bologna
Italy
Oldest university in Europe and Italy's food capital.
🇵🇱
Krakow
Poland
Medieval old town with a thriving young population.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇮🇹 Bologna
€1,000–1,300 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇵🇱 Krakow
€750–1,000 / month
Best for
🇮🇹 Bologna
- Students looking for a true university city
- Those who want an authentic Italian experience
- People interested in combining studies and social life
Best for
🇵🇱 Krakow
- Students with a tight budget
- Those who want to save without giving up a good Erasmus experience
- People interested in Central and Eastern Europe
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
Moderate
Cost of Living
Very Affordable
Moderate
Nightlife
High
Good
Weather
Fair
Excellent
Travel Opportunities
High
Iconic
Student Life
Active
Manageable
Housing
Comfortable
Top-Tier
University Reputation
Strong
Student insights
🇮🇹 Bologna
- Exceptional university atmosphere
- Very high academic prestige
- Excellent location for travelling around Italy
Student insights
🇵🇱 Krakow
- Very low cost of living
- Excellent value for money
- Historic and culturally very rich city
Student voice — 🇮🇹 Bologna
“University life in Bologna is unlike anything else.”
Student voice — 🇵🇱 Krakow
“Krakow is cheap, student-oriented and right in the center of Europe.”
🇮🇹 Bologna
Pros
- Exceptional university atmosphere
- Very high academic prestige
- Excellent location for travelling around Italy
- Strong student identity
- Compact and walkable city
Cons
- Increasingly expensive accommodation
- Cost of living higher than Central Europe
- Less favourable climate than southern Europe
- Smaller international community than Barcelona or Lisbon
- Less leisure offer than major European capitals
🇵🇱 Krakow
Pros
- Very low cost of living
- Excellent value for money
- Historic and culturally very rich city
- Great travel opportunities around Central Europe
- Relatively accessible accommodation
Cons
- Long, cold winters
- Smaller Erasmus community than Budapest or Prague
- Fewer international connections than major European capitals
- Local language difficult for many students
- Less international visibility than some leading destinations
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.