🇵🇱
Krakow
Poland
Medieval old town with a thriving young population.
🇮🇹
Padova
Italy
Historic university town, just 30 minutes from Venice.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇵🇱 Krakow
€750–1,000 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇮🇹 Padova
€800–1,100 / month
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
Best for
🇮🇹 Padova
- Students who want a real university-town atmosphere
- Those who plan to travel around northern Italy frequently
- People who value academic prestige
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
Very Affordable
Cost of Living
Moderate
High
Nightlife
Moderate
Fair
Weather
Good
High
Travel Opportunities
Excellent
Active
Student Life
Iconic
Comfortable
Housing
Manageable
Strong
University Reputation
Top-Tier
Student insights
🇵🇱 Krakow
- Very low cost of living
- Excellent value for money
- Historic and culturally very rich city
Student insights
🇮🇹 Padova
- One of Italy's oldest and most prestigious universities
- Just 30 minutes by train to Venice
- Strong sense of student community
Student voice — 🇵🇱 Krakow
“Krakow is cheap, student-oriented and right in the center of Europe.”
Student voice — 🇮🇹 Padova
“Padova surprised me — I'd choose it again over Milan.”
🇵🇱 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
🇮🇹 Padova
Pros
- One of Italy's oldest and most prestigious universities
- Just 30 minutes by train to Venice
- Strong sense of student community
- Compact, walkable historic centre
- Reasonable cost of living for northern Italy
Cons
- Smaller international community than Bologna
- Less famous than Florence or Rome
- Cold and foggy winters
- Limited big-city nightlife
- Housing tightens up at the start of the academic year
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.