🇵🇱
Krakow
Poland
Medieval old town with a thriving young population.
🇭🇷
Zagreb
Croatia
Compact Croatian capital with friendly locals and a strong café culture.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇵🇱 Krakow
€750–1,000 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇭🇷 Zagreb
€700–1,000 / 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
🇭🇷 Zagreb
- Students looking for a friendly, underrated destination
- Those with a mid-range budget
- People who want an authentic Central/Southeastern European experience
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
🇵🇱 Krakow
🇭🇷 Zagreb
Very Affordable
Cost of Living
Affordable
High
Nightlife
Moderate
Fair
Weather
Good
High
Travel Opportunities
High
Active
Student Life
Very Active
Comfortable
Housing
Comfortable
Strong
University Reputation
Well-Regarded
Student insights
🇵🇱 Krakow
- Very low cost of living
- Excellent value for money
- Historic and culturally very rich city
Student insights
🇭🇷 Zagreb
- Friendly, welcoming locals
- Reasonable cost of living
- Compact, easy-to-navigate centre
Student voice — 🇵🇱 Krakow
“Krakow is cheap, student-oriented and right in the center of Europe.”
Student voice — 🇭🇷 Zagreb
“Zagreb is the most welcoming city I've lived in.”
🇵🇱 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
🇭🇷 Zagreb
Pros
- Friendly, welcoming locals
- Reasonable cost of living
- Compact, easy-to-navigate centre
- Strong café and outdoor culture
- Easy access to the Croatian coast
Cons
- Smaller Erasmus community
- Less famous than other European capitals
- Cold winters
- Fewer international flight connections
- Croatian language barrier outside university
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.