Krakow Christmas Market Prices 2026

How much does food and drink cost?

Just as with any Christmas market, Krakow is no different in that the prices you pay here will be higher than you will pay elsewhere in the city.

The “Christmas market price bubble” exists in every Xmas market around Europe and most of us are happy to accept modestly high prices for the quality and variety of food on offer as well as the special Christmas vibe you feel whilst in Krakow’s Main Square. So, with that in mind, we thought we would share with you what type of prices to expect at the Krakow Christmas market and what you will be buying with your money. 

The above prices are a guideline for what to expect at the 2026 Christmas market. They are based on average prices found at the 2025 Krakow Xmas market and so we have nudged the prices up a little bit.

We were going to give you an accurate exchange rate between the Polish zloty and Sterling but calculating the UK equivalent of Polish prices is very very easy.

The Polish zloty averages around 5 zloty to 1 British Pound so, for example, Bigos, in our price guide above, would equate to around £ 9.

As with all exchange rates there is constant fluctuation but the Polish zloty against the pound is constant, sometimes it may drop to 4 zloty to the pound, sometimes it rises to 6 zloty to the pound so using 5 as a average is enough to help you navigate the exchange rate. 

What Polish food can you try at Krakow Christmas Market?

Golonka (pork knuckle)

This is a boiled ham shank (ham hock). You may also describe it as “pork knuckle”.

Always served on the bone, a golonka is slow cooked until the tender meat is falling off the bone.

The meat is encased with a juicy layer of fat and enrobed in a crispy, caramelised skin which has often been basted with honey and beer.

Some Christmas stalls will sell golonka by weight NOT by portion. It’s important to be aware of that as the advertised price you may think you’re paying could only be the price per 100g and as a golonka is served on the bone it can easily weigh 500 to 600g.

 It is pronounced – “gol-on-ka”.

Grzaniec (mulled wine)

Possibly THE most popular drink at any Christmas market anywhere in the world! The alcohol fumes alone could probably fuel a tractor.

Polish mulled wine is different from others you have probably tasted in that the Polish version uses locally produced honey to sweeten the drink. As anyone who might have tried to make their own mulled wine back home, alcoholic drinks become quite bitter as you warm them up so some form of sweetener is required.

It is pronounced – “g-szhan-iets” (not the easiest word to pronounce even with phonetic spelling!)   

Grzane piwo – Mulled beer

And this is where things become more interesting at the Krakow Christmas market as the Poles like to lean into their alcoholic options with gusto!

Mulled beer is surprisingly delicious. I personally sampled it tyhe first time sat on some outdoor decking, on a beachside bar in Sopot.

The warmed beer is seasoned with cloves, often with cinnamon and usually with a slice of orange floating around inside.

It is sweetened with a little honey-you don’t actually taste the sugar as the honey only balances the bitterness that comes from warming the alcohol up

When the beer is warmed up (never hot) it loses it’s bubbles and becomes wickedly enjoyable drink to savour on a cold winter’s night.Another food genre which Poles have elevated to new heights. On a cold winter’s day, a hot Polish soup can be the best thing you’ve eaten all day!

Pronounced – “g-szhan-e piwo”

Miód pitny grzaniec (mulled mead)

This is the third element of the Polish mulled drinks trilogy.

Mead isn’t particularly popular in the UK and Ireland (we don’t know why). A similar taste to sweet sherry, mead is derived from honey and once was a very popular drink dating back centuries.

Mulled mead is definitely something to try when at the Krakow markets as UK Xmas markets don’t tend to offer it.  

Pronounced – “myud pitny g-szhan-iets”

Polish soups

Another food genre which Poles have elevated to new heights. On a cold winter’s day, a hot Polish soup can be the best thing you’ve eaten all day!

Tomato soup is a Polish staple. It’s also one of the cheapest soups on the market.

A lamb goulash soup is made of slow cooked lamb with spices and peppers and is very very tasty. Expect to pay a bit more for this. 

Our favourites tend to be the ones which are more “exotic” to our tastebuds. Barszcz or Borscht is a Polish and Ukrainian traditional soup. Made from beets, the red colour can often be a little unnerving but trust us, it is worth trying. It is very popular on Polish dinner tables on Christmas Eve.  

Pierogi-Polish filled ravioli/dumplings

If you’ve never tried Polish pierogi then this is something that you simply cannot miss on your trip to Krakow. You will find them at the Xmas market. They will be more expensive then you would pay in a restaurant (as we’ve discussed earlier) but they really are an amazing dish.

They are a form of ravioli/dumpling that can be filled with various different ingredients.

They are usually boiled which leaves the pastry soft and light but they can also be fried. Both taste good and it’s really down to personal choice.

The most popular ones are called “pierogi Ruskie” or “Russian pierogi”. These are filled with cottage cheese and potato and sometimes onion and are simply delicious.

For political reasons, “pierogi Ruskie” has become a more uncommong description although everyone will know what you’re asking for.

Other popular varieties include wild boer, roasted duck, mushroom, and sour cabbage. You can even have them with fruits. 

It is pronounced – “py-e-rogy”.

Some final tips 

Krakow’s Christmas market is made up of many small, independant traders and this means that some of the stalls may be “cash only” so before heading out to the markets it might be a good idea to have some cash with you, preferably lower denomination notes and ideally quite a few coins with you too. The reason for this is that some stalls will tell you that they do not have any change when you pay them with the expectation being that you just wave away the extra few zloty that you should have got back.

Another tip, and this is for those of you who absolutely love a bargain, is that you can usually negotiate prices down just before the Christmas market closes around 10pm. Any time after around 9:30pm then it might be possible to get better prices on the food. some good priceWith the weekend coming up then the crowds will start to increase in and around the Christmas Market and around Krakow’s Main Square.

For a VERY limited time (two days) there is another Christmas market in Krakow at Podgórski Market.