$40K in Roanoke = $25,287 in Kraków

Your $40K salary in Roanoke (COL 87) has the same purchasing power as $25,287 in Kraków (COL 55). Kraków is cheaper — your money goes 37% further there.

$40K in Roanoke, VA
$2,535/mo take-home
Rent: $1,200/mo (47% of take-home)
Difficult
$25,287/yr in Kraków, PL
$1,472/mo take-home
Rent: $750/mo (51% of take-home)
Difficult

Budget breakdown — $40K in both cities

What $40K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Roanoke
$40K
Kraków
$40K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$2,535$2,328
1BR rent$1,200$750
Groceries$361$380
Transport$48$150
Utilities$155$90
Internet$60$25
Left after essentials$711/month$933/month
To match your Roanoke purchasing power in Kraków, you'd need to earn $25,287/year (37% less than $40K). At that salary, you'd have $77/mo left after essentials — vs $711/mo in Roanoke.

Frequently asked questions

What is $40K in Roanoke equivalent to in Kraków?

$40K in Roanoke (COL index 87) has the same purchasing power as $25,287 in Kraków (COL index 55). That's 37% less than your current salary.

If I move from Roanoke to Kraków keeping my $40K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $40K after moving to Kraków, you'd have $222 more per month after core expenses — because Kraków is cheaper than Roanoke.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $40K × (55 ÷ 87) = $25,287. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Other salary amounts — Roanoke to Kraków

$50K → $31,609$60K → $37,931$75K → $47,414$80K → $50,575$100K → $63,218$120K → $75,862$150K → $94,828
$40K in Kraków → RoanokeMoving from Roanoke to KrakówRoanoke vs Kraków — full comparisonCan I afford Roanoke vs Kraków on $40K?

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow · BLS · Numbeo · Q1 2026 · For general guidance only