CITY / CITYVerified city comparison
BatumivsKraków.
Batumi and Kraków are even on the headline facts, with 4 stronger results each out of 8. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Batumi $220/mo, Kraków $753/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Batumi 1%, Kraków 23.6%. Climate comfort: Batumi 3/12 mo, Kraków 6/12 mo.
VerifiedUpdated
14 compared criteria · 30 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited
ge / pl · SettleMetric
01
The key differences
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
Headline result
Even — 4 of 8 each
Batumi
4
Kraków
4
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Jun = 3. Jul–Nov all exceed 150mm precipitation (very wet).
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (15.1°C), May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 6.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
- Notes
- Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir. Coastal Batumi is cleaner than Tbilisi (sea breeze, less heating smog), among the least-polluted cities in IQAir's West Asia grouping — still ~2.4× the WHO guideline.
EEA European city air quality viewer
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual mean at the Bujaka urban-background station (17 µg/m³).
- Notes
- Nearly 4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean.
02
Which city fits your plan?
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Remote IT / freelancer
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
Kraków fits better — 3 of 5
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Georgian Post + courier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Georgian Post ~500 branches nationwide (1–3 day domestic parcels, some lockers/pickup points); Wolt Drive and Glovo last-mile in Tbilisi/Batumi; DHL/FedEx/UPS present. Dense and reliable in cities; locker density and nationwide same-day coverage thinner than EU leaders → good, not excellent.
InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Kraków fits better — 3 of 5
IB World Schools directory / IB Georgia association
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- No IB-authorized school in Batumi as of July 2026 (all Georgian IB schools are in Tbilisi). Private English-language schools exist but none are IB-authorized.
- Notes
- Families needing an IB curriculum currently look to Tbilisi.
IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- IB finder results for country=PL, keyword 'Krakow': British International School of Cracow, International School of Krakow, Open Future, Kolegium Europejskie, VI LO, VIII PALO, Da Vinci's.
- Notes
- ±1 uncertainty; CIS/COBIS-only schools not yet counted.
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
- Notes
- Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir. Coastal Batumi is cleaner than Tbilisi (sea breeze, less heating smog), among the least-polluted cities in IQAir's West Asia grouping — still ~2.4× the WHO guideline.
EEA European city air quality viewer
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual mean at the Bujaka urban-background station (17 µg/m³).
- Notes
- Nearly 4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean.
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Batumi fits better — 2 of 3
National Bank of Georgia — Virtual Asset Service Providers
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Individuals pay 0% income tax on crypto gains (Minister of Finance Public Decision N201, 2019 — crypto is not Georgian-source income for individuals) and crypto↔fiat exchange is VAT-exempt. Service providers must register as VASPs with the NBG (regime since 1 July 2023). Very favourable for individual holders, hence legal-friendly.
Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
US State Dept 2025 Investment Climate Statement (Georgia) / trade.gov
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GEL freely convertible (float since 1998; IMF Article VIII since 1996); no capital controls; funds transfer abroad freely (except sanctioned destinations); no routine cash caps or resident foreign-account exit restrictions.
- Notes
- Caveat: since Georgia joined CRS (2024) and post-2022 de-risking, non-resident bank account onboarding has become notably stricter (source-of-funds documentation, some rejections). The FX regime itself is open; the friction is at bank KYC.
biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
A close call for this plan
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir. Coastal Batumi is cleaner than Tbilisi (sea breeze, less heating smog), among the least-polluted cities in IQAir's West Asia grouping — still ~2.4× the WHO guideline.
EEA European city air quality viewer
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual mean at the Bujaka urban-background station (17 µg/m³).
- Notes
- Nearly 4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean.
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Jun = 3. Jul–Nov all exceed 150mm precipitation (very wet).
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (15.1°C), May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 6.
03
The full comparison
Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.
01
Taxes
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileBatumistronger1Kraków23.6
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Batumi
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
Kraków
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (biznes.gov.pl)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme pl-ryczalt-it-12 at €60,000 revenue = 257,400 PLN (ECB 4.29): ZUS social 21,459.48 + health 9,966.96 + Labor Fund 1,661.64 + 12% lump-sum tax 27,714.84 = 60,802.92 PLN → 23.6%. Expenses don't reduce ryczałt.
02
Legalization
01+−Remote-work legalization easeBatumiLong stay pathKrakówLong stay path
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Batumi
Government Ordinance N255 — visa-free entry
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Exceptionally easy in practice: ~94 nationalities (incl. all EU, US, UK, Ukraine, Russia) may stay visa-free for a full year and register an Individual Entrepreneur with 1% Small Business Status the same day — no residence permit needed. Scored as a long-stay path; there is no formal 'digital nomad visa' and the year of visa-free stay does not itself build toward permanent residence.
Kraków
Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office — business-activity residence permit
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- No digital nomad visa (verified absent on gov.pl); Poland Business Harbour suspended since Jan 2024. Realistic long-stay route: temporary residence via business activity (renewable, up to 3 years) — but sole-proprietorship registration is limited to specific statuses, so most non-EU/non-US freelancers route through a company.
03
Cost of living
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentBatumistronger220Kraków753
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Batumi
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
Kraków
GUS — Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS one-person household consumer spending 2,888.89 PLN/mo (2024) minus actual-rentals line 235.10 → 2,653.79 PLN; uplifted by CPI (+3.6% 2025 avg, +3.1% y/y May 2026) → ≈2,835 PLN; converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD (ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against Eurostat price-level indices (PL ≈ 72% of EU27).
Monthly spending by category (excl. rent)
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025 (category shares)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 per-capita consumption shares (food 38.7%, transport 11.4%, healthcare 11.0%, etc.) applied to the ~$220/mo excl-rent base and converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD. Georgia's very high food share is characteristic of the income level. National average — rent shown separately.
GUS Household Budget Survey 2024 (one-person households), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GUS 2024 one-person household spending by COICOP category, minus the actual-rentals line, CPI-uplifted to mid-2026 (×1.068) and converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Categories sum to the ~$753/mo cost-of-living aggregate. National average — city living runs somewhat higher.
04
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
ss.ge / korter.ge / batumiexpert listing samples (Batumi)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Typical long-term asking-rent medians from active listings (portals quote USD), central = Old Boulevard/seaside, outside = inland districts. Small samples — indicative.
- Notes
- Batumi rents swing sharply with the summer tourist season; these are long-term winter/shoulder rates. Asking, not transacted. Room-count convention mapped (a '2-room' listing ≈ a 1-bedroom).
ZnajdzNajem Kraków report (by room + district), Otodom Analytics cross-check
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- City-wide asking rent by room count (ZnajdzNajem, 2026-07-03: studio 2,206, 1-2rm 2,883, 3rm 3,778, 4rm 5,125 PLN) split into central vs outside using ZnajdzNajem district multipliers (central Stare Miasto/Kazimierz/Zwierzyniec ×1.216; outside Nowa Huta/Prądnik Biały ×0.860), converted at 3.7635 PLN/USD. Cross-checked against Otodom Analytics by-size brackets (May 2026).
- Notes
- Central/outside cells are DERIVED (city room-average × district multiplier). City-wide-by-room and district averages are directly observed. Central = Stare Miasto and adjacent districts; outside = Nowa Huta, Prądnik Biały, etc.
05
Safety
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearBatumi2Krakówstronger0.7
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Batumi
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
Kraków
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (ICCS 0101)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Completed homicides. UNODC latest (2023): 0.80 per 100k. Polish police's ~503 'zabójstwa' (2024) includes attempts.
06
Climate
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearBatumi3Krakówstronger6
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Batumi
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Jun = 3. Jul–Nov all exceed 150mm precipitation (very wet).
Kraków
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (15.1°C), May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep = 6.
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Batumistronger11.9Kraków19.5
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Batumi
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir. Coastal Batumi is cleaner than Tbilisi (sea breeze, less heating smog), among the least-polluted cities in IQAir's West Asia grouping — still ~2.4× the WHO guideline.
Kraków
EEA European city air quality viewer
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- EEA urban-background city value, 2-year average (2022–2023). Corroborated by GIOŚ 2024 single-year annual mean at the Bujaka urban-background station (17 µg/m³).
- Notes
- Nearly 4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Kraków's winter smog is a well-known problem — heating-season readings run far higher than the annual mean.
07
Healthcare
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldBatumistronger450Kraków1,600
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Batumi
Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
- Notes
- Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.
Kraków
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private plans that include inpatient/hospital cover — top-tier LuxMed/Medicover subscriptions (own or partner hospitals) and standalone health insurance (Signal Iduna, Allianz Zdrowie, PZU) — run ≈400–700 PLN/month. Healthy-35-year-old midpoint ≈ 500 PLN/mo ≈ 6,000 PLN/yr ≈ $1,595 at 3.7635 PLN/USD (range ≈ $1,275–$2,230). Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote.
- Notes
- Residents are covered by mandatory public insurance (NFZ); private cover is optional. Most people buy only a cheaper OUTPATIENT subscription (LuxMed/Medicover ≈150–250 PLN/mo ≈ $600/yr) and use the public system for hospital care. This figure is the with-inpatient comprehensive tier, chosen to be comparable with other countries' comprehensive plans (the earlier $603 was an outpatient-only subscription mislabelled as comprehensive).
08
Money & crypto
01+−Crypto regulationBatumistrongerLegal friendlyKrakówLegal regulated
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Batumi
National Bank of Georgia — Virtual Asset Service Providers
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Individuals pay 0% income tax on crypto gains (Minister of Finance Public Decision N201, 2019 — crypto is not Georgian-source income for individuals) and crypto↔fiat exchange is VAT-exempt. Service providers must register as VASPs with the NBG (regime since 1 July 2023). Very favourable for individual holders, hence legal-friendly.
Kraków
Polish tax authority — disposal of virtual currencies (PIT-38, 19%)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Holding/trading legal for individuals; 19% flat tax on disposal gains (crypto-to-crypto swaps untaxed). EU MiCA applies; Poland's domestic implementing act was vetoed (latest 2026-06-11), so local CASP licensing is stalled — EU-passported providers serve the market.
02+−Financial control levelBatumiLowKrakówLow
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Batumi
US State Dept 2025 Investment Climate Statement (Georgia) / trade.gov
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GEL freely convertible (float since 1998; IMF Article VIII since 1996); no capital controls; funds transfer abroad freely (except sanctioned destinations); no routine cash caps or resident foreign-account exit restrictions.
- Notes
- Caveat: since Georgia joined CRS (2024) and post-2022 de-risking, non-resident bank account onboarding has become notably stricter (source-of-funds documentation, some rejections). The FX regime itself is open; the friction is at bank KYC.
Kraków
biznes.gov.pl — cash payment limits (art. 19 Prawo przedsiębiorców)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- May 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Composite: no currency/capital controls for EU/OECD flows (Prawo dewizowe, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1131); PLN fully convertible; B2B cash cap 15,000 PLN per transaction, no consumer cash limit; no FBAR-style foreign-account disclosure (NBP statistical reporting only above 7M PLN of foreign assets); standard EU CRS via banks.
09
Infrastructure
01+−Domestic delivery qualityBatumiGoodKrakówstrongerExcellent
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Batumi
Georgian Post + courier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Georgian Post ~500 branches nationwide (1–3 day domestic parcels, some lockers/pickup points); Wolt Drive and Glovo last-mile in Tbilisi/Batumi; DHL/FedEx/UPS present. Dense and reliable in cities; locker density and nationwide same-day coverage thinner than EU leaders → good, not excellent.
Kraków
InPost official news / carrier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- InPost >28,000 parcel lockers (end-2025) with 98% next-day delivery and 763M parcels/yr; ORLEN Paczka ~14k pickup points; Poczta Polska 7.6k offices + 14.3k parcel points; DPD/DHL/GLS/UPS/FedEx nationwide. Next-day is the domestic norm.
02+−International delivery easeBatumiMinor frictionKrakówMinor friction
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Batumi
Revenue Service of Georgia — customs procedures
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Georgia is outside the EU/EAEU. Personal-import de minimis: 300 GEL (≈ $113) and ≤ 30 kg, once per calendar month, exempt; above that, 18% import VAT + 0–12% duty + a small customs fee. All major integrators (DHL, FedEx, UPS, Aramex) present. Predictable but the low monthly de-minimis cap adds friction.
Kraków
European Commission — removal of the €150 customs duty exemption (Reg. EU 2026/382)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market, all major carriers). Non-EU imports: the €150 duty-free threshold was removed on 2026-07-01 — a temporary flat €3/item duty applies to ≤€150 IOSS consignments (until the 2028 Customs Data Hub); VAT collected at checkout via IOSS. Predictable but no longer duty-free.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadBatumi15.8Krakówstronger41.7
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Batumi
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.
Kraków
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Poland
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians, 563,348 tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; 2025/2026 files not yet published).
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion.
10
Language
01+−English proficiencyBatumiHighKrakówstrongerVery high
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Batumi
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
Kraków
EF EPI 2025 (rank 15/123, score 600 — Very High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First); English is broadly workable in cities and the service sector, less so in offices/government.
11
Education
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countBatumi0Krakówstronger7
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Batumi
IB World Schools directory / IB Georgia association
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- No IB-authorized school in Batumi as of July 2026 (all Georgian IB schools are in Tbilisi). Private English-language schools exist but none are IB-authorized.
- Notes
- Families needing an IB curriculum currently look to Tbilisi.
Kraków
IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- IB finder results for country=PL, keyword 'Krakow': British International School of Cracow, International School of Krakow, Open Future, Kolegium Europejskie, VI LO, VIII PALO, Da Vinci's.
- Notes
- ±1 uncertainty; CIS/COBIS-only schools not yet counted.