When I became a city person

I became a city guy when I was a consultant.  I traveled to most of the major US cities and live the consultant lifestyle in hotels and corporate apartments.  By the time I took a job in Boston, I only wanted to live in Beacon Hill, Boston.  I loved Beacon Hill for its old town center city lifestyle. I found I could live and work in the city and on the weekends enjoy the countryside in New Hampshire.  So I thought what was the point of living in the country as opposed to the city.

My next big city move was Krakow, Poland where I have lived for about six years.   I have become quite attached to city life.  I have though of building a house in the countryside of Poland, a nice wooden log home.  However, the though of being in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but watch the grass grow, bores me.

City or country living?

I guess I make a huge switch from country to city. I love living in a Polish city like Krakow.  I am curious if you prefer the city or the country and what your experiences with the two lifestyles have been?

Why I know about Polish homes

I am in the American that lives in Poland. I have lived here for many years.  One thing I have noticed about the Polish landscape is the style of houses are different than those in the United States.  The United States has an eclectic style of homes.  Poland has a style, the cities are ancient and amazing, it looks like Europe.

Polish style of homes in the country

• The Polish style home is in my opinion are stronger than your typical American home, however build more for efficiency than style.
• Some of the nicer styles imitate the old manor estates that have a neo-classical look.

Almost all Polish homes are made of stone with some sort of stucco on the outside.  Polish people like this because they feel it’s more sturdy.   This may be true.  They look a lot like home you see in Florida, that is the style of  stucco white homes often red roofs and windows to converse energy. The new style Polish homes are really nice and like the new rich of America have.
My style of house

My own style of home, is something that has been natural elements like would and a lot of class and windows.  I believe light is very important particularly in Poland.  The reason is in the winter it is a very dark country, and you need to maximize light.

Polish homes try to save on heating bills, the news ones have large windows as people are not going for style over saving every little penny.  This may have been true in the past way and you had the stain single class windows, however now all and even in my apartment I have the state doubled last windows and I don’t have a major problem with my heating bill.  Remember most of the heat I believe extends through the windows, and perhaps doors.  However if you have this double thick glass in the windows then it’s not an issue.  In fact, you should haveas much window as possible save almost have solar heating.

Another reason why Polish homes have small windows is because builders quote potential clients price per meter.  If the price is smaller there is a more chance they will buy, and the homes with the smaller windows have the smaller price. People not having a lot of money look at the bottom line price per meter.  Polish people are very smart and practical and always looking at price per meter and every aspect to maximize value.

If I build a home in Poland

Therefore, if I ever to build a home in Poland and gonna make it in a unique style with a lot of class and a lot of glass, with the roof that does not create a shadow over the windows, and will probably be made over would.

Perhaps I’m too used to seeing American style homes that are very eclectic and I can see this right off when I came to Poland.  Polish homes are starting to evolve into a much nicer style, as people here grow rich. Another idea is a wood log home.  I know many Americans do not like these but if done right it is very cozy and the long Polish winters can be endured better.

If you have any questions about homes in Poland, or in eastern Europe in general please write me and let me know or simply leave a comment on my Polish homes post.  

One of my favorite words in English is the word ‘lame’. However, for many years I thought there was no good translation for this word as when I watched films in Polish they always translated it as ‘słabo’. This means weak.  However, if you say a movie is weak it does not have the same linguistic impact as lame. Lame is a bit slangy, but really conveys the message.

Słabo or za słabo (too weak) is OK but I found a better Polish word. Here is how it happened.

One day I was watching a program on Polish TV. It is called Kiepski. It is about this couple who lives in a block of flats. It is kind of like the old show with Jackie Gleason called the honeymooners. Well I have watched this show for years and I have only made the connection recently. That is, the guys last name Kiepski means lame.

The Polish word Kiepski is also the title of Polish TV show. Andrzej Grabowski plays on the Polsat series called Kiepski.

It happened because I actually asked my wife for what it means and she made the connection. It’s funny how many times I do the same for her in English. There is an English word and she asks me what it means and when I think about it, I find a root word or hidden meaning to a word I had used in English for many years.

This is one of the advantages of living in a bilingual home. It opens doors and ways of thinking that could not be done by simply reading a book. If you marry a Polish guy or girl consider yourself lucky in love and in life.

Uses of this Polish idiom

You can say a date or a film or a book or a person is kind of ‘kiepski’. This is now one of my favorite words in Polish.

Kiepski żart (lame joke) or kiepski humor (which means lame moody). Kiepsko u mnie (I am short in money or better yet ‘I am broke or do not have the ducats’ Kiepski z językami (I am not good with languages). Kiepski kucharz (lame cook).  You can have  kiepski smak (lame taste) or a really lame boring day – kiepski dzień.  If you are a Polish native speaker let me know if you have some more idioms like this. I do not want to write a kiespki post.

Although I have a Polish grammar site one of the basic pillars of my philosophy is to learn Polish by accumulating a massive database of words in your memory.

I like to convey these types of idioms as it is not something you would find in a dictionary or electronic translator. It is something that you pick up when you live in Poland. If you were to pull this Polish word out in the right situations you would your Polish would be ‘czadowy’ (that means ‘with smoke’, which is slang for amazing in Polish).

Krakow Knights ready to do battle

I was lucky to take some photos, although next year I will try to bring my better Camera.  It is really amazing running for about 10 hours with something different every hour. I would love to be a reenactor and it would be good for my Polish.

Camp in Krakow reenacting the Middle Ages

During this festival there is a small church behind my house that is open only once a year. There is a great legend and mystical history around this chapel that I think I will save for another post.

Krakow Middle Ages fair

The festival starts at 8 am has of course dancing, Medieval music and a battle at 3 pm.   The festival has a lot more of course including a unusual ending at 5:30 that I will not tell you about incase you ever go. It looks like some of the renactors actually might sleep there overnight.

In the real Middle Ages fair were a very important part of economic life. This is when people came from all over to trade and do business. It was a precursor of the Market. It was a place where goods were exchanged by tradesmen.  Remember there was no China, everything from candles to rope had to be produced locally so every town had its specialties. Fairs from the Dark ages to the High Middle ages were economic based as well as for other reasons.

I have often though of Krakow and Poland in general as a Medieval city and place. The city is filled with living history. There are monks walking the streets, real ones and 800 year old churches everywhere. There are many people with Medieval costumes walking around the city even on none fair days.

More Polish knights

I think these times are more in the collective unconscious of the people here in Poland more than most places. I think the US and UK are too busied with iPads and CNN talk of crisis to appreciate history like people do in Poland. From the Dark ages to the 18th Century it was a great time in Poland. And of course it is a great time to live today in Poland.

Polish Medieval camp

The last picture I hope you will enjoy are a couple of beautiful Polish princesses. I think Poles have very good values and ideas and the women truly are like ladies from the Middle Ages.

Krakow ladies from the Middle Ages

No need for a time machine to see princess from the Polish centuries past, in Poland there are many Cinderellas and peasant girls who have the heart of a princess.

Let me know what you think of these and pictures of Krakow’s Medieval festival. I know I need to improve the quality, however, the theme is interesting. Many people ask me why I am in Poland. I think the answer is obvious. It is such an interesting place, almost everyday I step outside my door and discover something new. Poland is a country that has many layers of history. Krakow itself has had inhabitants up to over 50,000 years ago and settlements and ancient things as fantastic as anything your real in Lord of the Rings.

Prices in Poland

I recommend shopping only at Auchens as it is were you get the best quality for the cheapest price on food and clothes etcFor example, you can get a bike for 180 pln and a 3 kg of potatoes for a złoty, you can get a Asus netbook computer for 1000 pln (I paid more at Bestbuy in Florida as you need to add in the sales tax in the USA, Polish prices are quoted in the final price. Of course you could go to Alma or even Klepasz the farmers market and local stores and pay more but why?

Exact prices in Poland

• Rent, I pay 1000 pln for 69 meters but I have a gem in the old town.  I think rent is more like 2000 for 70 meters for people who can not get the insiders deal.
• 50 pln for high speed Internet, 50 pln for satellite TV with 1000 stations + 25 for HBO etc. This is low cost compared to the USA.
• My price for electric is only 50 pln.
• 200 pln for gas in the winter more like 350, the price of heating and cooking and showers is high in Poland as the gas company nickles and dimes you with service fees.
• Water and trash and maintenance and extras is 50 pln a month.
• Good haircut with scissors not a buzzer is 10 pln.
• Food for a family of 3 is about 1000 pln a month, but I buy a lot of extra nice things. I use to spend 2000 pln and some people spend only 500 pln. I like to buy high price imported items in Poland.
• Tram pass is 90 pln a month.
• Movies are about 18 pln lets say.
• IKEA  has the best furniture.  3000 pln to get set up with nice new things to start, or check Gumtree for cheap things, I am selling my sofa for example this week and going to IKEA to pick up a new one.
• If you shop allegro you will save more, but Auchens is often better and less stress.
• So your total cost depends on how you eat and live depends on how you live. Lets say your total costs is 2500 pln a month, then you might have 500 extra for things that come up.

Therefore for about 1000 dollars or about 3000 pln a month you live a nice life, with nice clothes and books from Empik and movies and French cheese. The rest you can save or spend as you wish.

However, to live the same life I lived in Boston with savings and exotic vacations and yoga classes (which cost lets say 15 pln in Poland), and wasting money at the shopping mall on things you do not need and again saving and investing, you need about 2000 dollars a month in Poland.  But if you earn 2000 dollars a month you are rich. I did very well in Boston making about 10,000 dollars a month lets say but for 1/5 that rate I can live the exact same life in Poland because prices are cheaper in Poland than in the USA.  I can take vacations more often.
These sample for cost of living in Poland based on my experience. Please let me know what you think.

The following is a list of ways to go from Krakow, Poland to Lviv Ukraine. I live in Krakow and go to Lviv a lot for various reasons. Many people touring Eastern Europe are fine with going to Poland and EU country but are afraid to cross out of the Schengen zone. If you are in Poland for more than a couple of days you might want to consider a trip to Lviv.

The Polish city of Lvov was once the cultural capital of Poland. Krakow was considered a smaller town in comparison. Many people speak Polish in Lviv and the city is multi national and tourist friendly.

How to go from Cracow to Lvov

The return trip is easy as once you get there you can just do the reverse.

• You can get a bus from Krakow to Lviv for 70 pln or about 22 dollars. This is the simple way, it leaves every night from the main bus station in Krakow at 8 pm. The bus often does not have a bathroom so do not drink water or ask the driver to stop the bus. I have in emergencies. When nature call you can not hang up the phone. I drank 1.5 liters of water and boarder the bus. I did this as I thought the bus came in 1 1/2 hours, but just as I finished the bus pulled up for its 12 hour trip.
• Another more complicated way which I do personally as I like day travel and trains over buses. I go from Krakow to Przemyśl, a Polish town on the Polish-Ukrainian border. You can get there in 3 1/2 hours. It costs about 15 dollars or 40 Polish złoty.  At Przemysl take a  Marshrootka or van to the  for 2 PLN there are white vans or small buses that are everywhere, just ask someone in English. Do the same to get to Lviv once you cross the Polish boarder, they come ever 20 minutes.  I have been stuck there in the middle of the night because I think they stop at about midnight and had to wait until 5 am. I slept on the grass.
• Any travel in Ukraine is much cheaper than travel in Poland, about 1/3 or less the price. For example I went 26 hours on a Ukrainian sleeper train to Crimea for about 20 dollars once. This same Polish train would cost about 200 dollars.
• You can buy a ticket to Lviv for about 50 dollars in a sleeper car.  This is the most comfortable way to get to Ukraine from Poland. But it is also the most expensive (I am not talking about flying or with a private car).
• If you have tons of cash many Jewish Rabbis have a private car to Lviv and this can be arranged also at the Edan hotel in Krakow.
• I have flown once but for a strange reason, no worth it generally.
• My friend who is a girl hitchhikes, I have tried begging a ride also. My recommendation is if you do this hold up a sign that says your destination like “I am going to Lviv”.  Best in the Polish language of course.

Travel issues going to Lviv from Poland

Ukrainian currency – I change currency in Poland. I look for the best rate. The worst place to change money is in the Lviv train station. Just be aware. In Lviv itself there are many places, just check the rates.

Visa requirements for Ukraine - there are none if you are European or American.

Ukrainian boarder crossing - The guards are looking for illegal trade, this does not affect you, tell them you are a tourist and you can cross the boarder in 20 minutes instead of 3 hours.  Really, I flash my American or Polish passport and speak English and I am hustled to the front of the line. The line is really only for people making money going from Poland to Ukraine for economic reasons.

Where to eat in Lviv – Any student cafeteria like Rodzinka or Puzata hut (hata). Three dollars a meal.

Where to say in Lviv – Hotel Lviv, cheap (12 to 18 dollars) and unfriendly but my favorite place. I also stay in the
Kosmonaut Hostel (10 dollars), very cheap but nice.

If you have any questions on how to get from Krakow to Lviv let me know.  Also let me know about your experiences if you have ever been to Krakow or Lviv.

Hang around in the two top-tier cities in Poland long enough, and at some point you’re bound to hear of the perennial debate that goes on between residents of the current capital versus residents of the former capital.  Warsaw has been the seat of government since  1596, a fact that stings some from Krakow, long the home of Polish kings and location of the famed national monument, Wawel Castle.  Numerous Varsovians, on the other hand, no doubt long for the slower and simpler life typified in the Royal City to the south.

Warsaw and Krakow are two distinct cities, with some significant differences between them.  And the “conflict” between Cracovians and Varsovians over city superiority is one driven by a few factors.  I’d like to take a look at both issues in this post, with a particular focus on how the aesthetics of each city compare.  Warsaw is the ugly one, right..?

Big City Life versus Village Charm?

But let’s start with some basic differences between the two.  Krakow is “older”, in the sense that historically, it became a significant place hundreds of years before Warsaw did.  Its architecture also was not destroyed in the war, while Warsaw was systematically annihilated following the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, with estimates that up to 90% of the city was destroyed.  So nearly all of what you see in Warsaw today is post-war construction, while in Krakow much of it predates the war, sometimes by many years.

Flat Warsaw is the home of wide boulevards, skyscrapers, embassy row and many modern boutiques and trendy restaurants.  Krakow enjoys a medieval center, a lot of green space, the historic Jewish district of Kazimierz, and a thriving university culture, with students numbering 150-200,000, perhaps one-fifth of the city population.

A lot of joking goes on that Krakow is a village.  This can be taken in a derogatory way, but I see it as a plus.  The town has a cozy feel—all roads lead to the center (or at least most trams) and with most social life happening in the historic center, you frequently bump into people you know—not bad for an urban area registering around a million people.

In Warsaw, you really feel you are in the city;  having been to all major urban centers in Poland, I’d say this is in fact the only real “city” in the country.  Everything from the skyline and the amount of ethnic diversity (low by most other Western countries’ standards, but high for Poland) contribute to this feel.  So if you are an urbanite, this is where you’ll feel most at home in Poland.

Of course, Warsaw is more expensive.  Krakow is not too far behind, when looking at the price of housing and other measurements of living costs.  Attention from foreign investors, as well as the sheer attractiveness of the city form a cultural and employment perspective, has led to a high cost of real estate in Krakow, though on average not as high as in Warsaw.  Warsaw wages tend to be a good bit higher than in Krakow, and with most international firms setting up headquarters in the capital, the better jobs situation is not surprising.  But unemployment is fairly low in Krakow as well, as it tends to be in the cities, and there are a number of international firms, such as Cap Gemini, Shell, and State Street with a significant presence in Krakow.

One note:  I find the air fresher in Warsaw.  It may have something to do with the geography, with the fact that Krakow lies in a “bowl”, surrounded by hills, while in flat Warsaw, the breeze seems to have a place to go.  The factories of industrial Nowa Huta, a prototypical Stalinist-era settlement appended to Krakow in the 1950s, may have something to do with that as well.

The myth of “Ugly” Warsaw

What about aesthetics?  At lot of the debate has to do with the attractiveness of the cities themselves.  Conventional wisdom has it that Warsaw is the “ugly” sister, that the Stalinist architecture that replaced much of the bombed-out city contributes to a grey and depressing environment.  There may be some truth to this—and especially compared to what Warsaw once was, when it was known as the Paris of the East.

You also feel the presence of World War Two more in Warsaw, perhaps more than in any other city and certainly more than any other city in Poland.  Monuments and memorial signs seemingly attached to every other building constantly remind one of the conflict.  In some ways Warsaw is a living museum of the war.  I find this very interesting historically, and more importantly, a proper reminder of the sacrifice and suffering the WW2 generation endured.  Though I can understand the sentiment that it contributes to a depressive atmosphere.

However, despite the common call that Warsaw is an ugly place, I would have to wholeheartedly disagree.  Warsaw in fact is a quite beautiful place, with some very interesting areas and much of historical value.

Why Warsaw’s Old Town is more pleasant than Krakow’s

After the war, the residents of Warsaw, Latin motto Semper Invicta (“Always Invincible”) painstakingly rebuilt the old town.  Using old photos and documents, they coaxed the old city to rise again like a phoenix from the ashes, or better, like a triumphant mermaid (the “syrena”, the symbol of Warsaw).  What exists today is a very charming and compact old city center, partially surrounded by a city wall.  The streets here are quieter, cozier, and more “atmospheric”, if that is a word, than most of the Old Town in Krakow.  This is likely due to the fact that the Warsaw Old Town is generally less heavily frequented (at least on weekdays) whereas the Krakow old center lies in the center of the city and bustles with tourists, students, and businesspeople the whole week through.

I think it is arguable that Krakow’s Old Town is more beautiful as well.  Just have a look at the square in Warsaw—smaller, but undeniably charming with its colorful, skinny tenement homes.  The tenement homes of Krakow’s Old Town, by contrast, are frequently covered with unsightly enormous advertisements, hiding renovation work that seems, for some reason, to never end.  Additionally, for the near-decade I’ve lived in Krakow, there has always been some sort of disruptive city construction project happening on the Main Square—first it was the renovation of the surface from asphalt to stone, then there was something to do with the cellars discovered under the square, now it’s the renovation of the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice).  I find it hard to remember a time when the Rynek was clear of construction.  These are probably all good and necessary things, but one wonders at the speed at which they are completed.

Warsaw also seems to be more (wisely) conservative in the manifestations of commerce allowed in the historic center.  Walk down a street in Old Krakow, and on the facades of the historic buildings, you’ll notice any manner of gaudy attention-getting signs and advertisements for businesses.  For a spell, there was (unbelievably) even a flashing BINGO sign over one establishment on Grodzka street, part of the Royal Way leading to Wawel Castle.  “Tacky” is just a starting point when it comes to that example.

Warsaw old city buildings seem to exhibit a much more restrained degree of advertising.  Signs for businesses are more muted and more suited to the surroundings.  It’s less “commercial” but counter-intuitively may pay off in a commercial sense by creating a more pleasant atmosphere, thereby drawing more traffic.

Krakow does have the decided edge on the question of restaurants, cafes, and entertainment in the old center.  There is simply much more going on in this category, and Warsaw’s establishments are more spread about the city, with Krakow’s concentrated basically in one place.

But with the recent renovation of Krakowskie Przemiescie (the “Royal Way” leading up to the Old Town in Warsaw), the capital has enhanced a charming thoroughfare and raised its aesthetic profile.  This boulevard has gotten a major facelift, and you can see that it has attracted more businesses and, coupled with its extension, the street of Nowy Swiat, makes a very enjoyable commercial center adjacent to but separate from the medieval center itself.

There are numerous other attractions throughout the city as well, from the unique Warsaw University Library, which seems to grow out of a hill in a remarkable composition of architecture and the organic, to the incomparable 76-hectare Lazienki Park, where peacocks roam amongst figures drawn from Roman mythology, while red squirrels and birds eat nuts from your hand (true 20 years ago, and true today, as I found on a visit last month).

What conclusions can be drawn?  It pains me a bit to say this, as one whose heart and body reside in Krakow, but after years of study, I can’t deny the fact:  Warsaw is a beautiful place too, and Warsaw’s Old Town is simply more pleasant than Krakow’s.

Krakow’s could be nicer, but will always have a different atmosphere–unless the powers that be in Krakow decide they want to clean up the carnival aesthetic they’ve either promoted or benignly allowed to flourish (ie, by reducing the number of concerts/events on the main square, and not doing things like awarding permits to people playing progressive metal on amped-up electric guitars).

Not that all this is necessarily “bad”—that point is up for debate.  Krakow is simply using its historic center in a more overtly commercial way, and reaping benefits, but while imposing the costs on all residents and visitors of a diminished “old town” atmosphere.  That’s simply a cost-benefit question that one has to weigh.  On another note, you’ll always have more tourists in Krakow’s center, which tends to clog the place up a bit, but contributing the same undeniable economic benefits.

In any case, you can argue over the merits of using the center in a more commercial way, or whether a bustling old center is preferable to a more subdued one.  But when it comes down to it, I prefer a stroll in Warsaw’s Old Town over Krakow’s most any day of the week.  And I find plenty of attractions in other parts of Warsaw to marvel at.  Warsaw’s ugliness is simply a myth, something that the organization UNESCO recognized as well, when it placed the rebuilt historic center on its World Heritage list back in 1980.

Warsaw or Cracow – So anyway, what’s the problem?

Back to the Warsaw-Krakow “feud”.  There are some classic lines of attack that residents of each city rely on.  Cracovians might say that Varsovians have a complex over living in the “ugly, soulless” big city, while Varsovians might respond that Cracovians have inferiority issues over being stripped of capital status and in some ways ending up a historic backwater.

Recently a Warsaw tourism campaign featured posters in Krakow with the phrase “Kto sie czubi, ten sie lubi”, which, translated, basically means that he who picks on another person, actually likes that person—sort of like the little schoolboy that teases the girl he secretly admires.  The posters came complete with a statistic claiming that 72% of the residents of Krakow were “proud of the capital”.

This certainly set off further debate in both camps.  I haven’t seen corresponding statistics on Varsovians’ opinions of Krakow, but assuming the above-cited percentage is true, I think you’d find similar numbers of Warsaw residents expressing positive things about Krakow.  Where the “truth” in all this lies, I do not know, but the debate goes on, good-naturedly.

Warsaw vs. Krakow – One Writer’s Verdict

Frankly, I appreciate both places.  I live in Krakow, yet frequently visit Warsaw.  Warsaw was where I first experienced Poland, as a tot back in the early 80s, so it has a special spot for me.  Yet for a number of reasons, I find life in Krakow a bit more up my alley.  That said, I could easily enjoy living in Warsaw, and even did so for a spell.  Admittedly, I’ve probably been a bit more pro-Warsaw in this piece, but I think “ugly” Warsaw is an idea long past its expiration date, which is the main point I wanted to make here.  In any case, there are major pluses, and some minuses to both places, which may be worth addressing at another time.

As for the conflict, speaking with Polish friends from both places, I get the feeling that Cracovians pay more attention to it than Varsovians do.  Why that is, I’ll leave to you to speculate.

As a note, the writer of this article is the American writer on the Amish – Erik Wesner.  He is a writer and live in Krakow, Poland, however, has family from Warsaw. Please leave a comment and let me know your reaction to  Krakow vs. Warsaw.

US taxes for Polish residents

You as a US citizen must file and report all world wide income forever not matter where you live or your life situation. You need to report all bank accounts and income in Poland. I do this. Even on the pittance I make as a teacher. However, you get a large foreign income exclusion. That is the easy part.

The good news is again, it is not that complicated.  Do not worry.  It is just paper.
If you need help:

• The US consultant will help with the US side often with volunteers.
• I also call the IRS directly and talk with them, they have a help line.

Polish taxes for US citizens

On the Polish side of course you have to pay taxes also.  I get an accountant to do it.  You are a resident of Poland and as a resident you most likely work legally. This is almost like the USA in that there are simple forms and more complex. But basically you take your information to someone who knows. I have used a computer program like the ones they have in the USA and an accountant. But here is another idea.

Tax volunteer for Polish taxes – On the Polish side often the catholic church has a man that can help you. He is an accountant and will do your taxes for free and if you want to donate to charity if you can. He is not part of the church but a volunteer. It is not the official catholic church but someone in the church, look to see if your city has this. In Kraków for example there is someone at Bożego Ciała.   I think you can trust a guy like this.  He will also do business returns but I think he does that for a fee. But again you can trust him.

Business accounting and taxes in Poland

If you have a larger firm in Krakow or around Kraków or even maybe other cities, you can go to a company like this company – taxes in Poland.  They are a very honest and reasonable firm I can highly recommend, I work there as a teacher.  They speak English and if you need any help I can talk to them for you.

If you have a business then it gets more complex, especially is you make a lot in the USA and Poland.  But I think start with what I have recommended.  Try to find a charity that does it for free and maybe make a donation. If you are professional and have a business there are score of accountants for citizens and non citizen expats but start with the one I recommend for business and trust. If you have any questions please ask and I will do my best to point you in the right direction.

A common fairy-tale is prices in Poland are more than in the USA. I love to hear Polish people repeat this myth. They come back  complaining hour expensive things are in Poland compared to the USA or Europe.

I just got back from a trip to the USA.  I was visiting my folks in Florida .  Again, I was comparing prices and costs in Poland to those in the USA to Poland and I found that in Poland for everything except computers for example then prices were about 1/3 cheaper in Poland.

What are prices in Poland

If a T-shirt cost 8 dollars in Florida in Walmart, then same thing would be 8 zołty in Poland in Auchan.  If a pound of potatoes is 3 dollars in the USA than it is is 3 Polish żłoty a lbs (not kg) in Poland or cheaper. It is that simple.

How do you convert American costs to Polish prices for food? Since a kg is 2.2 lbs and dollars to the Polish currency is about 2.8 to 1.  Then you can convert the price per pound in the USA to the price in kg in Poland in złoty.  To do this times it by six.  Therefore, if the price for apples in the USA is 3 dollars a pound it is 18 złoty a pound.  I think this is one of the reason many Polish people get confused, they do not convert it properly.

Actual prices of the most important monthly cash flow expenditures are about 300% more in the USA.  That is the price of food, clothes and housing is cheaper in Poland by 1/3. This is what matters in economics, what you spend your monthly cash flow , not some exceptional item.

Why are prices in Poland cheaper

The question is why? The answer is simple.  Labor costs and supply and demand.

For every item on the shelf built into the price there is a cost of labor. Take an apple for example, every cashier, every truck driver who transported the items or manager who mangers the place or the accountant who looks at the books gets paid in the local currency.  If the product is local such as an apple then the farmer gets paid in Polish złoty, not dollars.  Further, if prices were high than people would not demand the product based on the laws of supply and demand.  The prices are connected to the people’s ability in Warsaw or Krakow or Gdansk to pay for it.  That is the monthly salaries.

What about housing? The people who build houses get paid in Polish złoty. For the accountants who do the books or the lawyers who draw the contract.  The people who maintain the building get paid 6 pln an hour or about 2.5 dollars an hour.  The people who make the brick do not get paid in American wages but Polish wages.  They are paid in local currency.  Therefore, the prices are about 1/3 cheaper as people do not make as much in Poland. Do not believe the Polish fairy-tale that America is cheaper. Use objectivity and analysis to see the issue clearly.

Polish prices -What currency do you get paid in?

If you make dollars in Poland you are rich.  Poland is a recipient of globalization and jobs. America and the UK is a net loser and export jobs to low cost countries. The better place to live in terms of cost is Poland.  If you make złoty than your income is about the same as if you live in the USA.  Perhaps in the USA your buying power is about 20 percent more as you are paid in dollars and some items like computers are not affected much by local conditions (but how often do you buy computers? its not something in your monthly budget). If you average all good, commodities like food and clothing selling about 1/3 cheaper and universal goods like computers (which are not part of your monthly purchases by the way) then lets say it is 1/2 price in Poland to be generous.

Polish people can go to the west, make US dollars or GBP, save money and come back to Poland and take advantage of this currency difference and buy a house in cash.  No Brit could do the opposite.  Polish people intuitively know things are cheaper in Poland that is why they save money in foreign countries and buy a house in Poland.

Polish people look at the exception not the rule regarding prices

Polish people will point to exceptions, for example people will talk about some American designer jeans and say its a little more expensive in Poland.  My reply is, Polish companies make beautiful designer clothes.  If you want to be Paris Hilton and wear things for their name, that is what everyone else has, rather than for the beauty than yes you might pay a little more in Poland.

What about VAT?  America has VAT, its called sales tax, usually about 6% to 10%. Its not 22% but this needs to be calculated into the final analysis.  Polish people ignore this when they calculate the price. Polish people repeat a common myth that things are more expensive in Poland.

I live in both countries and have studied economics.  I look at it objectively.  Not just some exceptional item.  In fact, I have even put it on a spreadsheet before. The reality is if you live in Poland you are living in a low cost country.

The laws of supply and demand are universal and apply.  If you go to Switzerland then things cost more than Mississippi.  If you go to New York than things cost more than Alabama.  Yield to the logic of the the situation.  If you go got Poland things are much cheaper than the US.  It is a great place to go shopping or live.  Why pay 300% for the same item in the USA? Prices are cheaper in Poland.

Here is the web address of my other site which has this interview in four parts. The first part is the most boring and you can skip to the second part of the interview if you would like, which is the meat of the interview.

http://www.claritaslux.com/how-i-learned-a-language/

After reading this interview please come back and leave your impression on it.  Also let me know how you personally learned Polish if you have already.

If you are starting to  learning Polish

If you are just starting out learning Polish, take heart, you can speak the language.  It just take a little bit of motivation and the right method.

I personally moved to  Poland and speak Polish now. I learned it myself.  I think my friend in the interview speaks Polish much better than I.  I am more the cobbler who wears the worst shoes.  That is not true, but he is at a higher level.  I speak Polish all day long, watch movies and read books in Polish and write in Polish, its just that I have to improve my grammar a bit. I want to sound like Adam Mickiewicz, but in Polish talk more like Arthur Fonzarelli, which is not bad.

OK read the Interview with a Polish speaker and let me know what you think.