Polish prices

Here is how to live in Poland based on Polish consumer prices. These are based on my personal experience not some abstract measure or hypothetical person. If you have a reasonable job and want a normal life here are my experiences.

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.


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3 responses to “Polish prices”

  1. Niels

    Nice comparison.
    But, How do you manage to earn 3000 pln in Poland?
    Actually as a foreigner.
    Most people earn about half of that in Poland.
    With my Dutch paycheck I would also live like a king in Poland (+/- 14.000 pln).
    But it’s not easy to get in as a foreigner, specially with (yes still) all the corruption.

    1. Mark Biernat

      Easy, I am not plugged into the traditional economy so I have thought of many legal ways to make money where I do not need to be in a corporate structure.
      Making money is easy in a global economy once you realize that you are paid international, regardless of boarders based on what you can create and what you can contribute.
      Money is made mostly on intellectual capital these days as machines to the physical work and businesses that required physical capital.
      This applies to Poland and the rest of the world. I am skeptical is Poles really only make 1,500 pln actually.

      1. Szymon Gryg

        I would say that the quoted PLN1500 wage is actually PLN2500. If someone works in Tesco or Real then sure, it’s going to be less. Just like anywhere else, checkout-chicks don’t rake it in.

        Skilled labour however starts out slightly better. A good wage here for a degree qualified person is PLN4500.

        Rent in an urban centre Superjednoska of about 40sp.mt is about PLN1000. Note that in Poland, luxuries are really expensive and staples are on par. Buy a luxury and you definitely pay about three times the price for it.

        This is all from experience living here for almost the past year.

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