Warsaw Poland: Life, Cost of Life and How to find Job
Planning to visit Warsaw in Poland or looking for work? This article will help you. All you need to know about this awesome city! How is living in Warsaw and the Cost of Life?
Warsaw (Warszawa), the Capital of Poland
An amazing city that has Everything!
Beautiful Green Areas, Many Kid Playgrounds, and Beautiful Parks on every corner of the city! FREE Things to Do & Cheap and Easy Transportation Network!
Cheap Travel to Europe Destinations. Low Cost Of Life & Amazing job opportunities in International companies! More articles about Warsaw.
Warsaw is the Capital of Poland and In Polish is spelled Warszawa (Varshiava) and it is the center of Europe, this might be the reason of so many international companies establishing their offices here.
Fall in Love
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Reasons to Fall in Love with Warsaw
1. You can go out with 25 euro or less
To begin with, you can go out and spend a lot of money as well. It depends on what you want to do. Definitely, you can go on a budget and have great fun. Especially during the summertime, you can have fun with very little money.
It is a fact that without trying to save and without depriving myself of anything, I spent a whole night out with just 80 PLN. Which is less than 20 euros. Note that I traveled using a Taxi (Hm, Bolt, that is the cheapest comfortable transport option in Warsaw). My house is around 12 KM from the center.
I took 2 Taxify (Bolt) rides, and one was late after 02:00 in the morning and paid only 36 PLN (9 euro) in total for both. Then I had a nice burger at the banks of the Wisła river which cost 24 PLN (6 euro).
Finally, I had 4 beers in a bar that plays outdoors and they cost 10 PLN each, which is another 10 euro. Paid in Total 25 euro for a night out. But I could do this much cheaper. If I was taking a bus to go and a night bus to come back, it was going to cost me only 2 euro for transports.
So totally of 18 euro and if I was going by bicycle rental I was going to pay only 0,25 cents. Of course, buying the beers in Zabka instead of the bar was going to cost me 4 euros.
Also if I was eating a Kebab instead of the burger it was going to cost me only 3 euros. I remember the last time I was in Cyprus and I was out with my cousin. We haven't been to any special place. I was only drinking beer and I haven't paid anything for transport. That night cost me 85 euros.
Poland's PPI (purchasing power index) is lower than most other European countries. This meant that our purchasing power allows us to visit most sites, enter most museums, and eat at most restaurants without obsessing over the cost.
The frugal traveler can cut loose here and live in nice hotels and eat in decent restaurants.
READ ALSO: Famous Polish People
2. The climate is Good
Have you ever heard that in Cyprus we have no central heating in most of the houses? It is true, so when outside the temperature is 2 C during the cold nights of the very short winter, at home is 6 C without any heating.
Whatever you use, except that you need to pay a lot of money for this, it doesn't keep the hot at all. Most ways of heating a house in Cyprus are unhealthy as well.
Here at least you have a warm house and you do not have to dress in a jacket at home. I can't forget the cold nights that you need to take a shower. Freezing in your own home.
The cold was passing through the bones and there was no way to get and stay warm the whole night. Now I am enjoying a warm house, which helps me to be more productive and do more. I can sit until late working without feeling cold at all and I feel much more comfortable.
Summer Time at the River in WarsawFinally, the summer in Warsaw is hot but not very hot. This is also very important because you can get in the car and go somewhere without a sweat.
In Cyprus, during the summer you are bored to move from the hot. It is still nice to be on holiday and be so hot because you can lay in your swimming suit.
But try then to dress and go out at the night, when the temperature is +32 C. The clothes stick on you start sweating. It happened also in Warsaw I think 1-2 days this year. But 1-2 days it's nothing. It's not the same.
Certainly, Cyprus has warm weather for a longer time. Usually, the tourist period starts in April and ends in November. Even you can have great days and go to the beach sometime in December.
You can read about the weather in Cyprus and a few awesome beaches where you might be able to swim for nearly the whole year.
3. Find awesome Work Opportunities
It might not be the same in all the companies, but at the same time, it can be even better in many other companies. Still comparing my current job with the job I had in Cyprus, but I will not refer to my previous job.
Now I am sitting in my office with my free coffee working on my computer with my 2 monitors. The first day I enter the office my laptop was waiting for me ready and I had my clean office. A colleague traveled from Barcelona to train me.
People respect me and they always talk nice to me. They understand that a mistake is the best way to learn. I am not saying making the same mistake all the time, but they see and they appreciate it when you learn from your mistakes.
Learning day by day new things and I was even provided with a paid course in a programming language. Every year we have an appraisal review and they always ask if you have any problem or if you need something.
Summertime at the Park SzczęśliwiceI can arrive at work anytime I want, but I need to complete my eight hours. I can even work more one day and less the other day. There was never a problem asking for a day off and even recently I was allowed to work from home to stay with my son that was sick.
What else to say. We have our Christmas party with an open buffet and bar every year. When someone visits us, we may have a free lunch.
We have a kitchen with all the necessary and I can take my food. We have fruits once a week and FIKA sometimes. If you wonder what is FIKA. It comes from Sweden and is like a meeting with sweets and coffee.
Finally, during the Coronavirus time, we all work from home normally and we were allowed to bring all we need.
4. More Green and Water
Cyprus is a generally not very green place, but it has another beauty. It has green up in the mountains and there are also a few green areas in Nicosia.
But due to the absence of water and the fact that it is not raining a lot, the green is very limited. But here in Warsaw, the green areas are everywhere. There are beautiful parks with lakes, ducks, restaurants, and playgrounds for kids across the city.
We have the luck to be close to 3 beautiful parks. The two of them are within walking distance. The last one is Park Szczęśliwice in Ochota, which is my favorite. You will notice this if you are reading my blog :)
To this one there are direct bus connections that can take you just outside the park. Also on the riverside, you can find a lot of green, walking and cycling paths in beautiful areas. Even in the city center, you have beautiful green areas and the city is thinking to create even more.
Finally, the surroundings of Warsaw, Poland are just amazing. There are beautiful forests in the METRO on both ends. Kabaty and Młociny. If you are interested in the countryside from Warsaw, then I recommend this article: Awesome places outside Warsaw, Poland.
5. Lot of things to do with Kids
The city is very kids friendly and there are many things to do. Parks, festivals, playgrounds in every corner and every park, attractions for kids, and many events for kids nearly every weekend.
In most of the shopping centers, there are internal paid and free playgrounds. You can leave your kid and go shopping or just spend some time with the kid.
Many businesses (cafeterias, restaurants, and shops) also have a small place for the kids. The city is investing a lot in the kids and all the parks have big playgrounds with sand and many different toys that are helping the kids to develop.
It's very easy in general to find something to do with Kids in Warsaw, Poland. Let me give you some pieces of advice on where to look.
Cafeteria made for Kids to play and adults to Relax and Make SPAAll you need about Warsaw, you can read in Warsaw Blog. In case you need any other information, please contact me. I will try to find it and then I can also add it to this article.
READ: Poland with Kids
6. You do not need a car
The transportation network in Warsaw, Poland is so easy to use and also cheap. You do not need a car, at least if you have small kids. When you have small kids with trolleys, it might depend on the time and the place.
The best way to use the transport network in Warsaw is by installing the application: JackoJade. You can also use Google Maps. But there are so many different options you can use to get from one point to another. Read more on how to travel in Warsaw and Poland (Airports).
Finally, the cost of public transport is like 1 euro per 75 minutes. You may have unlimited rides when you get a public transport card.
Last but not least. Travel with FlixBus, the cheapest intercity option in Poland with prices as low as 19 PLN. The latest travel was Warsaw - Torun for only €7.
7. Education is Better
This is very important for the future of our child. I know in Cyprus the education is not very good. The teachers take much better money than here in Poland, but it's not their fault.
Not sure where the problem exactly is, but there are a lot of good teachers in Cyprus. It might be the system, the ministry of education, the fact that the well-paid and "most educated" are doing nothing.
Maybe the fact that the good people do not have the power to do something and they are silenced. Anyway, Cyprus is a country of fatigue. If you know someone, then you can be someone. Get in the government, become a police officer or work in an office.
Working for the government, at least 85% of the positions, means doing nothing most of the time and getting a relatively good salary.
Same with education. The good young people wait for years until they get in schools to teach. When they get, it might be already too late for them because most of them already lost the passion they had to start teaching.
This is what happens when you have a Polish wifeEither they had to work on something else or started their own business. The system in public schools is not progressing and the kids are not learning much.
We have kids that they study and do amazing things. But I am talking about the majority. The kids never learn in school how to speak correctly, how to eat correctly, how to behave, and general knowledge.
They even told him that they will teach them a bit of the History of Cyprus, can you believe this? I finished University and I never heard what Poland is.
My son is finishing this year the public pre-emptive education. They do English, drawing, learning the history of Poland, learning how to eat, and how to behave.
They are going to speech therapists and psychologists, they visit museums and farms. Many times I am surprised how many things he is learning in school. How to walk and how to cross the street.
The police talked to them so many times in school already. He is even controlling me and correcting me when I am driving wrong. I remember during my time in school. I was 2-3 years already in primary school to learn some of the things they are learning here in pre-emptive education.
They even met the president of Poland and I never met the president of Cyprus.
Find Some Hotel Ideas in Warsaw & Krakow
8. Big wide streets and bicycle streets
There is no need to say much about this. The streets are very good and they are all the time making new streets and trying to solve traffic problems.
I know, many times they change the lights and they create more traffic on the way to work. But at least they are trying. They are not laying back and say "All good, we can now relax and not doing anything".
You can see it in the city in general, there is too much development. What I like the most is that you have wide streets where you can walk.
Certainly, Warsaw is a bike-friendly city. Not only bike-friendly but also offers you bike rentals on every corner of the city.
And those bikes cost nearly nothing. You can get to your work with just 1 PLN. I was recently in Amsterdam and Rome twice. Warsaw is a nice wide city in general and it is not very densely populated.
In general, I am sure you will enjoy very much driving a bike in Warsaw. I recommend that you get out of the city center and visit some nice parks. You can see Pole Mokotwskie and Park Szczęśliwice together with the most famous Łazienki Park.
Finally, the most important is that with bikes you can nearly go anywhere. You can visit the forests at the 2 ends of Warsaw, you can load them on the trains and buses and go out of Warsaw.
You can cycle to Kampinoski National Park. Find more information about places you can visit outside of Warsaw in my Warsaw Blog.
Above all, I enjoy driving in the city when there is no traffic. Big wide streets allow you to make 10-12 KM in a very short time. To be fair, when it is traffic is terrible.
The traffic is focused usually around 7:30-9:00 and after 16:00 until 18:30 on areas connected to business parks like Mokotów and the city center. But you can avoid traffic if you use the tram, metro or bike.
9. Cheaper Flights to Europe
Warsaw is located more or less in the center of Europe. I remember when we were living in Cyprus, the flights were expensive. Then Ryanair came in and we could find better flights.
Here we have now a lot of good companies. Ryanair is not flying from Modlin and anyway is going to Paphos. But Wizzair is one of the top companies we use. LOT is also awesome and it is not that it is Polish.
They have very good service and if you are closely watching you can find amazing offers. Especially for flights from Cyprus. We traveled to Italy for 50 euro both ways and you can find even flights from 10-15 euros.
Finally, Ryanair also operates but only from Warsaw Modlin airport and only to specific destinations including Greece. In addition to this, in Cyprus, you can only travel using an airplane or a ship. Here you make the round of whole of Europe using a car, train, bus or airplane.
10. I can still find Good Greek food
This is the good part. At least once every 2 weeks I need to eat souvlaki, tzatziki, and grilled pita. Although there are so many nice foods here, Greek is my favorite.
There a few nice places to eat Greek food. I cannot find my specialties but as I said above it's all about the mindset. If you want to what I like eating in Cyprus, maybe you can take a look at this article: Visit Cyprus Planning.
There is a section on what to eat and Where to eat in Cyprus. Let's come back to Warsaw. Let me recommend someplace with nice Greek food.
- KAVOS - This is my favorite and since it was opened I am not eating in another place (Jasna 26)
- PAROS - Well, I don't go there for food anymore, but is a nice place to eat, drink, and then dance (Jasna 14)
The combination of the above two is feeling my lonely nights out in the capital of Poland. - Taverna Błękitny Zakątek Warszawa - This is a friend's tavern.
- Another new great fast food Greek food is at Hala Koszynki. NIKOS GREEK GYROS.
Finally, there are many other places. I have been twice to Meltemi. This is located behind the park Szczęśliwice and it is a nice place to go after a long day at the park.
Although the prices are a bit high and the portions are quite small. Last but not least, you can look and try Santorini, after the river. I have never been there and also El Greco, which is the same company that has PAROS and KAVOS.
There was another one called PATRIS and I was there once. It's not bad. It might even very nice to go there in summer as it is located exactly on the banks of the Wisła river.
By the way, the place with the best pączek in Warsaw is Pączkarnia z Tradycją M.M. Wolińscy. My sport is the one next to Bitwy Warszawskie but they even have in Nowy Swiat.
11. Girls & Guys are not stupid or snobbish
This is not very important for me. I am married, at least I am still married. But I am sure that might interest many guys :) In the first place, many guys moved to Warsaw because of a woman.
To be honest I think that most of the guys moved to Warsaw because of a woman (please correct me if I am wrong). The rest came to study or work, but deeply in their mind is always a female presence.
Why not? Guys want to meet girls and girls want to meet guys, not always but it is fact. Well, you are in the correct city. I am not sure about you, but from what I see around me girls and guys are not snobbish.
In general, you can talk to someone in the street, you can ask questions and they will try to help you. Certainly, a girl talking to you and smiling at you in the street doesn't mean that she wants to sleep with you.
But if she wants, I am sure she will make sure you understand this. Same with most of the guys. In conclusion, the rumor is true. You can easily meet girls here but let's clear that is not always so easy to sleep with them.
It might be easier for a girl to sleep with a guy. Well, this is everywhere easier, especially in Cyprus and other Mediterranean countries. Ladies, I haven't forgotten about you. Do you know how many handsome guys are around? You can't imagine.
12. Meet People from Around the World
There are many international communities in Warsaw. A lot of events are taking place in the capital of Poland. Even if you are not Polish in Warsaw and you are just alone, it's easy to start some good friendships.
Certainly, Facebook is the main source of socialization. Maybe you need nothing more than that. Let's see where to start with Facebook and getting socialized in Warsaw.
- Warsaw Social is a community that organizes Events for foreigners in Warsaw. It is the biggest FREE community in Warsaw.
- Another international community for language meetings in Warsaw is: Tandem Warsaw International Community
- Use Tinder, is very trending in Warsaw.
- Get out of the house, go for a coffee or drink, smile and talk.
- In your work, there might be some people interested in going out with you.
Greek Language Meeting In WarsawJoin Expat groups in Warsaw as well. Below are some main Facebook groups with Expats and Polish people in Warsaw.
- Life in Warsaw - Polish, Expats, Students, and Erasmus.
- Expats in Warsaw, Poland.
- Look and you will find more, also based on your city of preference.
In general, people here are easy to talk to and they are open when someone looks normal. We even say Dżien Dobry in elevators and other places with people I see the first time in my life. I like this :)
Check Poland With Kids
Make Extra Income
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Alternative ways to make extra Income
Anything you are going to do requires effort, time investment, and consistency in order to be successful. Plan well and start working on something on your own. Take consistent actions and keep doing small steps.
If that plan does not work, then adjust the plan but never stop trying. Never give up. Let's see some alternative ways you can make extra income in Warsaw.
How to Make Money Online from Home
Become a Driver
There are so many companies you can work for like a driver. Some of them require that you have a registered company. I think the process of registering a company is not difficult and it might worth it. Companies looking for drivers are:
- UBER
- UBER Eats
- Bolt, now coming with Food deliveries as well.
- Bla Bla Car
- GetTransfer
- ClickTrans
- Globo
There are many more but you got the idea. They are even companies, which they rent you a car to get you started. There are also travel companies that they provide cars to drive people to attractions in Poland and they only need English.
Find Out: The Best Places to Party in Warsaw
Become a Guide
After you get familiar with the city, you can take some courses and get some good knowledge about something specific.
In order to be able to guide, you need to learn your concept very well, either this is World War II, Frederick Chopin, Warsaw City, or anything else. Advertise your knowledge to the tourists that come from your country and be a guide for them.
Recently I was interested to make something extra and I found a company looking for Party Guides in Warsaw. The name was the Walking Parrot (nice name).
End up in a meeting and it was very interesting because I learned a lot of good information, but deep inside me I knew that my wife and kid will not allow this.
The historic center, Market SquareBut this can be a good source of extra income for a single person. It can even become a full-time job. What these people do is relatively simple, but it requires some selling, organization, and talking skills.
Another good point is to find good suppliers (bars and clubs) that will give you some basic package to be able to make a profit. Also, you can guide people on an alternative FREE walking tour in Warsaw and get only Tips. You can't imagine how much money the free tours are making.
Specialize and be the best on something. Learn some good stories about the city and sell them. Discover hidden places and interesting facts. Where to sell? One place is definitely the Airbnb experience. Look and you will find.
Finally, I have seen today an advertisement that the Orange umbrella is looking for people who speak English and Spanish for guides. In the same way, you can sell your passion for photography, video, or something that the right people will be interested in.
How to Make Money Online from Home
Teach your Language in Warsaw
There must be people that want to learn your language. If you have the skills to teach it, then you only need to find the people who want to learn.
Many groups exist on Facebook, like Language exchange and also for different language meetings. This can even be online, through Skype, it doesn't even have to be in person.
Sell products from your country / Poland
You are the only person that has the best access to your country's products. For example, a Turkish guy can sell leather woman bags. Why? Because they are cheaper in Turkey than here.
Do you know how many different pages exist that they sell fake branded products? I have no idea. But everyone can do this! All you need is to set a Facebook page, find a good supplier, and be creative on Facebook ads.
The Greek people bring wine, olives, halloumi, pitta, and tzatziki. Also, ouzo and other nice Greek products, which they sell in the market. The best places to sell your products in Poland and also buy cheap used products are Allegro and OLX.
Finally, you can buy and sell anything. For example, buying from 2nd hand shops here in Poland and selling on eBay or Amazon. In the same way, you can sell products from Poland to your country.
Start Blogging / Instagram
Requires a lot of effort to be successful and also a lot of time to start seeing results. But it is something you can do from home.
The best way is to be out, take awesome pictures and videos, discover new places and new experiences, or just sell your sexy self. Engage your audience, choose your niche, and go for it.
Get followers that they like what you picture or write about and then try to sell a good product or a good service to them. Unfortunately, it is very hard to make money from blogging and without investing in advertising but it's not impossible.
How to Make Money Online from Home
Network Marketing
Not everyone knows what exactly is network marketing. It is briefly just another way of marketing and selling products. Instead of putting them in shops and paying for TV or another advertisement, they pay the money to people to sell the products.
People become business owners and advertise the products within their network. The good one will expand their network and attract new people. They are selling products and also recruiting people on their network at the same time.
Not everyone has the skills to do this and you need to have a good trainer. Usually, the person above you will help. Many companies are using this model and you definitely can make money out of it.
Only if you work consistently and believe in the products you are selling. The products have to be good products. It is very important to believe and the only way to believe is to use the products to see results. This requires an investment.
I know a few good Network Marketing companies that they operate here in Warsaw. The advantage is that you have ready products. You cannot find the products in shops and there is already a supply chain ready to serve you. One of those companies is Nuskin.
Feel free to Register for FREE using the Distributor ID: PL3303427 and start selling. But it's always better to register together with an active person. This person will try to help you to succeed and teach you a few staff.
More companies are Herbalife and World Ventures that have good products and recently I noticed a lot of people from LR cosmetics looking for associates.
Finally, I recently got the contact from someone about Amway, which is a 9 million company and still progressing.
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Work in Warsaw
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How to find a job in Warsaw (No Polish)
This is a hot subject. I would like to warn you that if you are not a specialist in something, then it might be hard to find a good job but it is not impossible.
Language Jobs in Warsaw, Poland
A good way to find a job with specific keywords, like a language is to go to the ADZUNA website and search. There are thousands of jobs and you can find a job only by knowledge languages and without experience. Useful languages:
- English - This is necessary to have for nearly every job, except if you know Polish
- French, German, Spanish, Italian, and in some cases Russian. These are the regular languages I see in many opportunities.
- Greek - Yes, they sometimes need the Greek language, although is a bit rare
- Chinese is rare to see but it exists.
- Possible more languages, just search and you will find.
Where you should look for language jobs? Usually, the recruiters are sharing posts on Facebook asking you to send your CV. Also when you see a recruiter you can send a Private Message with your CV to them. They might have something else for you.
If they like your CV and it's in their field, they will possibly call you for a phone interview. It is always better to be already here in Warsaw/Poland. In case you are not in Poland, it's better to say that you are because some companies don't want to take the risk of employing someone from abroad.
Especially when it is someone with family and kids. But if you are good at what you do, they even pay a relocation package. Another way to look for a language job is to post briefly what you know and what you are looking for in one of the Facebook Groups below:
- Foreign Language Jobs in Poland
- English Language Jobs For Expats in Warsaw - Facebook Group
- Language Jobs in Wroclaw
You can find also many other groups to Join. Search for Language Jobs Poland and see what are the results. But see also below more options on how to find a job in Warsaw, Poland.
How to Make Money Online from Home
General Jobs in Warsaw, Poland
It is recommended to find a job in advance and before moving for good to Warsaw. Sometimes the interview process might take a long time and you might have more than one interview.
Also, be prepared for a test and read about the company you are going to have an interview with. It is better to provide a local address and a local phone number, the recruiters might feel more comfortable.
In most jobs, people ask for a good experience, but there are fields you might start without any. You will need at least to show a good study and some good achievements in your life.
Also, jobs in restaurants, bars, and cafeterias might be difficult to get due to the language. But as a driver or delivery, the language might not be required.
Finally, the best sectors for good jobs in Poland are Programming (Java, C#, .NET, JavaScript, PHP, Python but also others). And also General ΙΤ (Security, Server administration, Automation, Support), Accounting, Share Services, Banking, Finance και Customer Support.
Where to look for a job in Poland?
First of all, most of the pages are in Polish but when Polish has not required the posts it might be in English. You will need the Google Chrome Plugin for translation, it works more or less ok. You can also find thousands of jobs in Poland using ADZUNA.
I recommend creating also an English profile on LinkedIn if you do not have one already. Change your location to Warsaw and add all your Skills. Write also a brief introduction to the keywords of your skills.
Next, you might need to create another profile in the same way in GoldenLine.pl. GoldenLine is more or less like LinkedIn, but the Polish edition. Also, LinkedIn is a great tool to help you find a job in Poland.
Always make sure you write correctly, you might want to ask for someone to proofread. It can proofread one place and then just copy-paste the same text in all the different profiles.
Warsaw Old Town
Useful Service
In order to increase your chances to land a job in Poland, you might want to consider the professional services below.
Professional Review or help to write your CV and cover letter. New layout, improved description of your experience, and help to present yourself in the best way possible plus a check by a native speaker.
- Check CV and Cover Letter and propose changes: €22
- Create a new CV / Cover Letter in English + Check it by a Native Speaker: €32
Prepare for an interview in the best way. Practice your answers and feel more confident in interviews in order to increase the rate of success. We use Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, or any other application you might be familiar with.
- English conversation for 60 minutes: €30
Social media presence is very important for landing a great job. It is mandatory to have a professionally prepared profile on LinkedIn or GoldenLine.
- Get professional suggestions for changing your social media profiles: €22
All services are relevant to the Polish Job market only and they conducted by professionals in the field of recruitment.
How to Make Money Online from Home
How to Start Looking for a JOB in Poland
Prepare a good modern CV, and change your CV following every job description. Never lie on your CV. It's also good to have some good references from previous employers or your school of study.
Besides its good to create a good profile at least on two other pages from the below suggestions
- Pracuj.pl
- Another similar is InfoPraca.pl
- Praca.pl
- ADZUNA.
- Glassdoor is also very famous and you can also find reviews about the companies.
- LinkedIn is also widely used for jobs in Poland.
Finally, keep in mind when searching that «Praca» in Polish means work. You can search in Google and find more pages, but the above are just enough. For more informal jobs and even sometimes very good jobs are shared on Facebook. Use the Praca pattern or Work or Jobs + Poland and look at the results.
Many groups exist in the field. You can also make a post to an Expant group, mention your skills and information, and let the people suggest something to you. Finally, watch the posts in which they are offering jobs.
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Cost of Life
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Warsaw (Warszawa) - Cost of Life
The cost of life also depends on the life you would like to do. If you make the wrong decisions, it might cost you. But in general, it is a lower cost of living in Warsaw than in many other European capitals.
Salary
The most important is to know that the Gross Salary from the Net Salary has a big difference. The net salary is 70% of the gross salary, It is always good to clear this before you accept any contract of employment.
For example, if they tell you 5,000 Polish zloty Gross, it means that you get on hand only 3,500 PLN. From this money, you will need to pay accommodation, bills, transportation, food, and any other special expenses you might have.
Cost of Accommodation
This depends on the area, the apartment age, and other factors, like how close is to good transport. There are many different areas in Warsaw, which are cheaper than others. Usually, the higher the distance from the center is cheaper.
Renting is quite expensive in Warsaw, but compared to other European cities it is cheaper. You have two ways to go. If you are alone, then you might prefer to rent a room in a shared apartment.
Renting a room in a shared apartment costs from 800 PLN to 1300 PLN on average. For a couple or a family, you might want to rent an apartment for yourself. Apartment prices vary as well, but I will try to give the cost on average so you know what to expect.
- Studio: 1800 - 2500 PLN
- 1-Bedroom Apartment - In a good area of Warsaw can be around 2500 PLN including bills.
- 2-Bedroom Apartment - The normal prices are 3000 - 5000 PLN.
- 3-Bedroom Apartment - Hard to find but consider prices to be 4000 - 10000 PLN.
So, if you have a gross salary of 3500 PLN, you can not rent a 3 bedroom apartment alone. The cost of bills can be 100 - 350 PLN per month if it is not included in the price. Usually, a part of it is included and if you do not exceed, then you don't pay extra.
Generally, we are 2 adults and 2 kids in the house and we pay, for water around 90 zlotych per month. For electricity, we are paying around 120 zlotych every month and for media another 65 zlotych.
Transportation Cost
We mentioned above how to make the monthly card which costs 110 PLN. But consider that you will need some extra money for special occasions. For example, you can take Bolt or UBER some nights that you return late home. Consider the cost of a long ride in Bolt to be around 27 PLN (12 KM).
So if you do this 2 times per month alone, then add another 60 PLN. So consider in total around 170-200 PLN per month.
Shopping for the house
Today I bought a full IKEA bag of shopping in Biedronka for 230 PLN and they last for 4-5 days. We are 3 people in the house and if I don't make a mistake we pay around 350-400 PLN per week just for the basic supplies, not anything special.
Consider that you need as a single person around 900 PLN per month. In case you are staying in a shared apartment, you will probably split some house supplies, so it will be cheaper.
Biedronka is considered one of the cheapest places for shopping in Warsaw. Also, in Allegro and OLX you can find very interesting products at very good prices.
Telephone and Internet
We are paying for 2 mobile numbers and unlimited mobile data 100 PLN per month. You can consider a good package for Mobile, Internet, and TV to be around 200 PLN per month. Again if you stay in a shared apartment, this cost can be much lower and even included in the price of the rent.
Schools
If you have a kid, you might be wondering what is the cost of private schools in Warsaw. They are quite expensive. I remember we were paying 1200 PLN for the kindergarten. But the price was full food from 7:00 to 18:00.
Public schools, on the other hand, are very cheap. But they only speak Polish. We now pay 240 PLN per month and is with food until 17:00.
Not sure what is the cost for English-speaking or other language-speaking schools. But definitely are more expensive than the local Polish schools. You can ask in Expats groups on Facebook in order to get more information about specific schools.
Eating and Drinking Out
Already mentioned some information above. Consider the cost of one beer in a bar or club to be from 8 PLN to 30 PLN for the most expensive craft beer. You can have a good meal from 13 PLN to 60 PLN for expensive tastes. You can buy a box with 70 pieces of Sushi for 100 PLN.
Finally, a street burger can be from 19 PLN to 30 PLN. A Kebab can be from 10 PLN to 14 PLN. Beers in Zabka are less than 1 euro and you can even find good promotions.
VISA Information
Since May 1, 2004, Poland is part of the European Union. Also from 21 December 2007 is part of the Schengen Area. Schengen Area is a zone without passport controls on internal borders. It allows for free travel between the 28 countries:
Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican.
Third-country nationals may enter Poland if they have a valid travel document and a visa (if required). Source of information and more information about VISA in Poland.
For those who need a VISA, it worth checking also: Poland Schengen Visa Application Requirements European citizens do not need any VISA to work in Poland. At some point, you will need to make a PESEL number.
READ: Did You Know those People Are Polish?
Thanks for Reading!
I hope you found useful information.
Similar in Greek: Βαρσοβία, ζωή, κόστος ζωής και Δουλειά
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