100,000 PLN (per year) in Krakow - Is it enough for a couple to survive on?

Is 100,000 PLN before taxes enough for a couple to survive on?

Background: I will work and my wife will not. We want to live in or near Old Town, but also near a park as we have a dog. No children.

We would want to go out (dinner and drinks) at least once a weekend, the wife would need to have the ability to go to a cafe or some minor shopping on a daily basis, and saving for holiday travel is an absolute must. Naturally we'd be rather keen to enjoy cultural activities, museums, countryside, etc...

I know that this salary is above average for Poland, but I'm not sure how far it'll go in Krakow. It is a bit less than I make now in the States, but seems to offer far more savings potential.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and thought...

is 100k pln a month or a year? that will help.As in states a postman makes double that a year plus benefits:)

That comes out to 5500 PLN a month after taxes. An American couple could survive on that in Kraków, modestly. But not with the lifestyle you envision in your post.


Even if you live frugally, that doesn't leave all that much to save up. Maybe three hundred bucks a month for a rainy day fund if you're very careful, but not much more.

It doesn't look like a tempting offer to me, especially since neither you nor your wife will be able to significantly improve your qualifications. You'd just be putting career development on hold for a year or two, for no real gain or purpose that I can see.

You'd almost certainly be better off staying in the States, developing your skills and qualifications, and searching for better employment opportunities.

Sir,he typed 100k not 10,000 I think you misreading his post:)

It is only an assumption but given that "Kilg0re" is from the US, the mentioned salary of 100k is most likely per annum. Therefore the 5.5k per month after tax is pretty much spot on.

If his wife will not work then it will most certainly not allow for the lifestyle "Kilg0re" has described.

Thank you for the replies.

The salary mentioned was per year. Doesn't sound like it would be quite what we would need. That salary was a conservative estimate within the range mentioned on the job posting. Your information has given me the ability to potentially negotiate into the higher end of the range. Thank you for that.

Let's put it this way. A somewhat decent apartment in or close to the old town would roughly set you back 2000 PLN + bills which would possibly be another 600 PLN. Giving that you want to go out for a meal once per week, that's an additional 400 PLN (100 per week for both of you).

You now have 2500 PLN left for which you will have to do your grocery shopping. Let's assume 150 PLN per week person (which is still lower end) = 1200 PLN for the two of you, leaving you with 1300 PLN left. Transport costs, if you don't want to have a car = 100 PLN for a monthly ticket. Now you have 1200 PLN left.

At the point at which you have 1200 PLN left, you still have not bought any clothes, have not covered any unexpected expenses etc. Basically, with 1200 PLN left you have covered your very basic needs plus one restaurant visit per week. And even in Poland, those 1200 PLN can go very quickly leaving you with no savings at the end of each month.

In Krakow?! A half decent dinner and a couple of drinks each afterwards will cost more like 400zl per week. About 220 for three courses (call it 60zl for each main, 30 for each starter and 20 for a dessert) and 80zl for one of the cheapest bottles of wine on the menu, then 25zl per drink for two cocktails each.

If you know where to go, you get a good dinner for 50 zloty each, including one or two drinks (of course not the most expensive wine) on the Rynek or its small side streets. Surely, on a budget of 5500 PLN for two people a month, you wouldn't even think about going for a 400 zloty meal each week :)

Yes, snap. Same here in Wro. 50zl each in Wro is almost what people spend at a supermarket café for a quick lunch plus a drink and small dessert.

Cheapest places here are 6zl small soup or special offer soup in some places, 10-20zl usual serving of soup, 30-50zl pretty typical main course, 10zl typical modest dessert, 10zl coffee.

People earning here about 1000 after tax per week then have to spend at least 20 a day on a modest lunch, plus a drink of 5-10. Not cheap at all, despite there being eateries everywhere you look.

50zl a head per week would only be a realistic budget at McKings'.

Come on now.......Are you trying to tell me that you can not get a decent meal for 50 zloty? Ok, for Krakow here are two examples of good restaurants with decent prices.

Pod Wawelem
podwawelem.eu

CK Browar
ckbrowar.krakow.pl

I have been to both places. Food was good and price decent. I never spent any more than 50 zloty. Most times even below 40 for main course and a piwo.

Just to remind you. I am not talking about five star restaurants with three course dinners and fancy wines. That's not doable on the above mentioned 5500 PLN budget.

But saying that for 50 zloty you can get maximum Burger King is simply not true.

Last week the Mrs and I had supper in a shopping mall (we were shopping): two burritos (one regular, one large), one bag of tortilla chips, one small (tiny) salad, one cup of soup, one Coke, one mineral water. The bill was 65zl.


In central Warsaw you can get far more food than you can eat for 20zl but you wouldn't call it 'going out for dinner'.


I get the feeling that the OP was talking about something closer to that than eating glonka in a brew-pub. Not that there's anything wrong with eating in a brewpub, in fact there are many things right with it; but if I told Mrs Harry that I was talking her out for dinner & drinks and then took her to a brew-pub, I'd be sleeping on the sofa if I was lucky.


Which is going to be his problem.

@OP for 30k$ a year you want to come to Poland? Get serious dude a gas station Attendent makes that and that too cash,what field are you in?

Well, tak, JR. Typical menu when taking one's spouse or significant other would come to well over 50zl unless exercising very obvious budgetary restraint and you'd need some excuses, such as

"Soup shmoop. If you've tasted one you've tasted them all. Let's go straight to the main course."
"No, no, a starter would just fill us up and spoil the main course, darling!"
"No dear, I heard the [insert name of dish] isn't too good here, try the [insert name] it's cheaper I mean much nicer."

"Dessert? We can share!"
"Coffee - who needs it?! Plenty at home! Tap water will do? ...What, tap water's not available?!"



Exactly what I want to say - nail hit.

Looking at is as 5500PLN per month after tax, I can relate, my wife and I are taking in about that much together. We stay outside the city. Eat in all through the week then go out at the weekend. When we go out for dinner we don't eat in super fancy places (do you have to eat in a fancy restaurant every week?). We manage to save, on average, 250PLN per month. If the OP seriously thinks he can save here better than the US, he's in for a shock!

Thanks for the helpful comments.

Perhaps the mention of savings potential was misleading. I hadn't planned on saving for retirement or anything, just to save a bit to go on holiday with. And eating out to me is just eating out, I never mentioned fancy restaurants. I don't go to fancy restaurants.

@ Laura 26, maybe I'm a gas station attendant. Needless to say it wouldn't be the salary that would bring me to Poland, but rather the experience. I've had very enjoyable experiences living in places where I earned very little.

You said


That doesn't sound like a cheap diner, but anyway, yeah you'll be fine if you want to go to a semi-fast food place for dinner, sort of like a UK truckers' café or semi fast food sort of place, like a gyros, then 50zl a head should buy something just about if you choose wisely.

If on the other hand you meant a dinner at a proper restaurant, and we're not talking with its own orchestra or smartly dressed waiters, just a normal one that people go to but that isn't a gyros, then 50zl won't go far at all, budget for 100 min. For a fancy shmancy impressive one btw, you're talking 250zl+ a head anyway and more likely 400 to plus whatever wine you choose etc.

Then 50 zloty each will do you just fine. I have posted some links to restaurants in Krakow a little bit further up. Take a look at their prices. You can expect something similar in Katowice.