Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month?

I agree. Having a car in Warsaw would significantly increase costs, and essentially eliminate the ability to save anything more than, perhaps, a small pittance. If that.

When I said frugal existence, I excluded having a car. That would be a luxury. However, it is quite possible to live comfortably in a large city like Warsaw without a car. Unless, perhaps, he is a salesman or something similar and has to visit multiple dispersed locations during the course of the workday.

Another thing I did not calculate in to the equation was wardrobe, on the assumption that this is a short-term assignment and that the OP already has appropriate business attire that he will bring with him. He will, of course, have to buy a winter coat, gloves and hat, and perhaps a sweater and more durable shoes, but this should set him back no more than 1000 PLN, or less. If, on the other hand, he has to buy appropriate business attire in Poland, that can cost quite a bit, and further reduce savings potential. Also assumed that the apartment he finds would be more or less furnished, and that the most he would have to buy is a used desk and chair, bedclothes, and basic kitchen and bathroom supplies. Also assumed he doesn't smoke, which will set him back about 400 PLN a month at a pack a day. Or drink or go out to bars and clubs, which can also be rather costly.

All in all, I agree that the OP will not be able to save a substantial amount of money, if any at all, and should reconsider accepting the assignment if saving up a substantial sum of money during his stay is a primary goal of his. That goal is unattainable, even without having a car, without having to buy appropriate business attire, and without having to furnish his apartment.

There's also a big difference between how much money a native Pole who knows the country and the language needs to survive at a comfortable level, and how much a clueless foreigner fresh off the plane does. It is possible for a native Pole to live a modest life with a modicum of comfort in Warsaw for 3000 PLN. It would be difficult for a foreign SAP consultant to do so without living a very frugal, monkish existence.

I did some calculations on my end as to how much I might have to spend, please correct/add/remove whatever you think needs to be added

Rent 1800
Fitness 150
Movie 50
Transport 100
Milk 28
Bread 30
Rice 60
Tomato 30
Potato 16
Water 50
Beer 90
McD 170
Restaurant 200
Coffee 200
Internet 60
Utilities (Electricity, Water) 350
Mobile plans 120

As this sums up to around 3500 zl per month

You're budgeting a bit low for rent, and very low for eating at home. You aren't going to tolerate a spartan diet like that for very long. So bring that up a bit closer to 4000 a month, at least, depending on how good a deal you get on rent. That means you'll be able to save no more than 10,000 PLN, if you're earning 5000 PLN a month (remember, the first two months, you won't be able to save anything). My guess is that you are not going to be able to maintain the discipline necessary to continue with that spartan a lifestyle, and will not be able to resist the temptation to improve your living conditions at the expense of your savings. Like I said, don't count on putting away much more than 5,000 PLN. If saving up money is a primary goal of yours, taking this job is a very bad idea. If going home breaking even while living like a student is OK with you, you might consider taking the job. Bottom line: it's not going to improve your financial situation much, if at all. You'll probably be better off staying at home.

budgeting a bit low for rent?

see link below - seems plenty of flat for 1500 or less

/tablica.pl/oferta/wynajem-m4-dabrowa-lodz-CID3-ID3GSud.html#bc1a77f181

youtube.com/watch?v=ZHHOYmERmDc#t=25
here they show how too cook tasty meals for 5zł per day (breakfast, lunch and supper included). This is how Poles earning minimum salary (1100 pln net) manage.

You forgot about czynsz, which is not included in the prices listed. And location (prices discussed above were for Warsaw).

I am confused now.
I have accepted the offer to travel, so I do not have much of an option.

Also, assuming if I stay for a year , probably they would increase the payout for me and also experience would be great to be a part of a new culture.

I have seen few apartments ad here
bezposrednio.com/mieszkania,wynajem,warszawa

which means i will get apartment at the max 1600-1800 zl + utilities which usually cost around 500 zl ( at the max) + internet is cheap as i have checked few places (75 zl) for that

then transportation for 400 zl and 1000 zl ( which i think is over estimation ) for food .
So around 3500 - 4000 zl

Monthly ticket for 1st zone is 100zł per month only. Most of the city is in zone 1:
city zone image

200 for 2 zones

ztm.waw.pl/?c=110&l=1

Thanks, that is 200 zl less than i expected.

.

You're confused because you are not reading those adds carefully, and not taking into account that you will have to also pay, on top of the listed rent about 400 to 500 PLN building maintenance fee (czynsz) per month. You're also not taking into account that the lower-priced apartments are either in areas you probably would not like to live (unsafe or very far from where you work, or are unfurnished.

If you plan to live in Warsaw, you are probably going to have a difficult time finding a suitable apartment in a suitable neighborhood for under 2500 PLN rent + utilities + building maintenance fee. The rest of your monthly expenses (internet, telephone, transportation, food at home, food out, entertainment, and sundry kitchen and bathroom supplies like soap, detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, socks etc. is going to be at least 1000 PLN, and probably more if you eat away from home more than occasionally.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but substantial saving at the wages you are getting for living in Warsaw is completely out of the question. After a year, you will return to your home country either with a small pittance in savings, or completely empty-handed. It's not entirely impossible that you will lose out on the deal, especially if you get sick and can't work for a month. How much the work experience is worth to you and the adventure of living in a different culture, I can't say. The only substantial financial reward you may eventually get out of this in career advancement after you return to your home country.


When you ASSUME you make an A$$ of U and ME. I would not count on a substantial raise after a year. It would be a pleasant surprise if you get one, but I wouldn't make my plans based on that assumption. The only way you are going to get a substantial raise is if you get promoted to something like project manager or senior consultant.


You should have done your research BEFORE you accepted the offer. Now you're stuck with it. You'll just have to make the best out of it, as best you can. Good luck!

Don't listen to these bastards. I recently moved to Poland but am still able to save roughly 1000-1500 zł per month even though I earn less than 5000 zł after taxes and do the groceries in Piotr i Paweł. However it's not to be mentioned that I live in Poznań with my gf and therefore I'm able to save 1000 zł on housing compared to living in Warsaw by myself.

If I were you, I would NOT rent a flat for a definite period which enables you to quit your job during the probation time and move back to your home country with no problem.

In central Warsaw you're looking at 1800zl up for 40-ish metres in decent condition, plus electricity, gas and internet (but including czynsz). That's north central Warsaw (Muranow, Mirow, etc), south central is going to be maybe 200zl more.

DominicB

May be, you are right but then I have to do it. I might not able to save much if you suggest that way. But seriously, I will have my hopes low, so I might be able to save a bit more than lets say 10000 zl a year.

Thanks for the information though.

kepler

Thanks for pulling me out of depression. but as you suggested that if you live with someone, you can save more.
I think I need to put another post of finding gf on this forum ;) :D

Harry

Please tell me, what will be the complete cost of a flat in Warsaw - assuming the utilities will be around 400-500 zl including czynsz

It's going to depend on how much gas & electricity you use and how fast your internet is, but I'd say that decent condition, size and location places start at 2100zl including all costs

@OP since you are going to be hitting a new and alien city perhaps a flatshare with other young professionals would the way forward. This would instantly give you people around you who may be more than willing to help you figure out your surroundings. Obviously this will cut down your rent.


Sterling advice, this fee is a hidden b@stard. Often the new build apartments have a lower Czynsz than older buildings....and older building need more maintenance and be warned if you move into a cheap flat, especially in a large old block be aware there will be many people who don't pay their share of the Czynsz which causes all sort of strife.

With regards to eating on a budget if you can find a local "Milk bar', you should be able to eat healthily and not have to bother doing lots of shopping and cooking. I'm not sure how many 'milk bars' exist in Warsaw but no doubt other posters will help you. If you do shop try Lidl.

Sharing a flat is indeed a possibility. However, it would be difficult for him to arrange that until AFTER he arrives in Poland. Not too many young professionals are going to take someone in sight unseen. On the other hand, the risk of ending up in an apartment that he doesn't like and where he doesn't fit in is not negligible. Good roommates are worth their weight in gold. Bad roommates can make his life a living hell. Unfortunately, the latter are more common than the former. Living alone is "safer", in spite of the extra cost, at least until he acculturates. And since the assignment is only for a year, he will be returning home or moving on to greener pastures before then. 5000 PLN a month net is quite low for an experienced SAP consultant, even in Warsaw, where it is about half the going rate.

I agree - sharing a flat will be a problem with me, for security reasons as well as some where because I am a vegetarian.

And I assume there would not be a lot of vegetarians in Warsaw or whole Poland as I have seen few threads here on the forums

Hello

I checked that my gross salary will be 8000 PLN

Regards,
Paritosh

Never assume anything. 98% restaurants have vegetarian dishes on their menu. Greenway is a well known vegetarian fast food outlet.

Since meat is more expensive than vegetables and since you must be well versed in vegetarian cooking, you food bill shouldn't be very high.

If you don't drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs, gamble or aren't a *********** then your social expenses will also be low.
Oh and if you stay single and don't chase women, because that is an expensive habit.....
You should be able to save. BUT...beware the unexpected costs.... as a foreigner in an alien land you will need a financial cushion.
A year of hard self financial discipline, a single minded approach to work in a new environment might prove very spiritually enriching if not hugely financially rewarding.....

That's low for an experienced SAP consultant on the world market, and even less than the going rate in Warsaw. For a single man, though, with no bad habits, you will be able to live relatively comfortably and save up some money, barring unforeseen expenses (like having to fly back to Bangalore for a wedding or funeral, or extended illness). As Maybe said, there will always be unexpected expenses, and you should be diligent in building up a rainy-day fund to deal with them. Foreigners, especially inexperienced ones, cannot live as cheap as native Poles do.

Being a vegetarian is not a big problem in Poland. While the proportion of vegetarians in Poland is nowhere near as high as in Bangladesh, there are still plenty around. As Maybe said, finding vegetarian options in most restaurants is not a big challenge.

The main factor that determines your food budget is how often you eat out away from home, including coffee in a cafe or soft drinks and such. Cooking at home from scratch saves you a lot of money.

As for social life, there are plenty of options in Warsaw that cost very little. Standby tickets to the opera and theater are very cheap. The main expenses associated with social life are alcohol and women. Both are black holes as far as your savings are concerned. Avoid both, and you'll be fine.

Also, NEVER stop developing your qualifications and experience, and ALWAYS be on the lookout for a better job. Experienced SAP consultants are in demand, at pays much, much higher than yours. You will be able to save much more in absolute dollars working as a SAP consultant in a western country than you will in Poland. So keep looking. For orientations sake, at your rate of pay, you will be able to save up at most $12,000 a year in Poland. An experienced SAP consultant in the West under similar circumstances can put away four or five times as much, even taking into account the higher cost of living. Also, the opportunities for further education are much better in the West than in Poland.

DominicB
Thank you Dominic for the response. I totally agree to that, I am still negotiating with my manager, hoping to get a better pay, as I have some 20-30 days left before I leave for Poland.

Hoping that I would get the same.
Also, since this is my first outside country assignment. I am currently fine with it.
I am sure while working in Poland, i would learn more depths of SAP, which would help me grow.

One more question, I would ask here is that is there any website where I can give advertisement that i want an apartment , so that i may fix an appointment when I visit the country?

My company is providing me a week stay in Poland to find apartment

I'm sure it will. Good luck with everything!


That's going to be difficult, if not impossible, for you to do without knowing Polish, either on-line or in person. You will definitely need the assistance of a native Pole. Better yet, ask one of your future Polish colleagues to find an apartment for you before you come. The alternative is relying on an agency to find one for you, but that will cost you about one month's rent, so about 1500 PLN, give or take.

And what is the lease period. Is it really need to be for one year or we can get it for six months or nine months ?

That can be arranged between you (or your representative) and your landlord. Some landlords are more flexible than others. Others want only long-term tenants. To negotiate, you will need the help of a native Pole.

Alternatively to secure more time you can rent small apartment or room for 1 month online through airbnb. And other posters are right, the best option for you is to ask your future coworkers for help.

@OP. You could start by starting a 'flat wanted in Warsaw' thread. Baby steps....

Regarding work the most sensible thing to do is search for call centre work, where English or your native tongue is needed. If you explain you are a student perhaps you can work flexi hours, especially given global time differences, call centres are often 24 hr. Alternatively you could start your own import export company and import Asian furniture or whatever. If you have contacts and friends back home importing exotic items shouldn't be too difficult. Think outside the box.

I am already joining a company as a SAP consultant and currently not in need of the job :)

But with the thread advice , I would surely start one.

sorry my fault i got my threads mixed up....