Salary and cost of living information - Krakow

@Veena, do you mean by Herbalife?

Hi, Samirany,

I have a slightly different view about your salary (from my personal experience in IB). But that is all relative to what you are presently making, what you plan to get out of this move, and whether this is being structured as a somewhat permanent move or at least for the intermediate term.

Your post does not mention whether you are a US person (i.e. US green card holder or citizen). If you are, you should note that you will be required to file US tax returns each year and may have other financial reporting requirements, even if you owe no US tax after foreign earned income exclusion and foreign tax credit. My assumption is that you should be able to break NYS tax residency based on the statutory residence test. Assuming you are not subject to tax equalization and your legal employment is transferred to Poland, your only US tax liability (at the proposed level of base salary before bonus and other variable comp) will likely be on your US-source personal income as well as on days you work in the US each year.

Since these subject matters are quite technical and personal in nature, we could take this offline if you would like - I also used to manage mobility for IB's. Careful planning should be done to avoid unnecessary liabilities down the line and that the terms of your relocation are fair as well as effective. IB's would usually have engaged a tax service provider to assist you at least for the year of relocation (but generally from the employer's perspective). If not, I would be happy to offer my service as a qualified US tax consultant and experience mobility professional.

Thanks!

@ miracle. Yes I meant Herbalife. Did you get any offer from them?

Merged: Weighing up a move to Krakow, question about cost of living etc

Hi,

First time post here. I have a offer in Krakow for a large international company in a recruiting function, where I have experience before.

the salary will be 5,500 zl gross. I have been to Krakow twice for around 2 weeks so could definitely visualize myself there. Before I was living in Czech Republic as an expat for a British company but was earning less (this would be around 3,700 zl gross), so think I could be realistic about how much money I would have to spend.

I also have a job offer in England, and expecting another, the salary is much higher but then so are living costs.

I am definitely very interested in this, but just wanted to see if anyone has any thoughts, whether there are many other hidden costs that I would need to take into account?

Too little to have much of a life in Kraków. It should be about that much NET.


Despite the lower wages, living costs in Poland are relatively high, especially in the big popular cities like Warsaw, Wrocław and Kraków.

When making your decision, base it on how many POUNDS you can put away at the end of the month. Don't calculate your savings in any other currency, because it's meaningless. If it turns out that you can squirrel away 50 pounds a month in Kraków, and 200 pounds a month in the UK, then, regardless of the actual wages or cost of living, the job in the UK is by far the better option, financially at least.


For that little, you would be reduced to dumpster diving and sleeping under bridges in Kraków, and probably also trading sexual favors to dirty old visiting German businessmen for candy bars and cigarettes. You'd squeak by with a lot of luck, little, if any, savings and no life to speak of at 5500 gross. To live somewhat decently you'd really need at least 7500 gross. And you don't become an "expat", rather than a simple foreign flunky, until you make substantially more than that.

Play with Numbeo. According to the website Kraków is 12% cheaper than Prague, so roughly the same.
numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Czech+Republic&city1=Prague&country2=Poland&city2=Krakow+%28Cracow%29&displayCurrency=EUR

I don't understand why Poland should be more expensive for foreigners. In Catalunya people from abroad have the same lifestyle as we have.

Because firstly for language barrier as one cannot find what one wants cheaply.Secondly because of translation costs etc,and thirdly also because of SOME* greedy poles who would like to take advantage of unknowing foreigners.

It depends which foreigners. For example Indian cuisine is completely different from Polish, so when Indians want to cook as at home it will be more expensive. Also locals have sometimes easier to negotiate price for apartment. Locals know which pub have good and cheap bear and which market sell products in good prices. Also local know better how to manage taxes, where to buy tickets. But these are thing possible to learn.

lol I also remember looking for salt in sezam in centrum warsaw years back and didnt know it was sold in polythene bags and called sol,so had to call my wife in states and asked another customer to talk to her and explain what I wanted.Moral:I paid almost 6 pln for phone call for lousy 3/4 pln bag of salt on top.But now with apps on smart fone it can be translated.

Thank you for the advice Dominic, actually I forgot to mention that in my last role as it was a sales role I was more than doubling my basic salary in commission, and without that I agree the basic salary (although was more than the average) was not enough to live well on. I did my sums and it looks like I would be left with less than £400 per month after rent, tax etc which yes you can live on, but no you are not saving.

Merged: Relocation to Poland for Software engineer | Cost of life estimates

Hi, I am a Java software developer with 4 years of experience and currently working in India. I am in the process of negotiating a job offer with an IT company in Krakow. So I am seeking some info regarding the same

What could be average cost of living per month in Krakow considering ( with wife, no children, studio apartment for rent, vegetarian, prefer cooking at home, use public transport )?

What should be monthly salary to live a moderate life for a couple ( being offered 10000 excluding tax, how much can I save)?

What are the tax rates applicable in Krakow for foreigners?

Do average polish people understand english?

Thanks

Merged: Relocating to Krakow - cost of living

Hi everyone,

My wife and our two kids will be moving to Kraków later this year. My company will be sponsoring our housing and the kids' schooling as this is a work related move.

I've seen in a number of forums where people are trying to figure out the cost of living. I've had a bit of a difficult time determining our monthly budget for expenses such as utilities, mobile plans, grocery&eating out 2-3x a week, gym membership, weekly housecleaning, and babysitting 2x a week. My net pay will be 15-20k pln per month.

While we are extremely thankful for what the firm has provided, can anyone provide a ballpark estimate of how much I should budget for the above?

Appreciate the help!

Hello,

i have a job offer in Krakow just like the other guys here in forum and propably at the same company.

The salary they offer me is

Salary: 3900 PLN gross

· Benefits: 2 weeks accommodation,

· Besides national health care also Private Health Care (partner pays 78pln/month; family pack 125pln/month)
· Generali Life Insurance
· Gym card that works in the whole country
· Performance bonus every month
· Lunch vouchers (value: 180zl/month)

Is this opportunity good enough to leave Greece and come to Poland ?

Thank you

The job sector is IT customer service. My experience is more than 10 years... but they offer this salary...

In costumer service salaries depend greatly on the languages you speak fluently. As for costs of living in Kraków it's little cheaper than in Greece, except of rents - it currently more expensive to rent in Kraków than Athens.

tonimanak there are websites that show you the different living expenses in different European cities if you have a google.
If you have no job in Greece, then I guess it would be better than nothing, but think v hard if you have a family with you.

For an IT professional, that is about half of what you could expect. But this is customer service, so the pay is much lower.

3900 gross is about 2600 net. You will have to live like a monk in Kraków to make ends meet, and there will be zero allowance for savings or even simple luxuries, and God forbid if you get ill and have to miss work. Two weeks in bed with the flu will destroy your budget for months. A studio apartment will cost you at least 1500 PLN all inclusive on its own. You would have to be pretty darn desperate to move to Poland for so little and for a customer service job. Pretty close to suicide, actually, as there is little opportunity for advancement associated with this sort of job.

Customer service experience is going to do little for your CV. I would advise staying in Greece and beefing up your qualifications there, which you will not be able to do in Poland, or looking for a better paying job in a richer country.

Kraków is a wonderful city to live in if you have the cash to enjoy all that it has to offer. Otherwise, you might as well be living in "ugly" cities like £ódź or Katowice.

Hello again.

Im from Greece and im alone, im not married. The best thing is to come there and live quite good. Its not only the job but the way of life and the cost of living.

Here in Greece i dont have a job right now. But im still thinking of it.

I will ask for a better salary... If someone wants you in the job he should pay better.

DominicB you killed my dream hehehe

BUT YOU HAVE SPOKEN THE TRUTH....

I used to to live in Krakow until June 2013. Then stayed in Greece (Athens) for 8 months and returned to Poland after so i can compare pretty good. Even if 3900 zlotych gross is not the best salary, it would still allow you to have a better and more comfortable lifestyle than not having a job a Greece.

If I was in your shoes, i would go for it. You can use the job as a first step into Poland. There are plenty of multinational companies in Krakow. You would not have any issues finding better paid job once you are there.

Yes, in the beginning your budget would be very tight. Most likely you would have to share an apartment but once you are in Krakow, you should be able to find a better paid job easily.

That's good advice. It's better than unemployment (whch really does look bad on the CV), it's a stepping stone to something else and a song as you don't mind sharing an apartment you'll be able to survive.

That may be true, but one thing you're forgetting about is that, even unemployed, you have the opportunity to improve your qualifications in Greece, something you won't have in Poland. It would probably be better to take a year or so to improve your programming skills, and then apply for a job in Poland, if that's what you really want. You'll make twice as much.

Not every employer fires their workers as soon as they get flu. Public health system is free and flu medicaments cheap, so budget wont be affected. It's different if you got freelancing offer, but I don't think you did.


There are few offers for 1000PLN out of city center.


That's true. It's not the best job, as you won't be able to save much.

I agree, that when alternative is unemployment, then it's not so bad option. As for gaining new skills, then it depends which. You can learn programming anywhere in the world. Learning new languages as well. Actually in Kraków you may have better chances of getting entry level job as a programmer than in Athens.

All inclusive? That is rent, czynsz and utilities altogether? Not likely unless it is in substandard housing very far from the center.


It's not getting fired or having to pay for medical care that is the problem. It's losing out on two weeks of pay. That's 1300 PLN net, or almost a months rent.

That's not true. You will lose 20% of your salary when being off ill if you are on an employment contract.

Good firms make sure you get the whole salary for that time, however 'customer service organisations' aren't always that good. I agree with Dominic about the kind of flat you'd get for 1000zl all included and frankly that salary is more geared to someone sharing a flat.

Hello All,

I applied for a position for capgemini, do you know anything about the company? Is it good or not? My position would be accounting and financial process analyst with romanian, and they offered me 4500 plus benefits, is it OK? I am single and 24 years old.

Since when you loose salary when sick and employed with Umowa o pracę?

Hello again,

my problem is not my IT skills. those are excellent im not afraid my skills... Im not a Jedi but im quite good.

Salaries here in Greece begin from 580 euros 90 euros gross... the cost of living now is very high.

Ill think ill try it... Maybe if i come there ill find better opportunities in the future.

Also im thinking that ill come there to work hard not to party. And at the beggining the only sure thing is that ill have a roomate until i feel comfortable in the city.

A university professor told me that his salary is about 4400z

Most of professors own apartment, so don't have to pay rent. If you did not have to pay rent, then the salary would allow for quite a good live. If you have to pay 1500 out of this 2500zł net for rent, then not much is left. If you're ready to share room, then it's much better.

If you want to have comfortable move you could rent a room for the first month through: airbnb

There are few offers for around 300eur per month. When you're in Poland you can start searching for cheaper apartment advertised here:
gumtree.pl/fp-pokoje-do-wynajecia/krakow/c9000l3200208
There are 3200 rooms or shared rooms to rent advertised, but adds are in Polish and require telephone call and usually personal meeting

And maybe you can find better payed job offer here: pl.jobrapido.com/?w=grecki

Exactly. You can not go wrong with 2600 zlotych in Poland if the alternative is either unemployment or low paid job in Greece.


You will find that most likely you will not be able to avoid the parties. If you start at IBM or another one of the bigger multinationals, you will have a good choice of house parties every weekend for which you won't need too much money apart from whatever you buy to take with you.

Go for it and let us know how you get on in Krakow. It's a great place!