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My experience in Poland 15 years ago as an American trying to live and work there. [167]
If according to that chart, 2900 zl a month is the average salary ($966 a month) take out 20% for taxes and such that leaves you with 2,300 zl.
This graph is 4 years old. Now median salary is around 15% higher. But in Poland when we talk about net salary we have to take into account all necessary insurances deducted from gross pay. When you do so, then "taxes" are 30%, meaning net is around 70% of gross (little less if you are one of 2% best payed).
I have noticed though that typically only the upper middle class are able to afford homes - the rest rent and home ownership is highly unlikely for them.
Wrong observation. Because of communistic past and they way the system transformed only 2.5% people rent flats. The rest owns them or owns the right for them, meaning that they cannot sell apartment, but they don't have to pay rent.
Only 2.5% of Poles rents an apartment. Why, instead of freedom, we choose a small stabilization?
Buy or rent? Most Poles have no doubts. We are buying flats obsessively as soon as we can get a time job or postpone some cash. If only have own place, even 20 meters in Białołęka on credit, which we will have to pay for a lifetime. What here is the norm in the West surprising. Possession - a relic of the communist regime and the need for stability in difficult times?
- This problem results from a lack of trust - says Mirosław Pęczak. - We are a closed society that is struggling to cooperation. Everywhere we see the conspiracy, even assuming that if someone is rich, that's for sure because he has something stolen. This is enhanced yet by the unstable times in which we live. It is typical that if at our environment something happens, we begin to build a fortress around us. Closed settlements, which grow like mushrooms are a great example - adds sociologist.
natemat.pl/29219,tylko-2-5-polakow-wynajmuje-mieszkania-dlaczego-zamiast-wolnosci-wybieramy-mala-stabilizacje
People who have to rent are usually graduates who move to bigger cities for jobs. With 2000 - 3000 pln net starting salary they have to spend half of their income for housing, or share it with colleagues.
In Poland it appears that most medical device/pharma sales reps average 3500-4200 ZL salary in a larger city,
I guess that there is fierce competition for these jobs, because there are no jobs in labs for biology and chemistry graduates and they're mostly forced to do that. But maybe it's not hard to get it if the basic salary is low and most of money should be earned from commissions. I don't know.
Financial Director 13000 (would def need an MBA + 3-5 years post-mba experience)
I don't really know about MBAs, but I think that it's like with studying management 10 years ago. It was extremely popular, because everybody wanted become manager. It worked 20 years ago, because after communism anybody with knowledge of English and diploma in management could simply become manager. But after thousands started graduating management in Poland, thousands started realizing that their degree is worthless. Maybe it was the same at the beginning with MBA when few people had it in Poland. But know I don't think that it's opening any gates to high positions. Maybe if it's one of these top 20 MBA in the world, but otherwise I think it is waste of time and money for people who don't have managing position before starting MBA.
If I'm estimating say 7500 ZL a month and after tax (not sure what tax rate is - I'll say 23%) is 5800 net
5300, because tax and insurances is 30%. Less if you have special agreements or have a company.
Now, what kind of lifestyle could I expect on say 6500ZL-7000ZL a month (with a month every once in a while with an extra 1000zl here and there)? I would probably live with my grandparents at first but would end up renting an apartment.
How big do you think Wroclaw is? The city has radius 10km and 20km away from center are last settlements which you could say belong to the city. If you want to travel up to 50km, then you can stay for example in Środa Śląska (33km away) and buy apartment for nearly half Wrocław's price. With such salary you can afford to rent studio apartment, drive a car (in worst case with LPG installation) and going out for the weekend (to cheap and average places). The only problem is small saving potential and apartment prices in Wrocław are rather high, while most of people want to buy one sooner or later. It's not easy for a single person with such a salary.
otodom.pl/sprzedaz/mieszkanie/sroda-slaska
