Life / Moving to Krakow next year, 5000 zloty net. [48]

I'm more interested in where the british "know it all" disappeared to...

Dominic B is usually on spot in his hilarious "savings in absolute dollars" rantings. But there's more to life than that, and far more variables than wages+living expenses.

But when brits are going at it... sorry I just loose my ****... :)

Life / Moving to Krakow next year, 5000 zloty net. [48]

@Raddit

I have a mask with filters during the winter. They help. More and more people are using them, specifically those who bike or walk.

Similar to below (just took the first of the internet).

wigglestatic.com/product-media/100385268/Respro-Ultralight-Anti-Pollution-Mask-Anti-Pollution-Masks-Black-RPULMBK.jpg?w=2000&h=2000&a=7

And if you really want there are air purifiers to buy for your home (quite expensive).

Summer is no big problem.

Life / Moving to Krakow next year, 5000 zloty net. [48]

@rozumiemnic

So you would do fine.

My beef was with the person not living here claiming 1kg of potatoes doesn't cost 5 pln and minced meat doesn't cost 5pln.

It's just that I've seen a clear pattern regarding British people in Poland on this forum, that none of them seems to know how to cook so they are forced to live on restaurants which clouds their judgement on cost of living.

Who the hell lives on restaurant food?

I can tell you right now that going out to restaurants several times per week in Stockholm you'd better be a millionaire. Nobody does that, except if you're a brit on polishforums...

Life / Moving to Krakow next year, 5000 zloty net. [48]

Net? Absolutely, you could have a decent life. If you are young and have lower expectations. Biggest expense will be your accomodation, and that is true for all european countries.

A good flat to call your own will go for about 2k. And if you know how to cook (which as I pointed out you should) then life can be good.

2k net with housing taken care of is easy to live on in Krakow, but you won't be able to save.

Life / Moving to Krakow next year, 5000 zloty net. [48]

@rozumiemnic

Well, seeing my answer... What do you think? I'm not someone to spew out bullshit...

I'm a Swedish man, trust me I'm well aware of grocery prices and how to put on a washing machine...

Life / Moving to Krakow next year, 5000 zloty net. [48]

Lol, the brit is going to tell stuff. And like I will put my address on internet, Srodmiescie is close enough.

ezakupy.tesco.pl/groceries/pl-PL/products/2003120186207

Go to any shop, I dare you...

Life / Moving to Krakow next year, 5000 zloty net. [48]

@terri

I live in a fairly newly built 45m high end apartment in central Krakow and pay 1.9k in rent + 100pln for electricity + czynsz (on average ~300pln).

I pay about 140pln monthly for TV package and internet (200 mbit/s fiberoptics).
Phone with unlimited internet about 40pln.
Monthly fee for unlimited public transport covering all city 89pln.

500g minced meat is about 5pln (10pln for highest quality).
1kg of potatoes about the same.
1kg chicken filet is under 20pln.
Other types of meats like kotlets and what have you avarage between 10-25pln per kg depending on what type and quality.
Standard lunch is about 15pln for any normal places for office workers.

Electronics like computers, TV's and phones have about the same price as any european country making it more expensive for someone with a polish salary.

Other than that prices are not outrageous. Sure, your money will get spent quickly if you are going out to restaurants, but that's reality in any country. Besides, the best food you cook yourself. You know what you put in and you know how it's been handled. Anyone thinking a "luxury" restaurant is a guarantee against low quality products and health violating handling is out to lunch and doesn't know much about the restaurant scene.

Restaurants you go to for an experience, not to get the best quality food product.

Private doctors and dentists? All international employers in Poland offer a package with either Luxmed or Medicover for a very low monthly cost for the employee.

Life / Why are Muslims seen as a deterrent to Poland? [565]


There's a distinction, our problems are because of neo-liberalism, globalism and general lunacy but not radical left wing. Sweden stopped being radical left towards end of 80's beginning of 90's. That's when a true non-governmental TV-channel was allowed and the last push of socialism going on communism was the so called "löntagarfonder" (a scheme where the company would pay in of it's profit to give shares to workers where eventually the workers would be the owners) was abandoned after massive protests.

We are generally Socialdemocratic (not to be confused with hardcore socialism) and totally bonkers. But not radical left in it's true sense.

But it's really semantics I guess.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

The Swedish alternative media outlet Fria Tider have an article on the subject:

friatider.se/l-t-polen-g-ra-upp-med-kommunismen

I had no idea how shockingly corrupt the Polish judicial system is, after that I can understand why there's a will to change it.

Old communist judges who themselves appoint their successors.
Handing out properties in Warsaw to themselves based on false evidence.
Cannot be convicted for criminal activities conducted.
Throwing out criminal cases against friends, family and important people of establishment.
The whole Amber Gold scheme.

There's always a risk involved with politicians having to much influence, but this is the doing of an old communist establishment which needs to be dealt with obviously.

By the way, why is it ok for the politicians in Germany and Sweden to appoint judges but not in Poland?

News / Frau Merkel today in Poland [70]


Well it looks like that might be in the making. From what I've read the EU is in discussion about an Austrian suggestion to start up refugee camps in MENA, and close the door an asylum seeking within the EU (you wouldn't be able to seek asylum on place). So anyone landing on European shores would be sent back.

This would obviously be the first step in restoring order, second step would be repatriation on bigger scale.

Let's hope the EU will take the right decision, and that would in the same time restore a lot of trust and confidence from the people living within the EU. Free movement within the EU was just meant for that, within the EU. Not that the whole world would be able to come.

Real Estate / Question about Czynsz (Building maintenance fees/utilies) in Poland [129]

It doesn't make sense.

I pay 470 pln a month in czynsz and "utility bills" (water, central heating, garbage, general admin) is included in that. During summer I go below it (in winter above it) and would get money back from my landlord. Do you live in luxury apartment with reception and doormen and perhaps a bellhop? :)

If you have that plus a personal ass-wiper on a daily basis it sounds reasonable, but other than that no.

Work / Possible lifestyle in Poland? Job offer - 12K to 13K PLN. [40]

Closest for you would be around the Zablocie area, it's a short walk. All along the Wisla in Podgorze is being built.

You can look around on this map and see for yourself.

dom.gratka.pl/mieszkania-do-wynajecia/mapa/,,50.045488%5E19.956053%5E50.051082%5E19.974335,wsm.html

Life / Price/wage ratio in Poland - shocked! [16]

Monthly payments and living on water and pierogi.

But thats not true for all of them, there sure are a lot of Porsches driving around. Been wondering about that myself and have no clue where people get their money from. However, the old truth is the same in Poland as anywhere else: Nobody ever got rich by working.

Life / Working life in Poland [18]

Overtime is hard to say, it really varies on company and role (obviously the more senior role the more overtime can be expected just like anywhere else). Overtime though is paid out or taken out in lieu, so you won't be doing overtime for free for most roles (again, managers and such usually have no paid overtime like anywhere else). For the most part, it's more 9-5 and go home.

Permanent contract does not offer the same protection like Germany (wouldn't know from personal experience) or Sweden. It can be terminated and you have 1 month notice period (if working for a company less than 3 years) and 3 months notice period if working for more than 3 years. However the real job security is that there are an abundant of jobs if you have the right profile, and perhaps you will feel that 1 month notice period is way too long for you... So far I haven't seen or heard of any "illegitimate" terminations, i.e you won't get fired unless you are a total screw up.

You will have either 20 or 26 vacation days a year (and you are required to have 1 two consecutive weeks holiday per year) depending on your "experience".

10 years "experience" grants you 26 days and less than that grants you 20 days. A university degree counts as 8 years, so you need two years work experience after you've graduated (counted from the day of your graduation).

Work / Krakow - living and working [18]

I made a check on Numbeo for Krakow and it's fairly accurate. In general you wouldn't get any wiser getting answers from the forum, only for special types of items and such. For rents, foods and transportation it's close enough.

There are lot of big corporations out in KBP, none of it's employees live in Zabierzow. You'll be fine, probably even meet some people every morning on the commuter train to talk to.

Language / Slavic languages words similarities with Polish [238]


Brother, It has to do with 2nd world war, because German has captured the upper part of Poland, like Danzig, etc and they built many houses, firms, companies, so it starts from there.. Before there were no concept of German language.


So again you show you're quite ignorant about history of Europe... The reason why Gdansk (Polish) have a lot of German influence is because it wasn't always Gdansk, but Danzig (German). Very much like Breslau/Wroclaw. Did you really think that Gdansk was Polish til 1939 and between 1939 and 1945 the German language and businesses was introduced? Gdansk has always been very independent as well, wanting nothing to do with neither "Germany" nor Poland at times.

Being non-European, I suggest you pick up a history book...

Zero to do with WW2.

Lyzko, I know grammar is similiar (they both being on the slavic language tree) but I wouldn't call languages similiar if a native Pole couldn't understand a single word a Russian is saying would you? ;)

Czech and Polish is similiar from what I understand, but not the case between Russian and Polish. My wife doesn't understand a word of Russian.

Language / Slavic languages words similarities with Polish [238]

And I do not need to be educated about Europe from a Pakistani, being born in north of Europe...

Besides, I'm more than sure that you're better of in UK than Poland being non-european, that's not the question. I only reacted on the "foreigners don't make 4000 pln" since it's common knowledge that foreigners make more than Poles in Poland (because of language, not skill) on average and I've yet to meet a foreigner making less than 5000 pln...

Language / Slavic languages words similarities with Polish [238]

Russian and Polish is not similiar at all.

And that you find many "German" words in Polish has zero to do with WW2. It's because most European languages were influenced by latin during medieval times. French took latin words, Germany took same words from France and countries like Poland and Sweden took the same words from Germany. It was all intermixed, in particular depending on which language was the diplomatic one at the time. Also depending on which language was the fashion among the nobles. Early medieval times it was french, later (in particular during Hansa) it was German.

Water, Vatten, Wasser, Woda.

Maj gadd.

Life / Is living cost in Poland lower than Germany ? [32]

You sound like an expert.

Please teach me about the world.

Life / Is living cost in Poland lower than Germany ? [32]

Kozminski is pretty highly rated by Financial Times. But I wouldn't know about others.

Real Estate / What are possible price ranges (rent) for studio and 1 bedroom apartments in Krakow? [20]

Gumtree works but perhaps domgratka is a bit better since you can search via map and see available apartments in your area of interest. Minus is that it's mostly or only advertised by agents who will take commission (usually a month worth of rent) if you decide to rent.

The business park lies in a suburb /village outside the city. It has it's own train station so easiest is to take the train from central main station or bus if you live in like Bronowice.

So if you choose to live central or south, you need to get yourself to central station and take train from there. It's quite full of SSC's out there so you'll join a lot of commuters.

They are building a massive amount of apartment complexes all over the city so it's easy to find a newly built apartment to rent if that's what you are interested in.

Personally I prefer the south side of the city over the north but both have nice areas. The south would give you longer commute (likely tram or bus to city centre and then train to kbp).

Work / Salary of a customer service representative in Krakow [28]

You will definitely not live like rat or have trouble making ends meet with that salary. You say you don't shop a lot of clothes, don't go clubbing, don't smoke... I'll even say that you will have to work very hard spending the rest of your net salary by just living. I'll go as far and say it's impossible.

However you will of course have extraordinary expenses from time to time. New phone, computer, cooker, micro (?) and that can set you back some. Electronics have the same price in Poland as in Sweden basically.

Some examples:
Public transport - 89 pln/month
Phone - 40-50 pln/month
Internet+TV (250 mbit/s and ~100 channels) - 140 pln/month
Car insurance - 200 pln/month
Typical main course at a restaurant (nice one) - 60-80 pln
Lunch - 15 pln
Beer at the pub - 10 pln
Beer at home - 5 pln
Vodka at home - 30 pln
Decent pair of shoes - 150-300 pln
Quality shirt - 100 pln
Jeans - 200-300 pln

You can surf in on Tesco website since you can order food online from there. It will give you a good overview of costs of groceries and what you normally buy. Chicken and pork is very cheap down here.

I spend half my net salary on rent, and barring any unexpected expense I never spend all my money during a month. And I'm a smoker and enjoy my occassional nights out, and also needs to pay CSN on quarterly basis.

You won't have a flashy life, you can't buy a house or a shiny new car. But it will be calm and good, but don't expect to save up a lot of money. Have an exit strategy to go back to UK/Sweden. But with that salary you can comfortably come down and feel for yourself if you can live on that money or not, or if you like Poland or not (you will). But you won't starve and you'll have your own apartment.

Worst case you'll have a blast and go home an experience richer.

News / School shooting in Sweden. Should Poland be worried about a copycat? [24]


The attack (with a sword as you say, not a gun) was a protest against immigration politics. Non-Swedish pupils was targeted while Swedish ones was spared by the killer.

In todays climate (and Sweden is a pressure boiler about to explode) you're bound to have a few nuts take it a step to far.

So no, it wouldn't happen in Poland.

Life / Polish people and racism. [943]


I'm Swedish, would you like me to confirm most of the fears "racist poles" on here have?

Work / Salary Expectation for HCL Senior JAVA Developer with 4 years experience in Poland [66]

From what I know about working conditions in India I would say working in Poland for that kind of salary is kind of a no brainer. And since unless you have a relocation offer directly from a company moving to Sweden or Norway is a no go (that door's closed shut right of the bat) I fail to see the issue...?

Yes, you earn more if you land a job elsewhere. If. And the average Joe in the US doesn't really seem to have a field day right now either, and neither does a big chunk of the population in Europe.

Valid points in that Poland does have low wages and lower "quality of life" than many other European countries. But comparing with Sweden and Norway is not valid, since you will never get a job there.

Scandinavia - Not unless you are given a relocation offer directly. Probably the hardest region in Europe/World for a foreigner to get a qualified job

Germany - Sceptical, unless you speak German I doubt it would be easy landing a job there
France - Speak French, maybe. If not, no go. And if any country in Europe would have strong labor laws about hiring a non-EU national before a national citizen, my bet would be on France

Spain - No jobs
Italy - See above
Portugal - See above

I guess your best bet is US/UK. Regarding availability to get a job in those countries I have no idea. Maybe Netherlands would work, don't know much about situation there either.

My two cents.

Life / Move to Poland or UK? (Advice needed) [51]

Studying on distance is an option, plus you can always "tenta" any subject directly, meaning study hard and pass an exam but every subject costs 500 SEK each.

I would say as first step, do your Komvux by any means necessary (study on distance, try to cut off as much time as possible by tentamen directly). You can be happy in Poland, but I don't think you will be by taking a hasty decision to move today.

Life / Move to Poland or UK? (Advice needed) [51]

I have a Bachelor degree from University. How many points do you need from Komvux to get your "slutbetyg"? I wouldn't leave Sweden without it since you are then forever blocked from higher education.

If you are motivated you can get a bachelor in 2 years (it's not even that hard) by studying at 150% pace. You could get a degree in Poland by attending University on evenings and weekends while working, but you will have to pay tuition fees for that.

I understand that you want to go right now, but I would not recommend it in the long run. Absolut minimum is to get your "gymnasiekompetens" so that you are eligable for higher things when that feels right for you.

Life / Move to Poland or UK? (Advice needed) [51]

Ok, so take my subjective comments for what they are.

I feel mentally much better here in Poland than in Sweden. I can look and read about the madness without caring too much. Walking in Poland late at night is much safer, and unlike Sweden you don't have to worry about the hand grenades being thrown around... ;)

To be honest, life is not that much different when you look at it. You have a flat, you might have a car, you have a job. In Sweden your flat and car might be nicer, but their function is the same and so is your life.

Polish people are friendly and open, and you won't see much difference between a 25-year old Pole, Swede or German when it comes to mentality and what they want from life. You will have easy to find friends since your colleagues will constantly (for a Swede to the brake of sanity) ask you to go out for a beer. Perfect for a single looking for company, a little enerving for someone who's not.

You will struggle a little in your daily life, when in contact with goverment (headache) or with landlord or in the shop. But for someone with the right mindset, this is really not an obstacle (i'm obviously talking about the language).

Most Swedes down here are here becasue there's no jobs, and they are hoping to gain some experience to be able to move back to Sweden. However, the outlook of life is stable for those of us who decide to stay, but there are some "buts" in your case.

You say you are in your 20's and uneducated. True is that you can find Call centre jobs with good salary as Swedish speaking (compared to national average). But I would strongly advise you to take advantage of Swedish system and get a University degree before moving down here. If you are serious in moving more permanently, this is what you should do and take the little longer road.

Being young and working for call centre will only work for so long, I think eventually you would become unhappy. I have a stable life and outlooks, but I have my native Swedish language and a degree in Business Administration.

That said, I would kill to be a little younger and single. Poland 2014 is a great place to be with those cirumstances. The nightlife is fantastic.

As for jobs and locations, there's no shortage of them (within IT-support or Accounting) in either Warsaw, Wroclaw, Krakow or perhaps even Poznan. these are the places you want to move to, don't go to the eastern parts.

You can easily get a job today, but I would think really hard about if you shouldn't get your degree first before coming. Believe me, it will make your life eaiser and 3 years is a small investment of your time.

Life / Move to Poland or UK? (Advice needed) [51]

I know where you are coming from and will give my own comments on the subject later when I have more time.

/ Svensk som bor i Polen

Life / The cheapest phone operators in Poland - Play is not worth it [7]

Answering in English is sufficient enough to make them never call you again.

Besides, I've never heard anyone being happy about their phone provider, not in Sweden or here. Same ****, different name.

Two people I know want to switch from T-Mobile to Play, so I guess they are no worse than anyone else.