Price/wage ratio in Poland - shocked!

I'm shocked at seeing how low the wages are in Poland given that prices and taxes are not really that much lower than in Germany. Is there any Eastern European country out there still with extremely low prices across the board (rent, groceries, clothes)?

What I'd love to know is how seemingly half the country seems able to swan around in brand new 150,000 zł cars when they're bringing in 5 grand a month before tax..... Someone please explain!

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.

Jesus, what did you expect ? It's enough to check basic economic indicators.


How can there be any country with "extremely low prices" when the whole world basically became one common market ?

Oh come on - spill! What scams are going on in Poland to allow so many people to have such flashy material possessions? Have they all had land to sell? Have their properties shot up in value, and they've released equity? Or something more sinister?

last year over 80 billion PLN (circa 20 billion euro) were unlawfully extracted from the budget in fraudulent VAT tax returns and similar - here's the wealth that you are looking for - fortunately the new government is serious in trying to curb such illegal activities approaching the problem from multiple sides at once

There's a pretty large gray market economy in Poland especially when most transactions take place in cash. Do you really think if a guy comes to your house and charges you 1,000 PLN for some work, that he will declare 1,000 PLN to the government when he's paid in cash.

Ukraine

Firstly Poland has a large house ownership base and yes equity plays a role. Secondly a lot of poles work for overseas people like the two I employ and earn far more than some of the rubbish wages posted in threads on this forum. Thirdly heaps of poles have relos overseas who send money which when converted is a lot. There is other things too. Somewhere at the end are tax scams and so on. The simple .point I would make here is that if you dont know all that and your prime reason of thinking.is that these are scams or whatever than you are simply not smart enough to earn that type of money at least at the moment.

Erm, "excuse me"? I'm doing perfectly well, thanks. I live in the UK and earn well average. I'm just intrigued by what I see when I visit Poland, knowing what the earnings are there. Not everyone is working abroad, and those that do are generally, well, abroad. Relatives send hard currency back? Wow, they must be generous relatives to be working all hours God sends so that they can fund the Audis and Mercs being driven around by their cousins back home.

So the fact that I suspect there are scams going on means I'm not smart enough to earn a decent income? OK, nice one Marsupial. How about you hop back into Mummy's pouch?

Any other, more informed answers out there?

*well above average* - £72k if you need a number.

I never said that. I mean above avarage In Poland itself not in the uk. You have to be pretty smart there to earn thar. Yes, people are sending money to relos in poland from uk at the highest rate of any country sending money back. I also expect it to increase due to brexit. It's not that you suspect scams going on, there are plenty I am sure, it's just that you listed that as a supposed reason for seeing these cars but didn't list actual economic realities which in 90% of cases are the reason you are seeing the car. Hence my attempt.to outline a few for you. Wages in poland are going up also and social security going up and exports going up and economic growth rate is great.by european measures. So no need.for scams for anyone with brains in a good economic climate like that. No need to post wages on internet, lol what r u on about? Lastly I have to tell you I would no longer fit back into my mother's pouch.

Not buying this at all. Widespread cheating is going on here, no question.

Average wage in Poland is 3,289 PLN/month.
2015 Audi A6 2.0 TDi Ultra S-Tronic, 27k on the clock, 169,900 PLN
Financed over 5 years at 15% with Bank Millennium, 3,632 PLN/month.

Utter BS.

But take also into account, how many people actually buy new cars in Poland. Poles usually buy second-hand cars, and rarely new ones.

A 2015 Audi with 27,000 km on the clock is a second-hand car.

About 8 years ago, a Polish friend of mine in the UK was admiring my new kitchen, and then casually asked me if I had the receipt. "Sure," I said, "why?" Then he fixed me with a serious look, and asked if he could take that receipt so that he could put a claim for it through his business.

Cheats, go to hell. If you want to work hard to earn your living, fine. Take the money you earn from that and be happy. Neither substitute nor supplement hard, honest work with this kind of avarice. Call yourself Catholics?

I can see some strange things in here, so let me put some things straight.

1) average salary in Poland in Q1 2016 was 4181 PLN. It does not mean that average salary in Poznań, Kraków or Warszawa, where most expats hang out, is 4181 PLN.

2) Assuming that average salary in Warszawa is, say, 8121 PLN, it does not mean that noone is earning more, say 15000 PLN, 20000 PLN and so. Those people can buy Audi without stealing.

3) In Poland it is COMMON to have two salaries in a family. Then 4181 PLN brutto on average, becomes 8302 PLN brutto for family, on average. It is uncommon to have single working person in family, and families that does have a single working person, do not drive new Audi's.

4) It is possible to LEASE a car in Poland. Many of those cars aro no doubt leased.
5) not everyone steals, I'd say 99,9% of people are not stealing / commiting VAT frauds.
6) if some people venture outside of a big city, especially to poorer parts of Poland, for example podkarpackie, lubuskie, podlaskie. You will not see many new Audi's out there. You will mostly see old Golfs, W124 and so on.

Thank you for listening.

I think this average is so high because it takes into account people earning really much. Directors in companies, politicians etc. There is not so many of them, but because of their extremely high salaries (tens of thousands PLN), they contribute much to the average salary. Maybe the median would be a better measure than the average here.

Average person earns something around 2000, maybe 3000 zł net. Of course, it will be higher in big cities, especially in Warsaw (but the costs of living are also higher) and smaller in villages. And it depends on the job, for example a good programmer may earn twice so much. The same is with medical doctors and lawyers.