Homepage Living expenses in Poland

Living expenses in PolandPrint

EVERYDAY LIFE AND ITS COSTS

Costs of living in Poland vary. They are the highest in Warsaw and in other large cities (Krakow, Lodz, Wrocław, Poznan, Gdansk). 

In Poland, food, public transport, and accommodation are still slightly cheaper than in most Western European countries, but the percentage share of the items in the budget of each family grows every year.

Approximate prices of selected basic goods in Poland in PLN  

Bread - about PLN 3

Milk 1l, 2% - about PLN 3

10 eggs - about PLN 8

White sugar, 1 kg - from PLN 3 to PLN 5

Chicken fillet, 1 kg - from PLN 15 to PLN 20

Polish apples, 1 kg - about PLN 3

Carrots 1 kg - about PLN 3

Potatoes 1 kg - about PLN 3

Tomatoes 1 kg - from PLN 5 to PLN 9

Washing powder 3l - from PLN 26

TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN POLAND

 

Mobile phones

In Poland, you can have a subscription or pre-paid telephone. 

A pre-paid telephone is a solution beneficial for people who cannot or do not want to be bound by a contract with an operator and who need a telephone to stay in touch with others rather than to have long conversations. To take advantage of the pre-paid offer, you need to buy a telephone and the so-called starter kit (available at newsagent’s, but also often just in kiosks), and then activate it, which is done by conducting the first call. When buying a mobile phone and a starter, a foreigner does not have to present any documents. The card should be topped up at least in the periods indicated by the operator (e.g., every month or every 3 months - the length of this period depends on the value of the top-up) or more frequently, when the available funds are used.

The advantage of a subscription phone is that, if you pay for the subscription, you will not run out of funds to make a call, as can be the case with a prepaid phone. The disadvantage, however, is the need to sign a contract for a period of at least 12 months (or longer, which usually happens when you buy a good model of a mobile phone in a package) and the need for paying the bill monthly. In order to use subscription services, a contract for their provision must be signed with the operator. For that, a foreigner must go to the operator's salon and present a set of documents. They usually are a passport, residence card, work permit, valid credit card or a current mobile or landline phone bill. A student-foreigner may also be asked to present a student ID.

Note: A foreigner with a temporary residence card may not conclude a contract with an operator for a period longer than the period of validity of the card itself.

A foreigner staying in Poland on the basis of a visa may only have a pre-paid phone. 

There are several popular mobile operators in Poland. Details of the offers can be found on their websites: 

T-Mobile

Orange Polska

Play

Plus

 It’s worth knowing: Calls on a single operator's network are usually cheaper. Sometimes operators offer free calls on the same network. That is why it is worth for friends and family to use the services of one operator.

Internet

The average cost of the Internet that can be used at home ranges from PLN 50 to PLN 100 per month. In this case, it is necessary to sign a contract (usually at least 12 months) with a supplier. Very often, suppliers offer a package: Internet + cable TV.

The cost of internet from different providers by province can be compared here  

Wi-Fi networks are becoming increasingly popular in Poland. In cities, access to this type of network is often free, but to use it, you need to bring your own laptop / phone with Internet access / tablet. Areas where wi-fi can be accessed are hotspots. 

In Poland, you can also use internet cafés. Internet cafés are places where you can use computers with Internet access.

INDICATIVE FLAT PRICES

Average monthly rental price of a flat (area from 38 to 60 m2) in PLN by city (as of February 2020)

 Wrocław – PLN 2197

 Szczecin – PLN 1910

 Poznan – PLN 1885

 Bydgoszcz – PLN 1619

 Lodz – PLN 1717

 Katowice – PLN 1969

 Krakow – PLN 2168

 Warsaw – PLN 2910

 Lublin – PLN 2100

 Gdansk – PLN 2293

 

More information on renting an apartment by foreigners can be found here

TRANSPORTATION IN POLAND

Public transport in cities

In every city in Poland, you can use buses.

There are also trams in larger cities (e.g., Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, Gdansk, Poznan).

In Warsaw, you can also use two metro lines

 The current line schedule, connection maps and the timetable for public transport in Warsaw can be checked on the website of the Public Transport Authority in Warsaw

(the website is also available in English, German and Russian)

Ticket prices in Warsaw

There are several types of tickets in Warsaw.

For each type of ticket, it is possible to take advantage of a discount (the so-called reduced fare). Generally, the discount is available to pupils and students up to the age of 26 on the basis of valid ID cards. 

20-minute ticket - PLN 3.40 (regular), PLN 1.70 (reduced)

75-minute ticket - PLN 4.40 (regular), PLN 2.20 (reduced)

90-minute ticket - PLN 7 (regular), PLN 3.50 (reduced)

Single-travel ticket - PLN 3.60 (regular), PLN 1.80 (reduced)

Daily ticket (1 zone) - PLN 15 (regular), PLN 7.50 (reduced)

Daily ticket (zone 1 + 2) - PLN 26 (regular), PLN 13 (reduced)

3-day ticket (1 zone) - PLN 36 (regular), PLN 18 (reduced)

3-day ticket (zone 1 + 2) - PLN 57 (regular), PLN 28.50 (reduced)

Weekend ticket (zone 1 + 2) - PLN 24 (regular), PLN 12 (reduced)

30-day ticket (1 zone) - PLN 110 (regular), PLN 55 (reduced)

90-day ticket (1 zone) - PLN 280 (regular), PLN 140 (reduced)

Annual senior ticket (for people over 65) - PLN 50

In Warsaw, cardboard tickets (for tickets of up to 3 days) or the Warsaw City Card can be used. The card can be obtained at marked ZTM ticket sales points. The first City Card is issued free of charge.

NOTE: A cardboard ticket should be validated immediately after boarding the bus or tram!

In the case of the City Card, for the new ticket encoded on it to become valid, the card should be brought close to the validator. 

The same tickets are valid for trams, buses and metro. 

The ticket also includes luggage (e.g., suitcase, backpack), bicycles and animals. 

It’s worth knowing: 

  • Ticket control: Controllers do not wear uniforms, but inspectors must have a photo ID, ID number and expiration date. Even though the name and surname of the controller are on the reverse of the badge, the controller is not obliged to provide the passenger with the data. Before controlling tickets, the controllers block validators.
  • The penalty for travelling without a valid ticket in Warsaw is PLN 266 (+ the travel fare). The additional fee for travelling without a valid document confirming the entitlement to free or reduced travel is PLN 196. The controller must then issue a document confirming the acceptance of the fee. If the passenger does not want to or cannot pay the ticket on the spot, they receive a receipt with information about the amount due and the date of payment (in this case, the fee can be paid at the ZTM Passenger Service Centre, at the post office or by bank transfer). In this case, however, the controller will require a document confirming the passenger's identity (e.g. passport). If the fee is not paid within the prescribed period, the carrier may bring the case to court.
  •  In Poland, you cannot smoke at bus stops!

Taxis

In addition to public transport in Poland, you can use taxis. In Warsaw, the maximum initial taxi fare is approximately PLN 8. The price for 1 km a day is from PLN 1.5 to PLN 3. The price at night may be higher.

 There are taximeters in every taxi. Taximeters are used to calculate (according to the established tariffs that must be indicated on the back door of the taxi) for the distance travelled by the taxi and / or for the time of its rental. The taxi driver is obliged to issue a receipt upon our request.

Intercity trains

In domestic traffic, the InterCity (IC) and Express (EX) trains are the fastest and most expensive. Fast and TLK trains are cheaper. Passenger trains are the cheapest and the slowest. 

Connection prices vary and depend on the type of train and the length of the route. Prices may also be affected by the discounts and promotions currently in force (e.g., weekend tickets; more information on promotions on Intercity and Express trains is available here). As a rule, pupils, and students under the age of 26, on the basis of valid ID cards, enjoy a 50% discount on travel.

The current timetable and prices of trains in Poland can be found here 

The ticket can be purchased directly at the station at the ticket office or online for Express, InterCity and TLK trains on the website available here

More information is available on the sites of Polish State Railways (PKP)

Buses

Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Samochodowej (PKS) has branches throughout Poland - there is a bus station in each city.

Bus timetables and ticket prices can be checked at bus stations on information boards, at information points and on PKS websites (PKS has branches in every major city, so when looking for connections, e.g., from Białystok, enter "PKS Białystok" in the search engine).

Tickets can be purchased at the station ticket offices or from the driver directly before departure. 

Apart from PKS buses, you can also take advantage of the offer of private bus carriers. Private carriers set their prices freely, so they may vary.

Private carriers offer both suburban, intercity, and international journeys.

In the case of suburban journeys, information on carriers should be obtained in the city, e.g., at a bus station. For the types of journeys, the ticket can often be purchased directly from the driver.

Intercity and international journeys are offered, for example, by Flixbus, Agat, Eurolines, Intercars, Sindbad. Bus tickets can usually be purchased at dedicated points at bus stations or on carriers' websites.

Planes

The largest airport in Poland is Okęcie airport in Warsaw it maintains direct connections with approximately 50 cities in over 30 countries in Europe and around the world. There are also international connections at airports in Gdansk, Katowice, Lodz, Poznan, Szczecin, Wrocław and Krakow.

International airports in Poland:

 

Low-cost airlines

 

It is often profitable to use low-cost airlines. Low-cost carriers that offer flights to / from Poland are listed below. On their websites you can check current promotions and discounts on tickets.

Due to the dynamically changing offer of cheap carriers, it is worth looking for connections through search engines such as:

INDICATIVE PRICES OF SERVICES IN POLAND

  • Prices for the same services vary from city to city. 
  • Usually, services are the most expensive in Warsaw. 
  •  
  • Prices of Poczta Polska services in PLN (as of March 2012) 
  • Domestic, economic letter mail up to 50g - about PLN 2
  • Domestic economic postal parcel up to 1 kg - about PLN 10
  • Domestic postal order for PLN 200 - about PLN 7
  •  
  • Prices for a private visit to a doctor in PLN (as of March 2012) 
  • Internal medicine consultation from PLN 80 to PLN 200
  • Dentist consultations from PLN 80 to PLN 200
  •  
  •  

HOW MUCH DOES ENTERTAINMENT COST IN POLAND?

Cinema ticket - from PLN 12 to PLN 35

Lunch in a restaurant - from PLN 20 to PLN 150

Monthly gym pass - from PLN 80 to PLN 250  

STUDY COSTS

Information on the cost of studying in Poland is available here.