Job Discussion Forums

[GTP]

Hi!

I�m going to Krakow in 2007 and I�m going to earn about 4500 zlotys (net)/month. Eventually, my girlfriend will come with me.

Can anyone tell me if with this wage I can get a decent apartment (nothing very old) in the city centre with one bedroom, kitchen and living room with an area of +-50m2 and still be able to save some money? If so, wich are the best places in krakow to rent an apartment? Any tips?

Do you think that 2 persons can live confortable with this wage?

I've already been there and I think that Krakow is a very nice city to live in.


Thank you all for your help!

[simon_porter00]

Right being a first year newbie I fully expect others to be critical of what I will write but here goes.

4500 net per month is a very good wage in Krakow, especially if you're a newbie. You don't tell us anything about previous experience so I can only guess you would have some experience to earn that much.

The type of flat you're looking for is extremely popular and as such rents for such properties (especially as that flat would be considered quite large and would quite easily acoomodate 6 Polish students) are genrally quite high at about 1400 - 1800 p/m. You'll look to put some more on that if you want to live 'in' the city centre. If you want to live on the outskirts of the old town (without being in the sticks) on a tram line (about 10 - 20 minutes away from the city centre) then look towards 1400 and a little lower.

Other information already exists here on the foum, please use the search function to good effect. A beer costs 5 - 8zl, cinema 25zl, tram pass on one line 45zl, other prices are, as mentioned, already on here.

Can you save? It depends how you want to live. 2 people can easily live off 4500, but if you want to go out most nights, eat out etc etc then the money will quickly dwindle away. You could probably look to save the best part of 1000 zl and more if you're sensible which in pound terms isnt much. But then most people don't come to Poland to earn a fortune.

Places to live, to the north, west and south of the town are good. East is OK too but too far away and you're in Nowa Huta territory and you definately don't want to be there.

I earn less then you net but look to repay a mortgage (in the near future), support myself and my fiancee and have some fun evey month and leave some in the bank.

[GTP]

Thank you for the info Simon!

Actually I must admit that I "cheated" a little bit in this forum, since I�m going to work in the HR department of a multinational company in Krakow and not teaching.

Please forgive me!! I've been following this forum for some time and I found it extremely useful even for non-teachers/students.

I'm going to work near Av. John Paul II n Krakow. Isn't it near Nowa Huta?

The problem of living outside the city centre is the transportation. If I was able to take my car there, do you think a EU driving licence will be valid?

Best regards

[simon_porter00]

Al. Jana Pawla II starts a little bit out of the city centre and heads straight into Nowa huta. Its a bloody long road and your place of work is more then likely to be in the middle of it. I'm doing some incompany stuff t a company on that road and its well served by tram lines.

If you'vegot a UK licence (or anywhere in Europe 'm guessing) it'll be valid in Poland without the need to get an international driving licence. If you're from the states/across the pond/anywhere else - i've no idea i'm afraid.

If I were you, I'd think twice about the car. There are some forums on here about insuring GB cars in Poland and the difficulty of it. If you live 5 minutes walk from a tram stop, you'll be able to get pretty much anywhere you want and there are loads of trams running around. They tend to be crowded at the start and end of the day, but you'd rather spend time in a tram then stuck on a road, which are just as crowded. On most routes out of the city the tram gets it's own track which means it actually gets somewhere.

Best of luck, knowing now your working for an international company (and I'm not being offensive, nor seeking out confrontation) it seems a little surprising that you getting paid that litlle and they haven't sorted out digs for you.

[GTP]

Once again Simon, thank you for the tips. You've been very helpful.

I agree with you. It would be great if they arrange me somewhere to stay, but in that company I'm a very "small fish"...maybe in a few years time I'll get better benefits

When I get to Poland the company will help me searching a place to stay, but after it I will have to pay the expenses ...

Nevertheless I hope to have a good time in Poland and I'll do my best to survive winter (and the language)!

Kind regards,