living costs Krakow. 700 eur enough?

Hello everybody! I am considering a job in Krakow, the city seems to be a good choice. But, I don't know if the offer of around 700 Euros is enough for a decent living in this city. I am alone, no family, but I would have to rent a small flat and cover also other regular living expenses. What do you think??? Thanks in advance for any information or experience shared!

- Posted by Ayra27 from Poland on Jun 1st, 2010

Of course, it depends on your standard of living, but for the average person 700 euro is more than enough (there are people living on 700 zloty even). A decent one-room flat near the city centre will cost you about 1000-1500 zloty (250-300 eu), so you'll have plenty left over for expenses if you plan your budget well.

- Posted by bildungsr0man from Poland on Jun 1st, 2010

It depends on whether this is before or after tax but it's on the low side (the average in Krakow is 3600PLN/month).

- Posted by spoony from Poland on Jun 1st, 2010

@bildungsr0man: thanks! sounds a bit encouraging @spoony: it is net, after tax... 3600 PLZ would be around 900 euro, isn't it? hmmmmm... :-(

- Posted by Ayra27 from Poland on Jun 1st, 2010

@spoony: average for whom? Perhaps the expat working for a multinational, but most average Cracovians live on far, far less. I know a lot of people who manage to live on 2000 zloty just fine.

- Posted by bildungsr0man from Poland on Jun 4th, 2010

Hi Aya, I have been living in krakow for 2.5 years. I would say with 700 Euros - you can survive in krakow and live a decent life - though you might need to be ready for some budget living. If you want to live in a safe area in krakow - for 1 room apartment it will cost you 1200 PLN. On top of this, you need to pay administration charges (300 zloty) and your bills + internet (350 zloty). So you have to take all these into consideration. For food I would say - if you are cooking more (600 zloty a month). If you frequently eat outside then you should be setting aside (1000 zloty). So the rest of the money, you might want to use for your personal expenses. As I said you can cut down some costs to live, but if you aim to save some money / travel Europe then you might not have much in hand. Hope this helps. All the best.

- Posted by solgeo from Poland on Jun 4th, 2010

Thank you Solgeo! The information you gave is very-very useful. I see you probably are/have been also an expat in Krakow, could you maybe share anything else good to know before accepting a job and moving there? I know my question is very general, but maybe in the light of your experience there are things you consider that could be important for an expat in Krakow to be to know. Thanks again for your helpful post!

- Posted by Ayra27 from Poland on Jun 4th, 2010

700 should be plenty if you want to move to cracow and have more questions this site might be usefull http://cracowtour.blogspot.com

- Posted by oscar77 from Poland on Jun 6th, 2010

Not very useful to be honest, Oscar - it's only got one post on it!

- Posted by bennox from Poland on Jun 8th, 2010

Is that a month or a week

- Posted by andykaren from Poland on Jun 10th, 2010

Hi, Sorry, that i am seeing your message just now. while accepting an offer, it is good to ask for a relocation allowance from the company. Noramlly they pay the expenses in terms of moving and also usually give a month's salary to settle down in the new place. However, please check with your company. Polish people are not friendly or have good customer service. i mean this in terms of service / assistance that you might receive. Not the character of the people :). So right from day one - be ready to wear a thick skin. The landlords are demanding, internet providers squeeze your pocket, so does the TV connection etc. Hence, do not come with big expectations on customer service / english speaking people. This could be the down side of living in krakow. My sincere advise is - unless you are planning to buy a car - stay at the center of the city - with good tram / bus connections. all the best.

- Posted by solgeo from Poland on Jul 1st, 2010

thank you Solgeo for sharing this information and opinion. I've already experienced some being very true

- Posted by Ayra27 from Poland on Jul 2nd, 2010

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