Is the Salary for a Postdoc in Krakow Enough to Live Comfortably?

[Rajini]

Dear All,
Curious to know about postdoc fellowship amount.
Is it really very low as 3160 polish zloty (=760 EUR) per month?
Is it sufficient for two person to live in Krakow with this salary?
How much would be the house rent (i cook myself)?
Is it possible to save some money?
Thanks all for your reply.
Regards, Rajini.

 

[Borek]

I don't know Kraków to well, but I know a thing or two about Poland in general.

Is it really very low as 3160 polish zloty (=760 EUR) per month?

Make sure it is what you will really get - it can be lowered by taxes.

Is it sufficient for two person to live in Krakow with this salary?

I know people living for less in Warsaw, which is a more expensive city. Definitely doable, doesn't have to be easy.

How much would be the house rent (i cook myself)?

See http://olx.pl/nieruchomosci/mieszkania/wynajem/krakow/ for examples.

Is it possible to save some money?

Not much probably.

 

[Rika]

3160 zl is not bad salary for single person. However if it's for two people... I think you can do it but it won't be middle-class standard. Rather than that it will be "undergraduate" standard. Let's see:

- rent: 800 zl for a big room in a flat shared with other people and 1200-1300zl for a 1 room flat (bedroom/living room, kitchen, bathroom), nothing fancy but water and internet included, forget about 2 room flat, it costs around 1600-2000 zl

- food: one person spends on food around 600 zl, if you cook for two people it will be cheaper but still around 900-1000zl, nothing fancy: soup, bread with jam or cheese, joghurt, chicken with some veggies and potatos/rice, forget about expensive meat, cheese or alcohol

No matter what you do for two people food&rent will be around 60% of your salary. Isn't it more convinient for that other person just to get a job?

 

[Rajini]

Hello Borek, Rika,
Thanks for your information. I need to know one information regarding health insurance. For usual illness (fever, body pain, etc) how much it cost? Also any healt care system for pregnant ladies?? how much it cost per month?
Is there any family accomodation available in AGH University managed campus?
Thanks again.
Regards, Rajini.

 

[Borek]

I think you should contact AGH - my bet is that you will be already insured. But that's why I suggested to check details, it is quite likely that the sum offered is a total pay, from which insurance and taxes will be subtracted, leaving you with a net pay - lower than €750.

No idea about accommodation. They may have something, they may have not. Ask them.

 

[Bandersnatch]

- food: one person spends on food around 600 zl

Jesus, Rika. Where are you shopping, in Alma? Eating out every day would cost you that much, unless you only dine in fancy places. Cut it down to 400zł tops, unless you really can't wrap your head around cooking.

 

[Rika]

No way - an average meal in a bar/not fancy restaurant costs around 15zl which is 450zl for dinner only.

I don't shop in Alma but I don't need to in order to spend more. I just eat real ham, fish, nuts, vegetables, buy some coffe or juice during a day etc. Yes, you can eat for 400zl but it's very student-like food - noodles with cottage cheese/sausage for dinner, bread with cheap meat (or ketchup :d) for breakfast and fast-food cheeseburger or instant noodles for supper and you can't buy any coffe or juice during your work. If OP has pregnant wife then she can't eat crap like undergraduate students.

 

[Bandersnatch]

No, I actually only meant dining out. It never crossed my mind to eat breakfast out, to be honest. I agree it's untenable eating out three times a day.

Anyway, it's difficult to argue about those things on the net, as I'm sure our body weight and eating habits may differ, and we both may have different tolerances and definitions of what constitutes sub-par and what quality food.
Let me just say that I do manage to maintain a varied and satisfying diet that's free from noodles, ketchup, shoe soles and other desperate measures for 450-500/month, and leave it for Rajini as a point of comparison. But I like cooking and have no qualms about eating tripe or hearts, so I'll grant you this might be a somewhat finely-tuned achievement.