Poland is a lively and exciting country and is a very pleasant place to live in with people who are sociable and welcoming. Also, with its central location it is a good starting point to travel around Europe. Poland is much safer than most other European countries. Even Scandinavian countries have a higher crime rate than Poland. We welcome all international students.The following guide on living in Poland will present key points about the cost of living, the country’s culture, tradition, healthcare and much more.
Currency
The Polish currency is called the Zloty (zł) and is a metric unit, which is subdivided into 100 groszy (gr). If you need more information about international exchange rates see: http://www.nbp.pl/homen.aspx?f=/kursy/ratesa.html.
In most of shops you will need to pay in the local currency. If you need, you can easily exchange your US Dollars, Euro or other currency. You can go and change money in banks (but you will be usually charged commission for the transaction).You can also go to exchange office (kantor) which usually offers better exchange rates than banks. Of course, in most places in Poland you can also pay for your shopping by using your bank card.
Costs of living and studying
The costs of living and studying are relatively low in comparison to most of EU countries. If you need more information, you should visit the following website: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Poland.
The costs of living depend on one’s individual needs and lifestyle but costs in Poland are still significantly lower than in most of the EU countries. Costs of studies are very competitive. The minimum rate for studies is 2150 $ or 2000 € per year, which is a few times lower than the EU average. To cover basic housing costs, meals, city transportation and some personal expenses a total amount of 500-600 $ or 450-550 € is enough.
Housing Costs
The cheapest solution is to stay in a dormitory. Most universities in Poland have their own student dormitory.
- Dormitory: 125 $ or 115 € per month
Second option is to look for a regular apartment. It is more expensive than staying in a dormitory, but more comfortable
- Apartment (1 bedroom): avg. 350 $ or 310 € per month
Our Service provides you with assistance in obtaining proper accommodation.
Entertainment
Cultural life, concerts and other events are very popular in Poland. Many clubs and pubs are waiting for you.
Below are examples of fees to pay for entertainment:
- Clubs - (entrance fee) 2-8 $ or 1,8-7 €
- Concerts - 25-50 $ or 23-46 €
- Theatre - 5-25 $ or 4,6-23 €
- Cinema - 3,75-7,5 $ or 3,5 €
Transport
The cheapest and the easiest form of transport is public transportation. Polish public transportation is efficient, punctual and clean. There are student’s discounts available if you have a valid student card like International Student ID Card. You have to buy ticket.
Here are examples for Warsaw:
- 30-DAY TICKETS - student discount - 12,5 $ or 11,6 € all transportation including metro,
- 90-DAY TICKETS - student discount - 31 $ or 29 € all transportation including metro,
- SHORT-TERM TICKETS - student discount valid for all day lines and night lines all transportation including metro- 0,45 $ or 0.39 € for a period not exceeding 20 minutes from its validation.
Health Insurance
International students who come from outside the Europan Union countries have private insurance required for the visa application. But this insurance covers mostly only accidents and does not cover general practitioner’s consultations. You will need a general medical health insurance (Voluntary Health Insurance for Students from Foreign Counties) and you have to apply in the NFZ (National Health Fund). NFZ insurance costs 12,5 $ or 11,5 € per month and entitles you to free medical care. After registration in NFZ you have to inform ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) and submit an application ( it should take place with 7 days from the date of signing the contract with NFZ). We strongly recommend you purchase an additional insurance package for personal accident insurance. Costs up to 12,5 $ or 11,5 € per month.
Obviously we offer in our services assistance in obtaining health insurance, personal accident insurance and registration in ZUS.
General information about Poland
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Geographical location |
Poland is situated in Central Europe at the Baltic Sea.It is bordered by Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east and Germany to the west |
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Area |
312.679 .000km2 |
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Population |
approx. 38M |
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Capital |
Warsaw |
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Main cities |
Łodź, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdansk,Katowice, Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, Białystok |
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Administrative division |
Poland is divided into 16 voivodeships |
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Climate |
Temperate climate. Average summer temperatures are between 17°C and 20°C, winter temperatures between -5°C and 0°C. Warmest month: July. Coldest month: January |
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Important phone numbers |
997 - police, 998 - fire brigade, 999 - ambulance or general hotline number - 112 -all calls are free of charge |
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Holidays |
1 January - New Year, 6 January - Epiphany, Easter (moveable feast), 1 May - May Day, 3 May - Constitution Day, Corpus Christi May or June (moveable feast), 15 August - Assumption Day, 1 November - All Saints’ Day, 11 November - Independence Day, 25 and 26 December - Christmas |