How Much Does It Cost to Live In Katowice?
Katowice is the capital and largest city of Silesian Voivodeship in Poland, and the largest urban center in the Silesian Metropolis.
Katowice serves as the intersection of major road and rail routes, this way connecting Poland to the rest of Europe in all directions.
This is why this city is so important.
The costs of living in Katowice are very favorable in comparison to other big Polish cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk or Wrocław.
But still, the amount of money you spend here depends only on your preferences and lifestyle.
Poland : Cost of Living by City
Cost of Living in PolandRESTAURANTS
If you want to have a decent meal in an inexpensive restaurant, you can eat for around 5$. There’s always street food too as well as international fast food chains. You can eat in posh restaurants if you have the means – no doubt about it, and the city of Katowice is actually rich in many town squares and streets brimming with restaurants.
MARKETS
As for groceries, you can easily find healthy, non-processed, tasty and cheap food in Katowice, like in most Polish countries, both in supermarkets as well as in open markets, directly from the farmers. This is due to the fact that Poland is very strong and advanced when it comes to agriculture. If you want, you can also go to one of many small stores – this way you’ll support local economy.
TRANSPORTATION
As for public transport, Katowice is well-connected with major cities like Warsaw and Wroclaw. The railway to Krakow is currently under construction but ultimately it will take less than one hour to get there. Transportation within the city, in general, is very well organized and affordable for all. For example, a one-way ticket for public transport costs less than a dollar, while a monthly pass costs around 30$.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
In Poland, your bills for utilities won’t be exactly small, but the prices are not through the roof either. It mostly depends on the size of your apartment and how much electricity you spend. Basic utilities like electricity, water, gas and garbage services in an apartment of 85m2 will cost you around 150$. During winter, the bills might go up because of the heating.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Cities of Poland are full of family-friendly opportunities and is a good ground for social activities and this goes for Katowice, too. There are obviously cinemas, theaters and similar facilities, but also a lot of sports grounds, places to exercise, and parks, large and small. A membership in a gym or a fitness club will cost you 25$, while a cinema ticket costs around 6$, depending on the seat and the day of the week.
CLOTHING & SHOES
The fact that many things are cheap in this country does not mean that you’ll buy clothes and shoes for nothing. Major shopping venue is the large and modern Galerie Katowicka shopping mall, but the prices are through the roof, especially for Polish standards! For example, you can buy quality jeans for no less than 70$, as well as running sneakers of brands like Nike.
RENT PER MONTH
As mentioned before, rent is the single most expensive aspect of living in Poland, though it varies significantly, depending on where you want to live. Big cities like Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow attract many people yearly, and, in a city like Katowice, don’t be shocked to see a studio for nearly 400$ per month. If you want to save some money, look for an apartment outside of the city, and your rent will drop to around 300$. If you’re looking for a larger apartment, for your entire family, count on paying around 600$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Katowice
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.Average Restaurant Prices | |
---|---|
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $4.83 |
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $1.88 |
Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.90 | Average Market Prices |
Milk (1 Liter) | $0.59 |
Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.76 |
Eggs (12) | $2.03 | Average Transport Prices |
One Way Ticket | $0.86 |
Monthly Pass | $32.22 |
Gasoline | $1.29 | Average Utilities Prices |
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $155.88 |
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.08 |
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $14.07 | Average Leisure Prices |
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $25.17 |
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $12.62 |
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $6.71 | Average Clothing Prices |
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $71.81 |
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $34.32 |
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $69.02 | Average Rent Prices |
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $365.25 |
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $296.72 |
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $588.70 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Katowice?
It’s no wonder that in Poland, like in any country where rent is unusually high, people spend most money on food and rent.
In those cities where rent is unusually high, almost the same percentage of one’s income goes on rent as it does on food, but that’s not the case in Katowice.
Namely, around 8% more of one’s salary goes on food than it does on rent, but rent is definitely on the second place.
Utilities have a somewhat higher percentage than in most other countries, which means that electricity bills are higher than average.
Restaurants and transportation are also significant expenses for the people of Katowice.
Average Costs Breakdown
Katowice: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Most people living in the cities of Poland actually earn less than what’s the average monthly salary, and that is problematic.
The average monthly net salary in Katowice is around 850$, yet most people earn only around 400$ or less.
This is definitely a problem because most of this money will go for food and accommodation cost.
If you want to have enough for decent clothing, holidays abroad or a good car – you need to have a high paying job.
In other words, for you to attain a standard of living that is easily achievable in the Western world cities, you need a very good job in Katowice.
Cost of Living by City in Katowice
City | Cost of Living Index |
---|---|
Bydgoszcz | 38.54 |
Gdansk | 42.82 |
Gdynia | 41.22 |
Krakow (Cracow) | 39.53 |
Lodz | 37.13 |
Lublin | 36.12 |
Poznan | 38.99 |
Szczecin | 37.35 |
Warsaw | 42.32 |
Wroclaw | 40 |