Cost of Living in Szczecin, Poland

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How Much Does It Cost to Live In Szczecin?

Szczecin is a port city in Pomerania and the capital of West Pomerania in Poland.

It’s close to the border and is directly linked with the German motorway system, and therefore it has the best road connection with Western Europe of all Polish cities. This is, also, the main importance of this city.

You can lead a really convenient life in Szczecin, though in terms of cultural offer and economy it is a bit inferior compared to the rest of the country.

It’s also a bit poorer that most major cities, but the quality of life is otherwise high.

RESTAURANTS

Like most cities in Poland, Szczecin also has its Old Town, where you’ll find most of the town’s fancy restaurants, cafes and shops. Here you can find some excellent restaurants, though you’ll probably pay a lot more. Eating a meal for two in a mid-range restaurant in Szczecin costs around 25$. Of course, you can always find a decent (street food) restaurant or diner where you can eat for around 5$.

MARKETS

There’s a lot of healthy, non-processed, tasty and cheap food in this city, as in the rest of country, and you can get it both in supermarkets as well as in open markets, directly from the farmers. If shopping in supermarkets, make sure to buy your groceries before 11 PM. After that you can only get alcohol in most places and even that is disputable.

TRANSPORTATION

Many recommend using taxis in Szczecin, since they are really cheap here. So cheap, in fact, that there is no need for Uber here. You can always check some mobile apps which might help if you do not speak Polish. If you want to save some money, you can also, learn to use the urban bike. Using it up to 15 minutes is free of charge, which is enough to get you to many places.

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

As far as utilities go in Szczecin, they are through the roof here, in comparison to most other cities in Poland, including Cracow. The prices of your bills do depend on the size of your apartment, though, as well as how much electricity you spend. Basic utilities like electricity, water, gas and garbage services in an apartment of 85m2 will cost you over 200$. Don’t forget that during winter, the bills might go up because of the heating.

SPORTS & LEISURE

Szczecin has many family-friendly opportunities and is a good ground for social activities. There are obviously cinemas, theaters and similar facilities, but also a lot of sports grounds, places to exercise, and parks. A membership in a gym or a fitness club will cost you 26$. And if you want to go to cinema, a ticket costs around 6$.

CLOTHING & SHOES

Szczecin has its share of shopping malls where you can buy clothes, sports equipment, books, shoes etc. Kaskada is the newest and the biggest shopping mall in Szczecin, offering best brands and spacious foodcourt. Don’t expect low prices, though! You can buy quality jeans for no less than 74$, and running sneakers of brands like Nike for over 75$.

RENT PER MONTH

Szczecin has no centre/downtown in the classical terms, so you don’t have to necessarily live in the center to maintain a decent life standard. This means you can find an apartment outside of the center for a lot less money – around 300$ – and still feel like you’re in the center of events and have most things at your disposal.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Szczecin

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Szczecin?

In the 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 Szczecin.

Namely, nearly 5% more of one’s salary goes on food than it does on rent, but rent is definitely on the second place (and in some Polish cities, the percentages for food and rent are virtually the same).

Utilities have an unusually high percentage than in most other countries – no wonder since electricity bills in Szczecin are higher than in any other city in Poland.

Restaurants and transportation are also significant expenses for the people of Szczecin.

Average Costs Breakdown

Szczecin: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Surprisingly, given some prices in Szczecin, the average salary for an average person here is lower than in most other cities in Poland.

With a salary of 600$ most people can afford a normal life, but barely though. After covering all expenses – there is not much left for leisure, apparel and other activities.

There’s also a significant part of the city’s residents that don’t even earn that much.

Most of them hover around 500$ per month, which is definitely problematic for the people living in Szczecin since that amount only covers the basis.

Cost of Living by City in Szczecin