What if you were born in Poland?

If you had grown up in Poland instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Warsaw could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Long Embankment on the Motława, Gdańsk. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Poland

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in PLN and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Poland: PLN 8,120Rs 567,000
Rent (city centre): PLN 2,350
Transport (public transport): PLN 414
Food: PLN 1,170
Saved: PLN 1,220

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Poland: PLN 18,700Rs 1,300,000
Rent (suburbs): PLN 4,760
Transport (public transport): PLN 951
Food: PLN 3,170
Saved: PLN 2,800

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Poland: PLN 30,200Rs 2,110,000
Rent (city centre): PLN 7,400
Transport (car): PLN 2,830
Food: PLN 3,700
Saved: PLN 8,470

Try it with my own income

A day in Warsaw

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Warsaw, a city of snowy winters around -4°C and cool summers around 21°C.
Commute
You take a bus and a train: about 40 minutes, a bit longer in bad weather.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
You speak Polish at work; English helps in the big cities.
Lunch
Lunch might be pierogi: dumplings filled with potato, cheese, meat or cabbage.
Evening
You get home with PLN 2,800 saved each month. Walking home late feels completely normal here.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast and the mountains, and skiing in winter.

Poland compared with Pakistan

	Poland	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	2.4× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	78 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	17 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	3.0%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	9°C	26°C
Languages	Polish	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	PLN	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Poland, living in Poland and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Poland?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around PLN 18,700 a month at the same level in Poland (about Rs 1,300,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Poland more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 2.4 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Poland?

Mainly Polish. English is spoken by some people, mostly in cities.

Can I actually move to Poland?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Poland page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.