The decision to live alone is undoubtedly one of the major life changes leading to full independence. However, living alone also means higher costs than in the case of sharing it with another person
If you do not decide in the first step to buy an apartment, a popular form is renting. When looking for a suitable place you need to take into account factors such as: availability, location, cost of rent and utilities, and the standard of the apartment or room, depending on the selected option
On the Internet you can choose from a wide range of apartments and rooms for rent. Depending on the standard and location, the cost of renting a room can be between 400 and even 1000 zł. You should also remember that when signing a contract you should check if there are no hidden costs and if the given price includes all the fees. Especially that the owner may demand additional amounts for electricity and gas. If we choose a variant of living with roommates, in terms of the Internet costs can be different and are often shared between users
However, if we want to have a completely independent living space, without additional tenants, it is worth considering renting an apartment. However, here the costs may be much higher than in the case of living with someone or renting only a room. Renting a studio apartment in a small city costs 1000-1200 PLN, while in a big city, like Warsaw or Krakow, it is 1500-1800 PLN. For a larger apartment you will pay from 1900 to even 2500 PLN.
Apart from the apartment you also have to take into account other expenses. Such as the aforementioned Internet, telephone, shopping, but also transport and entertainment. After all, we don’t live by our four walls alone. It’s always a good idea to go somewhere, even if only for a weekend, and relax from work.
Grocery shopping obviously takes the most money. If we are frugal and reach for products that are relatively cheap, in stores with promotions, these amounts will be lower. However, with greater needs or if we will bet on more expensive organic products or a specific diet, the amounts for food can be very high. However, if we allow ourselves to have something from a higher shelf from time to time, it should not break our budget.
So basic purchases within a month may amount up to 600 PLN, and with a significant indulgence even up to 1000 PLN. You need to add to this cleaning products, medicines and personal hygiene items, which are also necessary in everyday life. Their monthly cost may range up to 200-300 PLN.
Transport is also important in order to move efficiently around the city. The cheapest will be a bicycle, but not everyone is a fan of it. In addition, over longer distances, commuting can be simply tiring. What’s more, in winter it may be even impossible to ride.
Therefore, we have a choice between a car and public transport. The monthly cost of petrol may, depending on the use of a car, rise to even over 600 PLN. As for public transport, the cost is about 70-250 PLN, depending on whether we take a ticket for normal or fast lines. Discounted, if we are still students, will be of course cheaper – in the range of 30-50 zł.
Entertainment is also an important part of the expenses. Gym, going out for ice cream, to the pub or a spontaneous trip to the mall or cinema can be very expensive. Of course it will be cheaper to go to a park, an outdoor gym or a library. A pass to the gym for a month is from 99 to 120 PLN, depending on the institution, a ticket to the cinema in the promotion is 15 PLN, while without promotions the price can reach even more than 30 PLN. In addition, of course, you need to add to this snacks and drinks – this gives an additional 15-30 zł. Going out to a restaurant or pub costs around 100 PLN
Therefore, if we do not want to upset the budget, but we want to go out once in a while, it is worth setting a specific amount for this purpose, so as not to get carried away with unnecessary spending. The key is frugality, which is worth keeping in mind.
Main Photo: Jonathan Cosens Photography/unsplash.com
