Accommodation in Poland

There are many different options for arranging student accommodation in Poland. They vary depending on the city and higher education institution you choose. Many Polish HEIs have their own dormitories, which are usually the cheapest option available. However, most Polish students prefer to rent a room in a private apartment.

Student houses and dormitories

The pricing of the student houses depends on the particular HEI. Usually, the cost of accommodation in a dormitory ranges is around EUR 60-80 monthly for a shared room and between EUR 100-150 for a single room. However, the standard of the dormitories may differ greatly even between various student houses of the same HEI, so it’s good to do some research before the final decision. What doesn’t differ is the friendly and helpful atmosphere in the student houses.

Private housing

It is quite common in Poland to rent a room in a bigger apartment. Most of the out-of-town students share flats in this way. The cost varies between cities and it depends greatly on the location of the apartment as well as the size and quality of the room. The monthly rent is usually between EUR 150 and 200. Some landlords may require a deposit of a similar amount. Don’t worry if you don’t have friends to live with. Sharing a flat with locals is an amazing opportunity: you can pay for the accommodation and get great friends for free! And if you really don’t like to share, you can find an independent apartment. The rent for the smallest, one-room apartment starts from about EUR 300 (in Warsaw).

Studying in Poland is not only about covering your university costs, paying tuition fees, and other college-related charges, which have already been described in the previous article on the costs of studies in Poland. When you move abroad, you need to prepare your budget for extra costs connected to legalizing your stay, accommodation, and daily expenses. What should you remember about it?

Visa and residence card costs

This applies only to those students who come from the countries whose nationals are obliged to get a visa before coming to Poland. If you come from the European Union, you can skip visa fee charges. For those requiring it - there is no uniform fee, but it should not exceed EUR 70. When applying for a visa, please remember about other costs which are not stated directly - you need to have health insurance of at least EUR 30,000 and be in possession of sufficient funds to cover your entry, stay and departure - which is minimum PLN 543 for each month of studies and PLN 200, 300 or 2,500 for securing a return journey for people from neighboring countries, EU countries or non-EU countries respectively.

Even if you do not need a visa to come to Poland, bear in mind that every foreigner staying in Poland for a period longer than 3 months has to apply for a temporary residence permit, so for visa holders, it is also the next step to plan in their budget. The cost of issuing a temporary residence permit for students is PLN 390 in total.

Accommodation, transport, food, and others

Foreign students in Poland need to remember standard daily expenses, which include flat rent, public transport tickets, food, educational materials, and other costs. Aegon's report of study costs in Poland and abroad for 2016/17 presents rough prices regularly paid by all students in Poland. The table below presents the figures in selected cities: Lublin, Warsaw, and WrocÅ‚aw. The low figure stands for costs incurred by the most thrifty students, whereas the higher one shows the top possible spendings in each area.

Costs of:	Lublin	Warsaw	Wrocław
Accommodation:	PLN 270 - PLN 650	PLN 290 - PLN 1,200	PLN 330 - PLN 900
Bills:	PLN 0 - PLN 300	PLN 0 - PLN 300	PLN 0 - PLN 300
Public transport:	PLN 42	PLN 55	PLN 49
Food:	PLN 350 - PLN 700	PLN 350 - PLN 700	PLN 350 - PLN 700
Other expenses:	PLN 150 - PLN 500	PLN 150 - PLN 500	PLN 150 - PLN 500
Educational materials:	PLN 100	PLN 100	PLN 100
Total:	PLN 910 - PLN 2,290	PLN 950 - PLN 2,860	PLN 980 - PLN 2,550

As you can examine, some of the costs are constant and on a rather similar level (food prices, monthly public transport tickets, and educational materials), while others may fluctuate. No bills are required if a student decides to move into a dormitory provided by their university - usually the cheapest solution for frugal students. Please bear in mind that all Polish students enjoy half-price tickets for the public city and national transport, as well as discounts in cinemas, theatres and other public facilities.

Warsaw