Cost of living
Poland is still quite a cheap country for travellers, though this largely depends on what degree of comfort you need, what kind of food you eat, etc. Foreign students should remember that if they want to travel, make phone calls abroad, and lead an active social life they will spend more than a few hundred złoty per month (excluding the costs of accommodation). You should have available a minimum of 1,800 zł with you when you arrive. This will cover your expenses for at least the first couple of weeks.
To give you an idea of the cost of living in Poland here are the approximate prices of some items in April 2014:
| Place in a single room in a student dormitory | about 500 zł per month |
| Dinner in student cafeteria | 12 zł |
| Milk | 3 zł |
| Bread | 4 zł |
| Butter | 4 zł |
| Egg | 0,9 zł |
| Apples | 4 zł per kilo |
| Pizza | 9-25 zł |
| Cigarettes | 12-15 zł |
| Beer | 4 zł (in shops; more in pubs) |
| Tram/Bus ticket | about 2,8 zł |
| Cinema | 16-25 zł |
| Daily newspaper | 3 zł |
| Books | starting at around 30 zł for Polish books; more for foreign titles |
| Washing powder | 15 zł |
| Toothpaste | 10 zł |
| Shampoo | 13 zł |
| Cheaper hotel | 150zł |
Money and banking
The Polish currency is the New Polish złoty (PLN or zł). 1 złoty equals 100 groszy (gr). Exchange rates for the Polish złoty in April 2014 were as follows:
You may safely exchange your currency in a bank or in a KANTOR, a Polish currency exchange office. Credit cards such as VISA, American Express, and Eurocard are accepted in hotels, banks, and larger shops in all Polish cities. Moreover, there are also ATMs (BANKOMAT) available in the streets, (some of them are also located on Campus) which may be used with most of the major cards. The list of cash dispensers in Torun may be found on the website . If you would like to check ATMS in other Polish cities, check here.
Banking hours are 8 or 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. If you would like to open a bank account in Poland, you need to present the following documents:
- passport
- residence permit
- statement of the length of your stay in Poland
- statement of your address in Poland
- student ID card
Please remember that you should inform your bank that you would like to close your bank account at least 30 days before your departure.