"Sometimes I eat only once a day." How much a taxi driver in Poland earns from two jobs and what he manages to spend money on

All this brings him about 8,000 zlotys net. He told Most what this money is enough for.

As of today, one euro is 4.33 zlotys, one zloty is 77 Belarusian kopecks.

We converted the main figures into euros, but left some minor figures in zlotys. So: 8,000 zlotys is 1845 euros today, or 6127 Belarusian rubles.

Ihar is 38 years old. He moved to Poland in 2021, fearing political persecution in Belarus. The man left his job in his homeland. For the first time after moving, he performed it remotely, and now this activity has become an additional source of income.

A year and a half after moving, a friend suggested Ihar try himself in a taxi – he agreed. This became his side job.

— I like driving, plus a taxi is a job without being tied to a strict schedule, like, for example, at a factory. I didn't want to sit 12 hours at a machine, — he says. Although he admits: passengers are both polite and conflictual.

Ihar has his own car, but he still drives with Belarusian license plates. According to the man, he didn't manage to re-register it immediately after moving, and now the registration procedure and associated costs have become too expensive. Therefore, the Belarusian works on a rented car.

Ihar spends about 200 hours a month behind the wheel of a taxi. In total, the two sources of income bring him about 8,000 zlotys monthly.

Expenses

• Housing and internet — 2500 zlotys (577 euros)
• Food — from 800 to 1000 zlotys (185-230 euros)
• Transport — 650 zlotys (150 euros)
• Self-care, health — approximately 990 zlotys (228 euros)
• Clothing and footwear — from 100 zlotys (23 euros)
• Entertainment and travel — from 150 to 1200 zlotys (35-277 euros)
• Other expenses — 60 zlotys (14 euros)

Apartment

For 3.5 years, Ihar has been renting a small apartment on the outskirts of the city in a regular apartment building — without a closed territory or security.

According to the man, the housing completely satisfies him: the apartment has good renovation, necessary furniture and household appliances. Rent, along with utilities and internet, costs him 2.5 thousand zlotys per month (up to 580 euros).

Food

Ihar's grocery basket mainly consists of high-protein products, as he actively engages in sports.

— The refrigerator always has chicken fillet, at least 30 eggs, milk, and обязательно vegetables and fruits, — says the Belarusian. — But Cola Zero also happens sometimes, especially in summer.

The man tries not to eat fast food, but admits that sometimes he might go to a cafe with friends for beer and pizza.

At the same time, Ihar notes that he spends relatively little on groceries, as he spends most of the day behind the wheel.

— Sometimes I eat only once a day, — says the man. — It comes out to 800 to 1000 zlotys per month.

Transport

Almost all the time, Ihar uses the rented car he works with. He spends about 500 zlotys per week on fuel, or about 2000 zlotys per month (46-115 euros).

If the man needs to go somewhere for personal matters, he also uses the work car.

Ihar almost never uses his personal car — only a few times a year he drives it to other cities when necessary. The main expenses for his own car are limited to insurance, which costs 150 zlotys per month (35 euros).

Self-care, health, and household chemicals

Every month, Ihar pays 130 zlotys (30 euros) for a gym membership, and also 400 zlotys (92 euros) for individual training sessions with a coach.

— A lot of money goes to pharmacology: I buy vitamins, various pills and powders. About 250 zlotys per month (57 euros).

Every two months, Ihar gets a haircut from a barber from Belarus. The price depends on the service: a regular haircut costs 60 zlotys, and a haircut with beard styling costs 80 zlotys.

Ihar spends about 150 zlotys per month (35 euros) on personal hygiene products — shampoo, shower gel, deodorant — and household chemicals.

He makes most of these purchases on Allegro — where he has an annual subscription for free delivery. It costs 50 zlotys per year (11.5 euros).

Clothing and footwear

Ihar rarely buys clothes. According to him, he takes good care of his things, so there is no need to update his wardrobe often.

He is willing to spend 200-300 zlotys (46-70 euros) on shoes. An exception is running shoes. One pair costs 500-600 zlotys (115-138 euros), and the man needs two pairs per year.

— Other expenses are one-time: for example, I bought a sports watch once — and you use it for several years.

Entertainment and travel

Ihar admits that with his work schedule, there is almost no time left for entertainment. The man even canceled his Netflix subscription because he doesn't even have time to watch TV.

He combines travel with races that take place in various cities in Poland and abroad.

— If you travel by train in Poland, it's about 150 zlotys (35 euros) round trip. It often happens that you can stay with friends, — says the interlocutor. — But recently I went to a race in Portugal. I spent about 400 euros on tickets, hostel, taxi and food.

Other expenses

Among Ihar's other monthly expenses are mobile communication (30 zlotys per month) and a subscription to the music streaming service Spotify (25 zlotys).

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