Belarusian: The Same Job: $1,000 In Minsk, $2,000 In Warsaw
- 2.11.2026, 16:45
The difference is obvious.
Belarusians compare their salaries to those of Poles.
“Everything is wonderful in Belarus!” writes one of our compatriots. “The best living conditions, stability, and prosperity!” But try finding a salary higher than 1,500 rubles.
In Poland, an average worker can earn the equivalent of 5,000–6,000 rubles.
But of course, the folks in Minsk will tell us which place is better to live in. The main thing is not to look too closely at this math yourself.”
Tens of thousands of Belarusians live and work in Poland tens of thousands of Belarusians, so our compatriots are well aware of the real situation with incomes in the neighboring country. This is what the authors of comments under a post cited by the Charter97.org website write:
— At one point, in order to survive in Belarus, I spent five years traveling to Poland to earn money. Then I bought a large apartment in Poland and moved my family there. Today I work near my home and watch as my former neighbors from Belarus continue to come to Poland to work in order to feed their families. I remember life in Belarus as a strange dream.
— In Poland, people don’t just “receive” a salary—they earn it! But in Belarus, they actually do receive it. That’s the whole difference!
— Lukashenko’s supporters would be better off not knowing that the minimum wage in Poland is about 3,600 rubles. Even in the most run-down town, a doorman would make that much.
— I have good friends who moved to Poland with two kids; only the husband works there in IT. They lived for a year renting a four-room apartment in Wrocław, and a year ago they bought a four-room apartment themselves—fully renovated and furnished—and only the husband works. But here, if the wife suddenly goes on sick leave, you’ll barely get by with two kids.
If you can work well in Poland and live in Belarus—that’s when the balance would be amazing; otherwise, well, the prospects are just so-so.
— I’ve been working in Poland since 2018; I’ve worked in a factory and on construction sites, and now I’m a long-haul truck driver. I’ll tell you one thing: you’ll never be without work. Even if you start out driving a taxi, you’ll be able to buy clothes, rent a place, and eat— and you’ll still have money left over for a night out—back home, that’s just enough for rent, and maybe food.
— If Belarus were in the EU, and Belarusians had European passports allowing them to work in any EU country, then even ordinary workers (welders, construction workers, drivers, and workers on platforms and ships) would have the opportunity to earn 12,000–15,000 rubles. The European Union offers better opportunities than the Russian-speaking poverty zone.
— The same job in construction: 1,000 in Minsk, 2,000 “greenbacks” in Warsaw, when converted.