"I Didn't Want To Sit At The Machine For 12 Hours."

A Belarusian man revealed how much he earns as a taxi driver in Poland.

Igor (name changed) spends about 200 hours a month driving a taxi in a Polish city. In his free time, he works as a freelancer doing the same kind of work he did back in Belarus.

All of this brings him about 8,000 zlotys after taxes. He told Most what he uses this money for.

At today’s exchange rate, one euro is worth 4.33 zlotys, and one zloty is equal to 77 Belarusian kopecks

8,000 zlotys is 1,845 euros as of today, or 6,127 Belarusian rubles.

Igor is 38 years old. He moved to Poland in 2021, fearing political persecution in Belarus. He still has a job back home. At first, after moving, he did it remotely, and now this work has become a source of additional income.

A year and a half after moving, an acquaintance suggested that Igor try his hand at driving a taxi—and he agreed. It became his side job.

“I love driving, and plus, driving a taxi isn’t tied to a strict schedule like, say, working at a factory. I didn’t want to sit at a machine for 12 hours,” he says. Although he admits that passengers can be either polite or difficult.

Igor has his own car, but he still drives with Belarusian license plates. According to him, he didn’t have time to re-register it right after moving, and now the registration process and associated costs have turned out to be too expensive. That’s why the Belarusian works in a rented car.

Igor spends about 200 hours a month behind the wheel of a taxi. Combined, his two sources of income bring him about 8,000 zlotys per month.

Expenses

Housing and internet — 2,500 zlotys (577 euros)

Food — 800 to 1,000 zlotys (185–230 euros)

Transportation — 650 zlotys (150 euros)
Personal care and health — approximately 990 zlotys (228 euros)
Clothing and shoes — starting at 100 zlotys (23 euros)

Entertainment and travel — 150 to 1,200 zlotys (35–277 euros)

Other expenses — 60 zlotys (14 euros)

Apartment

For the past 3.5 years, Igor has been renting a small apartment on the outskirts of the city in an ordinary apartment building—without a gated complex or security.

According to Igor, he is completely satisfied with his living situation: the apartment is well-renovated and comes with all the necessary furniture and appliances. Rent, utilities, and internet cost him 2,500 zlotys per month (up to 580 euros).
Food

Igor’s grocery shopping is centered on high-protein foods, since he is actively involved in sports.

“There’s always chicken breast in the fridge, at least 30 eggs, milk, and definitely fruits and vegetables,” says the Belarusian. “But I do have a Coke Zero every now and then, especially in the summer.”

He tries to avoid fast food, but admits that he sometimes goes to a café with friends for beer and pizza.

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

“Sometimes I only eat once a day,” he says. “It comes out to between 800 and 1,000 zlotys a month.”

Transportation

Igor uses a rental car—which he uses for work—almost all the time. He spends about 500 zlotys a week on fuel, or roughly 2,000 zlotys a month (46–115 euros).

If he needs to go somewhere for personal reasons, he also uses his work car.

Igor hardly ever uses his personal car—he only drives it to other cities a few times a year when necessary. His main expenses for his personal car are limited to insurance, which costs 150 zlotys a month (35 euros).

Personal Care, Health, and Household Cleaning Products

Every month, Igor pays 130 zlotys (30 euros) for a gym membership, as well as 400 zlotys (92 euros) for one-on-one training sessions with a personal trainer.

— I spend a lot on supplements: I buy vitamins, various pills, and powders. About 250 zlotys a month (57 euros).

Once every two months, Igor goes to a hairdresser from Belarus for a haircut. The cost depends on the service: a regular haircut costs 60 zlotys, and a haircut with beard styling costs 80 zlotys.

Igor spends about 150 zlotys a month (35 euros) on personal hygiene products—shampoo, shower gel, deodorant—and household cleaning supplies.

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

Clothing and Shoes

Igor rarely buys clothes. He says he takes good care of his clothes, so there’s no need to update his wardrobe often.

He’s willing to spend 200–300 zlotys (46–70 euros) on shoes. The exception is running shoes. One pair costs 500–600 zlotys (115–138 euros), and he needs two pairs a year.

— The rest of his expenses are one-time purchases: for example, he bought a sports watch once—and has been using it for several years.

Entertainment and Travel

Igor admits that with his work schedule, he has almost no time left for entertainment. He even canceled his Netflix subscription because he doesn’t even have time to watch TV.

He combines his travels with running races that take place in various cities in Poland and abroad.

“If you travel by train in Poland, a round trip costs about 150 zlotys (35 euros). “It usually works out so that I can stay with friends,” he says. “But I recently went to a race in Portugal. I spent about 400 euros on tickets, a hostel, taxis, and food.”

Other Expenses

Among Igor’s other monthly expenses are his cell phone bill (30 zlotys per month) and a subscription to the music streaming service Spotify (25 zlotys).

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