Accommodation costs absorb as much as 39% of a student's budget

Students in Poland spend 39% of their budget on accommodation each month. In other countries, this figure ranges from 28% in Lithuania to 52% in France. Moreover, in our country, students are quite independent, and as much as 72% of housing costs are covered out of their own pockets. CBRE experts point out that the most cost-effective option is public university dormitories. However, they offer a low standard, which is why 48% of young people already decide to rent an apartment. The situation may change when the number of private dormitories in the largest Polish cities increases. There are only 52 now, but another 33 such facilities are planned.

- Dormitories in Europe are more popular than in Poland. In our country, 11% of students choose this form of accommodation, while in the European Union this percentage is 17%. Realities obviously play a big role here. Although the cost of living in a public university dormitory is relatively low, the standard in most is modest, and the number of places is small. Private schools, in turn, provide accommodation only in isolated cases. Hence, students are forced to look for an apartment on the open market, although they might often prefer to live in a dormitory because, besides the price advantage, it also has a social value related to integration with other students – says Marcin Jański, head of the alternative investments department at CBRE.

Housing expenses out of pocket

How much do students spend?

Accommodation costs are one of the more important items in a student budget. In Poland, they absorb as much as 39% of all expenses, while in Lithuania it is 28%, and in France 52%. Students in our country can take comfort in the fact that they incur some of the lowest accommodation costs in Europe. It also turns out that, compared with students from other Central and Eastern European countries, they are relatively independent and rely less on help in paying accommodation costs. Students in Poland who do not live with their parents fund as much as 72% of all housing costs out of their own pockets. This puts us ahead of countries such as Hungary (64%), Lithuania (63%), and the Czech Republic (57%). At the same time, we are far behind, among others, Norway, where students cover 91% of housing costs themselves, or Sweden, where this figure is 81%.

Living in a dormitory pays off

Dormitory versus the open market

How much does student housing cost in a dormitory and on the market

In Poland's main academic centers, the average fee for a place in a public university dormitory ranges from PLN 400-455 per month, although for a single room in good standard you can pay as much as PLN 1,400. In private dormitories, the average monthly fee is higher and amounts to about PLN 1,000. However, the most expensive option for a student remains renting an apartment on the open market. In Warsaw, prices range from PLN 1,500 to as much as PLN 3,000 per month for renting an apartment. It should be emphasized, however, that this cost is divided among the number of people living in a given place.

Too few dormitories in Poland

There are not enough places in dormitories

In the largest cities in our country, places in student housing at public universities and in private dormitories provide accommodation for only 9% of all students. In total, almost 70,000 places are available. According to CBRE estimates, the total supply meets only about 35% of actual demand in the largest cities.

- At this moment, 8 private dormitory projects are under construction in the largest academic centers. According to developers' declarations, they will include 2,100 places. In addition, another 25 investments are planned, but under current conditions it is difficult to estimate whether and when they will be completed. If all the buildings were constructed, however, the number of places offered in private dormitories would nearly double within the next few years – says Marcin Jański, head of the alternative investments department at CBRE.

Summary

According to CBRE research, Polish students spend 39% of their budget on accommodation, which places them below the EU average but above students in Lithuania. More than 70% of the fees are covered out of their own pockets, and they rely on parental help less often than their peers in the region. Although public dormitories are the cheapest (PLN 400-455 per month), their standard and number of places do not keep up with demand – the available facilities meet only 35% of demand. Experts see an opportunity in expanding private dormitories, of which 33 are planned, which could nearly double the number of places.