Why Shared Housing Is the Smartest Financial Decision in 2026

Warsaw: Poland's Most Expensive Market

In Warsaw, sharing saves approximately 33,700 PLN per year, roughly 7,900 EUR. That is a 56% reduction in your housing costs. Even in the city's most expensive neighborhoods like Srodmiescie and Mokotow, sharing cuts costs dramatically. For a detailed breakdown by neighborhood, see our Warsaw cost of living guide.

Krakow: Student and Expat Hub

In Krakow, flatsharing saves about 28,300 PLN annually (6,600 EUR). Krakow has one of the strongest shared housing cultures in Poland, driven by its large student population and international community. Check our Krakow cost of living guide for more details.

Wroclaw and Gdansk: Growing Markets

Both Wroclaw and Gdansk show annual savings of 25,000-27,000 PLN from sharing. These cities are growing rapidly in popularity among internationals, and their rental markets are catching up to Warsaw and Krakow in terms of pricing.

Shared Household Expenses

When you live alone, every household item, from cleaning supplies to cooking oil, comes entirely from your budget. In a flatshare, these costs are split.

• Cleaning supplies: 50-80 PLN/month solo vs 25-40 PLN/month shared
• Kitchen staples (oil, spices, condiments): 60-100 PLN/month solo vs 30-50 PLN/month shared
• Toilet paper, paper towels, soap: 30-50 PLN/month solo vs 15-25 PLN/month shared
• Household tools and equipment: One vacuum, one iron, one set of pots. Shared cost instead of buying everything yourself

Furnishing Savings

If you are moving into an unfurnished or partially furnished apartment, the upfront cost of furnishing a solo flat is significantly higher than furnishing a single room in a shared apartment. A basic furniture setup for a one-bedroom apartment in Poland costs 3,000-6,000 PLN (bed, desk, sofa, table, storage). In a flatshare, you only need to furnish your room: 1,500-3,000 PLN.

Deposit Savings

Security deposits are typically one to two months' rent. For a solo apartment at 4,200 PLN/month, that is 4,200-8,400 PLN locked up as a deposit. For a room at 1,800 PLN, your deposit is 1,800-3,600 PLN. The difference of 2,400-4,800 PLN stays in your pocket or earning interest.

Total Hidden Savings Estimate

When you add shared household expenses, furnishing costs, and deposit differences to the rent and utility savings, the total financial benefit of shared housing reaches approximately 37,000-42,000 PLN per year in Warsaw and 30,000-35,000 PLN in other major cities.

Investment and Wealth Building

• Stock market or ETF investing: 35,000 PLN invested annually at 7% average return grows to approximately 420,000 PLN over 10 years
• Emergency fund: Two years of flatsharing savings builds a robust 70,000 PLN emergency fund, enough to cover 6-8 months of expenses
• Down payment on property: In many Polish cities outside Warsaw, 3-4 years of flatsharing savings (105,000-140,000 PLN) covers a 10-15% down payment on a small apartment
• Retirement contributions: Maximizing IKE and IKZE (Polish tax-advantaged retirement accounts) with flatsharing savings accelerates your retirement timeline by years

Lifestyle and Personal Development

• Travel: 35,000 PLN funds roughly 4-5 weeks of European travel or one significant international trip per year
• Education: A full year of Polish language courses (5,000-8,000 PLN), a professional certification, or an online degree program
• Health and fitness: A premium gym membership, regular therapy sessions, and a nutrition plan for an entire year costs 8,000-12,000 PLN
• Starting a side business: Enough seed capital for a small online business, freelance equipment, or professional development tools

The point is not that shared housing is the only path to these goals. The point is that the financial difference between living alone and sharing is large enough to fund genuinely life-changing investments and experiences.

Concern: Loss of Privacy

This is the most cited reason for preferring solo living, and it is valid. You will have less privacy in a shared apartment. However, the loss is less than most people imagine. Your bedroom is your private space. Shared areas (kitchen, bathroom, living room) require coordination but not constant togetherness. Many flatmates spend most of their time in their rooms anyway.

Setting clear boundaries from day one helps enormously. Discuss quiet hours, guest policies, and personal space expectations before moving in. Good flatmates respect boundaries naturally. And personality-based matching on platforms like Domkaspot helps ensure you are paired with someone whose privacy needs are similar to yours.

Concern: Conflicts and Incompatibility

Bad flatmate experiences are real and can be miserable. But the risk is dramatically reduced when you choose your flatmate deliberately rather than accepting whoever is available. The old model of responding to a random room listing and hoping for the best is outdated.

Modern matching platforms use behavioral analysis and personality profiling to pair compatible people. On Domkaspot, you are matched based on Big Five personality traits, living habits, and lifestyle preferences, not just budget and location. This is the difference between a calculated partnership and a gamble. Read our guide on flatmate green flags and red flags to further reduce your risk.

Concern: It Feels Like a Step Backward

There is a cultural perception that living alone is a sign of success and sharing is for students. This perception is outdated and increasingly irrelevant. In cities like London, Amsterdam, Berlin, and now Warsaw, professionals in their 30s and 40s actively choose shared housing, not because they cannot afford to live alone, but because the financial and social benefits make it the smarter choice.

Co-living spaces, which offer private rooms with shared amenities and community programming, are growing rapidly in Poland precisely because professionals want shared living designed for adults. The stigma is fading fast, replaced by the recognition that housing costs are too significant to ignore for the sake of appearances.

For a broader view of the Polish housing market and rental trends, see our 2026 housing market predictions.