When I came to Europe for work, I thought transport is cheap. In Egypt, I pay maybe 10 euro per month for transport. But here in Europe, it is different. I want to tell you how much I really pay for transport as a worker, and how job location and housing location must be together.
This is important for EuroJobLogis because if you find cheap housing far from your job, you will pay a lot for transport. So you need to think about job and housing together, not separate.
I worked in two places: Wroclaw in Poland, and Leipzig in Germany. Two different transport systems, I will explain both.
In Wroclaw, Poland, I lived 6 km from my warehouse job. I had 3 options: bus, tram, or bike.
Bus and tram monthly ticket in Wroclaw costs 90 PLN, which is around 21 euro. That ticket is for all city, bus and tram. It is cheap compared to Germany. You buy it from MPK app or from kiosk. If you buy single ticket every day, it costs more. One single ticket is 4.6 PLN. If you go to work and back, that's 9.2 PLN per day, around 200 PLN per month. So monthly ticket saves you half.
I bought monthly ticket for 90 PLN. I used tram number 33 every day. It takes 25 minutes to go to work. In winter, tram is crowded but it is warm.
Some factories in Poland give free transport. My friend works in Amazon near Wroclaw, and company has free bus from city center to warehouse. That saved him 90 PLN per month. So when you look for job, ask "Czy jest transport pracowniczy?" which means "Is there worker transport?" If yes, you save money.
I also bought a used bike for 400 PLN (around 90 euro). In summer, I went by bike to work, saved ticket money. Many Polish workers use bike because it is cheap and healthy. But in winter, too cold, minus 5 degrees, you cannot use bike.
Now Germany. Germany is more expensive but has better system.
In Leipzig, I work in logistics area, 12 km from my apartment. I use Deutschlandticket. This is famous ticket in Germany. It costs 49 euro per month in 2024, now in 2026 it is 58 euro per month. With this ticket, you can use all local buses, trams, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, and regional trains in whole Germany. It is very good for workers.
I pay 58 euro per month. I take S-Bahn S1 to work, 30 minutes. Without ticket, single trip costs 3.20 euro, so daily 6.40 euro, monthly around 140 euro. So Deutschlandticket saves me 80 euro per month.
But 58 euro is still a lot if your salary is 1600 euro. It is almost 4% of salary. In Poland, 21 euro is only 2% of 900 euro salary. So Poland is cheaper for transport.
Some German employers pay for Deutschlandticket. My employer pays 50% of it, so I pay only 29 euro. Ask your employer "Gibt es Jobticket?" Jobticket means company pays part of transport. Many big companies like DHL, Amazon, BMW give Jobticket. Small companies don't.
Another option: If you live very close to job, like 2-3 km, you can walk or bike and pay zero for transport. I tried to find housing near job for this reason. I moved from 12 km to 4 km close to work. Now I use bike most days and I don't buy ticket every month. I buy only in winter.
How to choose housing based on job location:
1. Before you rent apartment, check Google Maps distance to your workplace. If it is more than 10 km, you will pay monthly ticket. Add that ticket to rent cost. Example: cheap room 300 euro far from work + 58 euro ticket = 358 euro real cost. Expensive room 350 euro near work with no ticket = 350 euro. So second is cheaper.
2. Check if company has free bus. Many warehouses and factories in Poland and Germany have free worker bus. They pick you from city. If you have this, you can live cheap anywhere in city and transport is free.
3. Think about night shift. If you work night shift, buses don't run at 2 AM. So you need housing near job or you need bike. I worked night shift once, bus was not there at 11 PM, I had to take taxi for 25 euro. That killed my day salary. So I moved near job after that.
4. Buy monthly ticket, not daily. Many new workers make mistake buying daily tickets. It costs double. Always buy monthly.
My monthly transport cost now:
In Poland old job: 21 euro monthly ticket + sometimes bike (0 euro).
In Germany now: 29 euro after company support (58 euro original). Plus I save in summer because I bike.
For new workers coming from Egypt or Africa, prepare 60 euro per month for transport in Germany, 25 euro in Poland. Add it to your budget. If you earn 1200 euro in Germany and pay 600 rent + 58 transport + 150 food, you have 400 left. If you don't count transport, you think you have 458 left, but real is 400.
Job and housing and transport are one package. Don't choose them separate. Find job, then find housing near job, then check transport cost. That is how EuroJobLogis helps.
I will make list of transport costs in 2026 for workers:
Poland Wroclaw: 90 PLN / 21 euro monthly
Poland Warsaw: 110 PLN / 25 euro
Germany Deutschlandticket: 58 euro
Germany single city ticket: 50-90 euro depending city
Bike used: 80-150 euro one time, then free
If you are coming now, buy bike first week. It will save you money and help you go to job even if bus is late.