Expat Gate editorial team · Checked 4 October 2026. This guide is for Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian citizens comparing work at home with a move to the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland or another higher-cost EU country. The figures are reference points, not a personal salary calculation or tax advice.
Short answer. Moving west can still pay, but the large number in a job advert is no longer enough. In January 2026, the Dutch minimum wage in euros was roughly twice Poland's, almost three times Romania's and 3.7 times Bulgaria's. After adjusting for price differences, the gaps narrowed to about 1.3, 1.5 and 1.9 times. If you have housing, a working partner, family help or an in-demand occupation at home, staying may make more financial sense. If the foreign offer includes a direct contract, guaranteed hours, independent housing and a clear career step, leaving can still win.
The main rule: compare guaranteed monthly savings, not salaries. First subtract tax, housing, insurance, commuting, food, trips home, fees and weeks without work from the foreign wage. Only the amount left is comparable with what you can save at home.
What changed: the wage gap remains, but no longer decides everything
Poland illustrates the shift. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), more people of Polish origin left the Netherlands than arrived in 2025: net migration was minus 1,100. It was the first decline since Poland joined the EU. Do not confuse two figures: more than 20,000 is the number who left, while minus 1,100 is the balance after arrivals are deducted.
This is not a general exodus of all Central and Eastern Europeans. Net migration from Romania to the Netherlands remained positive at 2,900 in 2025, although it had fallen from 6,000 in 2022. Romanian and Bulgarian net arrivals rose again in the first half of 2026. The signal is narrower: migration is no longer an obvious financial win for everyone.
At the same time, eastern EU wages are catching up. Eurostat reports average annual minimum-wage growth in 2016–2026 of 13.1% in Romania, 11.2% in Bulgaria and 10.1% in Poland. In 2025, hourly labour costs rose 13.1% in Bulgaria, 10.6% in Romania and 8.8% in Poland, against 4.1% for the EU. Labour cost is not take-home pay, but the direction is clear.
Salary and cost of living: how much money remains abroad?
| Country | Minimum, € gross/month | Price-adjusted minimum, PPS | Price level, EU=100 | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 620 | 1,025 | 62.5 | Lowest nominal amount, but also the lowest prices |
| Romania | 795 | 1,275 | 65.1 | The large nominal gap is partly consumed by western costs |
| Poland | 1,139 | 1,550 | 73.3 | Much closer to the Netherlands once prices are included |
| Netherlands | 2,295 | 1,975 | 115.6 | High pay, but expensive housing and daily life |
| Germany | 2,343 | 2,157 | 108.3 | The strongest PPS result among these western destinations |
| Ireland | 2,391 | 1,725 | 136.2 | Highest nominal amount, but high prices sharply reduce the advantage |
Minimum wages are Eurostat's comparable monthly amounts at 1 January 2026; hourly rates are converted using its standard method. PPS is an artificial purchasing-power unit, not cash in an account. Household-consumption price levels are preliminary 2025 data. All wages are gross.
The table cannot tell us what a particular welder, nurse or warehouse picker will keep. It disproves one unsafe assumption: “They pay three times more, so I will be three times richer.” Ireland's overall price level was 136% of the EU average and its housing costs about 190%, compared with 73% in Poland, 65% in Romania and 63% in Bulgaria.
How much can you save working abroad? A pre-move calculation
Ask the employer or agency to complete a monthly budget, not just a job advert. An unknown line must not be counted as zero.
| Work abroad | Work at home |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed paid hours × hourly rate | Net pay in a signed offer |
| − tax and contributions | − housing and utilities |
| − rent, deposit and utilities | − transport and food |
| − health insurance | − childcare |
| − commuting | + savings from owned housing and family help |
| − food and daily spending | + a partner's income that is not lost to migration |
| − trips home and duplicate costs | − a realistic unemployment reserve |
| − reserve for weeks without shifts | = balance at home |
| = balance abroad |
Run at least three scenarios: an ordinary month, a bad month with fewer shifts, and the first three months including the deposit and setup costs. Moving makes financial sense only if the advantage survives the bad scenario and compensates for risk, separation and the support you lose at home.
An example of the logic. If €900 remains abroad and €650 at home, the advantage is €250. One unexpected move, a month with few shifts or several family visits can erase the annual gain. If the figures are €1,500 versus €400 and the hours are guaranteed, it is a different decision.
Why housing and contract terms can matter more than the hourly rate
Private tenants in the Netherlands spent an average 30% of disposable income on housing, and those in private rentals for under five years spent a median 31%, according to CBS. Rents rose another 4.4% in July 2026, after 4.9% in 2025 and 5.4% in 2024.
Agency workers face an extra risk: one company can control the job, bed and transport. The official Work in NL portal warns that an early agency contract may effectively mean no work, no pay. With written consent, up to 25% of the minimum wage may be deducted for certified housing; the 2026 health-insurance deduction may reach €174.90 per month. Deductions must be transparent on the payslip.
This does not mean every agency is dishonest. It means “free housing and transport” is not useful information until you know the address, price, photographs, number of occupants, eviction terms and what happens to the room on the day the job ends.
Working abroad or staying home: what changes for Poland, Romania and Bulgaria?
Poland: the strongest economic case
Poland's price-adjusted minimum wage reached 1,550 PPS against 1,975 in the Netherlands. Unemployment in 2025 was 3.1%, one of the lowest rates in the EU. EURES reports shortages in construction trades, drivers, electricians, welders, doctors, nurses, care workers and some teaching roles.
Staying often wins for someone with owned or affordable housing, a scarce trade and family support. Moving can still win with a direct contract, housing outside the expensive centres or a career unavailable in Poland.
Romania: rapid growth does not remove the risk of a weak local offer
Romanian pay grew fastest in this group while the overall price level remained around 65% of the EU average. EURES identifies shortages of construction workers, shop assistants, cleaners, cabinet makers, waiters, plumbers, bricklayers, drivers and security guards. Yet the market is uneven: some low-skilled manufacturing workers, packers and freight handlers are in surplus.
Returning only because life is cheaper is therefore risky. Romania's 2025 employment rate was 69%, and its job-vacancy rate in the first quarter of 2026 was just 0.6%, versus 4% in the Netherlands. A strong scenario is a signed local job, remote income, owned housing or a concrete business. A weak one is “I will arrive first and find something later.”
Bulgaria: low costs help, but cannot replace income
Bulgaria is the least expensive EU country in this comparison and wages are growing quickly. EURES reports shortages among health professionals and in food processing, woodworking and garment trades. Owned housing, remote pay or an in-demand qualification can make a home budget stronger than a western budget after rent.
However, the nominal wage gap remains large. National averages do not solve a family's need for reliable income, healthcare, education or a career path. A cheap country is not necessarily cheap for your particular household.
Should you move home after working abroad? Three real stories
Reddit is not statistics and cannot verify an employer. The stories are useful because they expose costs and risks that tables omit.
| Story | What happened | Practical lesson |
|---|---|---|
| A Pole returned after ten years in the UK | The commenter says he spoke fluent English and had a good corporate job but never felt fully integrated. More than six months after returning, he feels that life is better for him in Poland. | Quality of life is not reducible to pay, but another person's emotional outcome cannot replace your own budget and employment plan. |
| A Romanian returned after nearly ten years abroad | He expected education and foreign experience to help, but after many applications and interviews ended up in a call centre: overqualified for some roles, lacking specific experience for others. He says he regrets returning. | Do not return without a signed offer or enough savings for a long search. |
| A Bulgarian considers returning after 15 years abroad | Despite a good job in the Netherlands, he sees more room for his own career or business in Bulgaria, while acknowledging the advantages of Dutch institutions. | The decision is not only about wages: career control, family and environment also have value. |
When working abroad is still worth it
- You have a direct written contract, not a promise to receive documents after arrival.
- Hours and pay are guaranteed, so you know the income in a bad month.
- Housing will not disappear with the job, or you have a backup address and deposit.
- The move builds a profession, language or qualification, rather than only offering a temporary rate premium.
- The all-cost balance is materially higher than at home and remains so for at least a year.
- The partner and children do not lose more in income, care, education and support than one worker gains.
Western Europe still offers more vacancies: in the first quarter of 2026 the vacancy rate was 4% in the Netherlands, against 0.8% in Poland, 0.6% in Romania and 0.9% in Bulgaria. For someone unable to find work at home, this may outweigh higher costs. Germany also retained the strongest minimum-wage-to-price ratio in our table.
Red flags in a foreign job offer
| Advert wording | What to demand before travel |
|---|---|
| “Up to €3,000” | The rate, guaranteed hours, supplements and an ordinary-month calculation |
| “Free housing” | The address, full price, photographs, people per room and eviction deadline |
| “Sign the contract on arrival” | The full agreement in a language you understand before buying a ticket |
| “All costs deducted from pay” | A written list and cap for every deduction |
| “There is always work” | A clause guaranteeing hours and explaining downtime pay |
| “Transport provided” | Cost, timetable and whether you can commute independently |
At the extreme, dependence becomes exploitation. The Dutch Labour Inspectorate described 13 Romanians recruited through Facebook for meat-industry jobs whose documents were taken before they were abandoned. This is not the typical migrant's experience. It is a documented reason to keep your passport, return-ticket money and a copy of the contract under your own control.
Ten questions before deciding
- What is the guaranteed net income, not the advert's top figure?
- How many hours must the employer provide under the contract?
- What do housing, deposit, insurance and commuting cost?
- What happens to pay and housing if shifts stop or the contract ends?
- What remains in an ordinary and a bad month?
- Do you have a real job offer at home to compare, rather than an imagined average wage?
- What does the family lose: a second income, free housing, childcare help or elder care?
- Will this job raise your value in two years?
- Can your reserve cover three months and a ticket home?
- Can you verify the employer and receive the contract before departure?
Short answers
Is moving to Western Europe for work worth it in 2026?
Sometimes, but not because of a high salary figure alone. In our comparison, Germany leads on the price-adjusted minimum wage, the Netherlands has more vacancies, and Ireland has the highest nominal rate — alongside the highest price level. Moving is worthwhile when a direct contract, guaranteed hours and housing costs leave you with substantially more money than working at home.
How much can you save working abroad?
Salary alone cannot answer that. Compare what remains after tax, rent, insurance, transport, food and trips home. In 2025 the overall price level was about 116% of the EU average in the Netherlands and 136% in Ireland, against 73% in Poland, 65% in Romania and 63% in Bulgaria.
Should I accept housing from the agency?
Only if the price, address, quality, deductions and eviction deadline are recorded beforehand. The main risk is losing work and housing at once. Keep money for independent accommodation.
Should I return home without a job?
Usually not, unless you have remote income or savings for several months. The Romanian story above shows that foreign experience does not automatically convert into a suitable local position.
When does owning a home change the decision?
Almost always. Zero or low rent can be worth hundreds of euros each month. Count this saving as home income even though no cash enters your account.
How we calculated this — and the limits
We compared Eurostat data on minimum wages, purchasing power, prices, employment and vacancies; CBS migration and housing data; official Work in NL rules; EURES occupation profiles; and three user stories. The indicators come from different points in 2025–2026 and describe countries, not individuals.
A minimum wage is not an average wage, PPS is not a personal budget, and Reddit is not a representative sample. Only a written offer and your own two-balance calculation can produce a reliable answer. If the migration advantage disappears after that test, staying is not a lack of ambition. It is a normal financial decision.
Main sources
- Eurostat: minimum wages at 1 January 2026
- Eurostat: consumer price levels in 2025
- Eurostat: job vacancies in the first quarter of 2026
- CBS: migration to the Netherlands in 2025
- CBS: how many labour migrants leave within five years
- Work in NL: agency work and wage deductions
- European Labour Authority: labour shortages and surpluses