As a student, I would answer “yes”. I would be able to get by on less than $5,000 a month. That is because I still have the option of living with my parents, so many expenses would not weigh me down. However, classmates who have to live in dormitories or housing complexes at other schools are already in a different financial situation. Still, most universities have the advantage of providing a so-called housing allowance that covers at least part of the costs. And then there are the commutes and other hardships.

But let\’s not talk about students, because they are in a category all their own. I have a friend who is already gainfully employed. He lives in an apartment almost in the center of Brno and earns minimum wage at his job. An apartment in Brno is certainly not cheap, and since he does not live alone, part of his share comes to about 7,000 per month. On top of that, he pays various sports club dues, which leaves only a few thousand yen for food. And despite such a small salary,he is able to save a reasonable amount.

On the other side of the coin, I have a friend from Liberec. He has a good position in a rich company and receives a five-figure salary. At the end of the month he always complains that he has no money to pay his bills. Yet he makes nearly ten times as much as the first person mentioned. So where is the bottomless pit into which all the money falls?
It\’s called a standard of living, and while we all have different standards, we can change them at any time. It\’s not as easy as it looks, but it can be done. One man in Liberec spends an enormous amount of money on three cars and a vacation home with a mortgage. He buys outrageously expensive things and eats at the best restaurants. He looks rich on the outside, but the reality of his bank account is different.
So I am not afraid to say that if someone in the Czech Republic complains about poverty, it could definitely be his fault.