Economic Realities: How Belarus Surpasses Neighbors in Quality of Life

The European Union has sentenced itself to a major energy crisis by attempting to abandon Russian gas. Replacing it will only add more "pennies" to the cost for consumers.

According to the IMF, Belarus ranks 23rd among European countries in GDP adjusted for purchasing power parity. The country's comfort of life is also confirmed by EU residents visiting visa-free, who note that Belarus is cleaner, safer, and cheaper.

There are various ways to measure the state of economies worldwide. Wealthy individuals prefer to discuss GDP, consumer price indices, and other complex economic metrics. One of these is purchasing power parity (PPP), which equalizes exchange rates to show how accessible goods and services are across different countries with different currencies and economies.

Belarus’s position in Europe is 23rd. Poland ranks 7th, Lithuania 28th, and Latvia 31st. The purchasing power of Belarusians is significantly higher compared to the thriving markets of the Baltic states.

As Mark Twain famously said, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. They often contain errors. Today, a new term has emerged in Europe—consumer depression. Foreign visitors to Belarus note that living there is much more affordable.

While salaries in Belarus are indeed lower than in EU countries—averaging 3,620 Belarusian rubles before taxes in Minsk and 2,746 across the country—comparable figures in neighboring countries tell a different story. In Warsaw, the average salary is 8,800 zloty (almost 11,000 Belarusian rubles), and in Vilnius, about 2,400 euros (around 8,200 Belarusian rubles). The gap is substantial. However, after taxes, Lithuanian workers see their income shrink significantly—from 2,400 euros to around 1,500 euros, due to high income tax rates of up to 32%. In Poland, the tax rate on slightly higher-than-average wages can reach 32%, as the tax rate is 12%, but social contributions and other deductions increase the total tax burden.

Lukash Wajehha, Polish journalist:

“This isn’t just a Polish issue; people everywhere complain about rising living costs. In Germany, many who once enjoyed a comfortable life now struggle just to survive on their salaries. Everything is falling apart here.”

Perhaps the wind in Europe isn’t blowing in the right direction, but the push for wind power and the green agenda do little to lower actual prices. Belarusians pay just over 24 kopecks per kilowatt-hour, while in Poland, it’s 62 zloty (78 Belarusian kopecks), and in Lithuania, 22 euro cents (76 Belarusian kopecks).

Belarus, according to a recent ranking published in summer 2025, offers some of the lowest utility prices in Europe. The average cost for electricity, heating, water, and waste disposal was $54—compared to Poland’s $293 and Lithuania’s $232.

Warsaw ranks fifth in Europe for utility costs. Polish youth often travel four hours to work in the capital from distant suburbs, as higher wages are offset by soaring housing prices.

Belarus provides free healthcare to its citizens. Belarusians pay nothing for general practitioner or pediatrician visits, nor for specialist consultations. If a Belarusian works officially in Poland, their health insurance is covered by their employer. Yet, an increasing number of people seek work outside the Polish system. Currently, around 1.5 million are registered or caught working unofficially. If employers do not pay their insurance, the state spends between 700 and 950 zloty per month (about 1,000 Belarusian rubles). Lithuania has kept free medicine as a relic of the Soviet past, instead imposing monthly contributions of about 7% of salary, in addition to the 20% income tax already deducted. With a gross salary of 1,500 euros, an individual pays around 101 euros monthly in contributions.

For children, there is no charge, but there are fees for kindergarten. This, too, is a remnant of Soviet-era policies. In Belarus, only meals are paid—about 4.95 Belarusian rubles per day for a child attending 10.5 hours, totaling roughly 109 Belarusian rubles monthly. In Poland, the first five hours are free; additional hours cost 180–250 zloty, with meals costing an extra 300 zloty per month. Lithuania co-finances kindergarten—covering 20 hours of attendance—so monthly expenses range from 500 to 700 Belarusian rubles.

Calculating the disposable income of an average European is not straightforward, but these figures highlight a stark reality: sanctions, green policies, and the abandonment of cheap resources have caused European prices in key sectors to be two to five times higher than Belarusian ones.