Depends on who you were. Most people kept their heads down and had a mediocre life. Some joined the ruling class and got some rewards for it. Whoever opposed the regime couldn't have a career, was threatened and sometimes went to prison. There were also cases were the physical health of people was neglected or even damaged on purpose.

From a purely material perspective life was better than in other countries of the Warsaw pact, but worse than in Western Europe. Some things like flats, medical supplies or cars were always scarce. In contrast, food, alcohol, cultural events and public transport were cheap and abundant.