Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lodz Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lodz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,495 in Lodz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,201 in Lodz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,907 in Lodz.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 55% more expensive than in Lodz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Lodz 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$10.98 zł 41.65

60.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$48.34 zł 183

44.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.36 zł 31.71

69.38%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.62 zł 13.75

-22.65%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.83 zł 6.94

53.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.70 zł 6.45

21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.32 zł 12.61

38.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.98 zł 15.11

17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.03 zł 3.91

19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 zł 4.72

63.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.17 zł 4.45

69.23%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.04 zł 11.52

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.75 zł 33.18

109.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.76 zł 25.64

45.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.92 zł 41.44

75.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.15 zł 4.37

137.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.78 zł 6.75

33.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.01 zł 7.62

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.85 zł 10.81

-3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.91 zł 3.47

115.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.19 zł 4.52

50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.20 zł 4.56

23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.59 zł 2.25

54.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.03 zł 19.08

41.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.93 zł 26.28

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.21 zł 4.59

14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.96 zł 7.43

21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.18 zł 4.47

155.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$46.31 zł 176

-36.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.22 zł 8.43

96.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.51 zł 1.94

317.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$9.53 zł 36.15

210.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.71 zł 6.49

6.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.2K

$33.2K zł 125.8K

14.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.0K zł 110.1K

11.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €166

$335 zł 1,270

-43.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.52

$8.44 zł 32.02

164.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$17.08 zł 64.8

117.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$42.89 zł 163

35.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$26.01 zł 98.7

-20.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$8.07 zł 30.63

34.70%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €618

$341 zł 1,293

107.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$9,485 zł 36.0K

56.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$93.4 zł 354

-4.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.84 zł 117

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$77.0 zł 292

35.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$93.1 zł 353

28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$623 zł 2,365

153.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$482 zł 1,830

156.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,131 zł 4,291

139.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$889 zł 3,372

129.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,199 zł 12.1K

135.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,451 zł 9,299

113.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,637 zł 6,212

44.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.78

-50.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lodz: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $623 in Lodz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $48.00 in Lodz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $212 per month, with Lodz cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Lodz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lodz differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,495 including rent). Lodz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $623 in Lodz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $341 in Lodz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,495 in Lodz versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lodz but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lodz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Lodz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lodz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.