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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,542 in Lodz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,256 in Lodz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,969 in Lodz.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 61% more expensive than in Lodz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Lodz 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.83

$10.27 zł 38.06

79.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.6

$49.92 zł 185

38.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.07

$9.69 zł 35.90

44.99%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$3.75 zł 13.91

-17.07%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$2.77 zł 10.26

6.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.86 zł 10.60

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$4.94 zł 18.32

-19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$5.31 zł 19.68

-12.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.07 zł 3.97

23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.18 zł 4.38

78.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.47 zł 5.45

24.49%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$3.64 zł 13.47

41.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.09

$11.04 zł 40.90

59.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$7.25 zł 26.85

31.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.13

$12.37 zł 45.84

61.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$1.26 zł 4.66

151.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.70 zł 6.29

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$2.52 zł 9.34

3.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.06 zł 11.35

-6.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.84 zł 3.12

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.93 zł 3.45

126.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.42 zł 5.26

14.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.62 zł 2.32

41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$5.90 zł 21.85

21.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$7.14 zł 26.47

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.17 zł 4.33

28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.36

$1.87 zł 6.94

47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.16 zł 4.30

170.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.56

$54.0 zł 200

-51.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.68 zł 6.24

91.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.61 zł 2.25

147.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.30

$9.45 zł 35.02

273.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.57 zł 5.83

11.46%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$31.8K zł 117.7K

15.37%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$27.9K zł 103.3K

13.63%

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

$187 €161

$327 zł 1,213

-42.86%

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

$15.10 €12.97

$9.03 zł 33.46

67.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.31

$18.04 zł 66.9

108.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.68

$38.77 zł 144

43.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.38

$18.68 zł 69.2

-10.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.06

$8.20 zł 30.39

42.80%

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

$1,011 €869

$532 zł 1,970

90.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$11.1K zł 41.1K

53.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.5

$78.7 zł 292

16.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.23

$41.75 zł 155

-1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.0

$93.3 zł 346

18.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$103 zł 381

22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,464

$633 zł 2,347

168.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$494 zł 1,829

163.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,224

$1,127 zł 4,178

129.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,658

$875 zł 3,244

120.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,644

$3,356 zł 12.4K

130.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,626

$2,502 zł 9,271

115.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,040

$1,695 zł 6,279

40.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.87

-54.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lodz: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $633 in Lodz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 40% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $50.0 in Lodz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $233 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 61% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,542 including rent). Lodz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $633 in Lodz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $532 in Lodz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,542 in Lodz versus $2,482 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 61% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.