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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,521 in Lodz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,245 in Lodz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,969 in Lodz.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 56% more expensive than Lodz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Lodz 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$11.06 zł 40.41

58.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$48.39 zł 177

41.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.25 zł 30.15

70.42%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.62 zł 13.22

-23.20%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.90 zł 6.94

47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.62 zł 5.91

27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.27 zł 11.95

36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.02 zł 14.69

14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.09 zł 3.98

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.22 zł 4.46

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.17 zł 4.29

64.10%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.06 zł 11.18

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.63 zł 31.54

113.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.74 zł 24.61

40.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.92 zł 39.90

75.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.21 zł 4.44

118.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.78 zł 6.50

37.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.93 zł 7.05

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.81 zł 10.28

1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.91 zł 3.31

124.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.19 zł 4.35

55.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.14 zł 4.18

28.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 zł 2.04

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$5.10 zł 18.64

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.20 zł 26.30

9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.20 zł 4.38

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.89 zł 6.90

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.20 zł 4.39

148.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$46.48 zł 170

-37.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.16 zł 7.88

112.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.49 zł 1.79

322.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$9.69 zł 35.40

201.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.68 zł 6.15

9.52%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.3K zł 125.1K

13.88%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$29.1K zł 106.1K

12.56%

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

$188 €162

$332 zł 1,212

-43.39%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$8.53 zł 31.17

168.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$16.64 zł 60.8

120.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$42.71 zł 156

34.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$25.66 zł 93.7

-19.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$8.35 zł 30.49

34.01%

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

$721 €621

$332 zł 1,213

117.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$9,335 zł 34.1K

61.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$91.7 zł 335

-5.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.73 zł 112

20.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$75.4 zł 275

35.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$95.8 zł 350

21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$626 zł 2,287

144.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$483 zł 1,764

152.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,104 zł 4,032

144.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$878 zł 3,207

129.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,246 zł 11.9K

122.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,565 zł 9,371

102.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,676 zł 6,123

40.75%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lodz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $626 in Lodz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 41% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $48.00 in Lodz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 56% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,521 including rent). Lodz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 41% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $626 in Lodz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $332 in Lodz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,521 in Lodz versus $2,367 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 56% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.