Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Lodz

For one person, living is cheaper in Lodz: $1,481 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. The total is higher in Cape Town despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Lodz
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Lodz Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Lodz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Lodz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in Lodz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,481 in Lodz, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Lodz $1,481

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,197 in Lodz, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Lodz $2,197

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $2,913 in Lodz, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Lodz $2,913

Cape Town costs about 3% more than Lodz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Cape Town and Lodz sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Lodz by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$9.45 zł 36.94

27.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$47.62 zł 186

-9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$8.71 zł 34.07

-29.39%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$3.54 zł 13.84

-33.05%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$2.68 zł 10.48

-52.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$2.74 zł 10.72

-65.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$4.68 zł 18.30

-36.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$5.09 zł 19.90

-27.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$0.96 zł 3.74

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$1.10 zł 4.32

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$1.32 zł 5.17

66.67%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$3.37 zł 13.18

-8.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$10.56 zł 41.32

-17.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$6.72 zł 26.28

2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$11.74 zł 45.91

-21.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$1.18 zł 4.64

55.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$1.66 zł 6.48

17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$2.27 zł 8.89

-26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$2.87 zł 11.24

-25.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$0.80 zł 3.13

97.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$0.86 zł 3.37

70.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$1.33 zł 5.19

1.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$0.62 zł 2.41

83.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$5.84 zł 22.83

-38.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$6.40 zł 25.01

-5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$1.15 zł 4.49

20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$1.72 zł 6.74

26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$1.09 zł 4.26

28.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$47.57 zł 186

27.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$1.74 zł 6.80

-46.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$0.68 zł 2.67

32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$9.03 zł 35.31

-45.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$1.64 zł 6.43

-6.10%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$30.1K zł 117.7K

17.51%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$28.2K zł 110.4K

18.19%

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

$117 R 1,918

$309 zł 1,211

-62.17%

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

$25.71 R 421

$8.50 zł 33.23

202.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$17.32 zł 67.7

127.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$37.65 zł 147

37.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$18.03 zł 70.5

-37.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$8.01 zł 31.32

10.99%

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

$308 R 5,040

$518 zł 2,026

-40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$13.6K zł 53.1K

-40.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$73.9 zł 289

-22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$40.37 zł 158

-21.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$88.9 zł 348

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$96.3 zł 377

4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$607 zł 2,375

72.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$483 zł 1,889

38.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$1,130 zł 4,422

64.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$888 zł 3,473

58.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$3,208 zł 12.5K

-24.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$2,384 zł 9,324

-34.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$1,562 zł 6,111

4.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

6.87

58.52%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lodz: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Lodz

$483 32.6% 27.8% $186

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Lodz

$218 14.7% 2.4% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Lodz

$335 22.6% 84% $153

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Lodz

$199 13.5% 14.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Lodz

$135 9.1% 2.1% $2.8

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Lodz

$57 3.9% 20.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Lodz

$54 3.6% 22.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $607 in Lodz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Cape Town. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $48 in Lodz. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Cape Town vs $218 in Lodz – so Lodz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇵🇱 Lodz

🕒 Local time

05:31 5:31 AM

04:31 4:31 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

711,332

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Lodz 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Lodz

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cape Town vs Lodz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 3% more than Lodz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,222 in Lodz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lodz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,481 in Lodz. That makes Lodz about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $518 in Lodz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,481 in Lodz. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lodz costs $1,481 versus $1,527 in Cape Town. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Lodz. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.