Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Lodz

For one person, living is cheaper in Cluj-Napoca: $1,413 a month against $1,492 in Lodz, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lodz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Lodz
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Lodz Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,413

/mo nomad

Lodz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca 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 Cluj-Napoca and in Lodz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,413 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,492 in Lodz.

Cluj-Napoca $1,413
Lodz $1,492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,122 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,191 in Lodz.

Cluj-Napoca $2,122
Lodz $2,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,889 in Lodz.

Cluj-Napoca $2,831
Lodz $2,889

Living in Cluj-Napoca costs roughly 5% less than in Lodz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cluj-Napoca 4% above, Lodz 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 RON 59.8

$9.67 zł 37.97

29.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 RON 260

$46.77 zł 184

16.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 RON 46.43

$8.80 zł 34.54

10.57%

Cappuccino

$3.68 RON 17.58

$3.55 zł 13.95

3.66%

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

$2.31 RON 11.02

$2.80 zł 10.98

-17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RON 11.02

$2.72 zł 10.67

-15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 RON 15.38

$4.65 zł 18.28

-30.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 RON 20.33

$5.16 zł 20.27

-17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 RON 7.76

$0.98 zł 3.87

66.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.85

$1.08 zł 4.23

32.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.71

$1.34 zł 5.28

35.82%

Eggs

$3.82 RON 18.24

$3.47 zł 13.61

10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 RON 43.73

$10.50 zł 41.23

-12.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 RON 33.80

$6.92 zł 27.17

2.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.76 RON 56.2

$11.97 zł 47.01

-1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.70

$1.15 zł 4.51

21.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.10

$1.67 zł 6.54

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 RON 9.04

$2.32 zł 9.11

-18.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RON 11.54

$3.00 zł 11.77

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.40

$0.78 zł 3.08

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.19

$0.93 zł 3.67

-5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 RON 4.63

$1.40 zł 5.48

-30.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.65

$0.60 zł 2.35

61.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.21 RON 29.65

$5.80 zł 22.78

7.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 35.98

$6.76 zł 26.54

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 6.01

$1.16 zł 4.54

8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.12

$1.75 zł 6.89

-2.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.45

$1.10 zł 4.31

-34.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.02 RON 148

$52.1 zł 205

-40.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.20

$1.54 zł 6.06

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 RON 4.43

$0.54 zł 2.11

72.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 RON 40.62

$9.35 zł 36.71

-8.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.16

$1.61 zł 6.31

19.25%

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

$28.9K RON 138.0K

$30.4K zł 119.2K

-4.82%

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

$24.4K RON 116.3K

$28.3K zł 111.0K

-13.85%

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

$156 RON 746

$321 zł 1,259

-51.30%

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

$8.74 RON 41.72

$8.43 zł 33.09

3.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.61 RON 45.87

$17.64 zł 69.2

-45.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.29 RON 221

$36.34 zł 143

27.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.98 RON 105

$17.84 zł 70.0

23.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 RON 44.27

$8.34 zł 32.74

11.15%

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

$587 RON 2,800

$511 zł 2,006

14.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,749 RON 46.5K

$10.2K zł 40.1K

-4.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 RON 430

$73.4 zł 288

22.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.13 RON 220

$40.53 zł 159

13.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 RON 469

$90.7 zł 356

8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 RON 527

$98.9 zł 388

11.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 RON 2,977

$599 zł 2,352

4.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 RON 2,525

$472 zł 1,851

12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 RON 5,456

$1,096 zł 4,302

4.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 RON 3,916

$833 zł 3,269

-1.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,578 RON 21.9K

$3,108 zł 12.2K

47.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 RON 16.0K

$2,352 zł 9,233

42.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 RON 6,019

$1,627 zł 6,389

-22.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.87

-3.20%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lodz: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$529 37.5%

Lodz

$472 31.6% 10.8% $57

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$233 16.5%

Lodz

$222 14.9% 4.9% $11

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$217 15.3%

Lodz

$202 13.5% 6.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.4%

Lodz

$347 23.2% 98.7% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11%

Lodz

$137 9.2% 11.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6%

Lodz

$53 3.6% 18.2% $12

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Lodz

$61 4.1% 54.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Cluj-Napoca and $599 in Lodz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lodz pays 29% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54 in Cluj-Napoca vs $47 in Lodz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $222 per month, with Lodz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇵🇱 Lodz

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

1 h behind Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

711,332

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 PLN = 0.255 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3.93 PLN (1 PLN = 0.255 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Lodz 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cluj-Napoca
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

Cluj-Napoca vs Lodz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in transport and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Cluj-Napoca. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $623 in Cluj-Napoca versus $599 in Lodz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 40% less than in Lodz. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $587 in Cluj-Napoca versus $511 in Lodz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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, Cluj-Napoca 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.

It comes down to priorities – Cluj-Napoca wins on affordability, Lodz on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.