Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lodz

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Lodz: $1,526 and $1,469 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Lodz
Learn more

Lodz Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Lodz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,469 in Lodz, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Lodz $1,469

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,141 in Lodz, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Lodz $2,141

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,813 in Lodz, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Lodz $2,813

Istanbul costs about 4% more than Lodz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Lodz sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Lodz by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$9.77 zł 38.19

21.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$47.41 zł 185

16.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$9.22 zł 36.05

-0.87%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.53 zł 13.79

20.11%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.77 zł 10.81

-36.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.68 zł 10.46

-79.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$4.49 zł 17.54

4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$5.00 zł 19.54

19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.02 zł 3.99

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.07 zł 4.19

-11.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.34 zł 5.25

72.39%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.31 zł 12.93

-25.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$10.76 zł 42.07

-1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$7.06 zł 27.58

-20.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$11.96 zł 46.74

77.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.15 zł 4.48

67.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.67 zł 6.54

37.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.31 zł 9.05

-44.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.96 zł 11.59

-37.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.84 zł 3.29

-20.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.91 zł 3.56

-35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.32 zł 5.17

0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.59 zł 2.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$5.78 zł 22.59

-59.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.72 zł 26.25

100.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.16 zł 4.52

108.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.68 zł 6.57

110.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.16 zł 4.55

-28.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$50.8 zł 198

30.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.57 zł 6.14

-14.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.58 zł 2.25

46.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$9.01 zł 35.20

20.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.62 zł 6.35

-9.26%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$30.8K zł 120.6K

67.38%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$26.8K zł 104.7K

65.92%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$309 zł 1,206

-71.09%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$8.67 zł 33.89

33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$17.27 zł 67.5

-6.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$36.49 zł 143

111.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$18.00 zł 70.3

25.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$7.86 zł 30.71

6.11%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$514 zł 2,010

89.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$10.3K zł 40.1K

150.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$74.5 zł 291

-29.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$40.66 zł 159

-3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$89.0 zł 348

15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$96.2 zł 376

0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$599 zł 2,343

65.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$456 zł 1,784

37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,091 zł 4,265

85.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$810 zł 3,167

42.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$3,158 zł 12.3K

0.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,374 zł 9,278

-22.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,605 zł 6,275

-25.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

6.87

498.11%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lodz: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Lodz

$456 31.2% 27.5% $173

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Lodz

$222 15.2% 15.9% $42

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Lodz

$202 13.8% 7.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Lodz

$135 9.2% 3% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Lodz

$335 22.9% 186% $218

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Lodz

$52 3.6% 44.4% $42

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Lodz

$60 4.1% 20.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $599 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 33% higher in Lodz, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $47.00 in Lodz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $222 – making Lodz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Lodz

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

08:31 8:31 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

711,332

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Lodz 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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

Istanbul vs Lodz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,203 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $514 in Lodz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lodz, where all-in costs run around $1,469, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Lodz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lodz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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