Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lodz Cost of Living Comparison Between Krakow and Lodz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Krakow versus $1,521 in Lodz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,487 in Krakow versus $2,245 in Lodz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Krakow versus $2,969 in Lodz.

Living in Krakow is roughly 14% more expensive than Lodz, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Krakow 30% above, Lodz 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 zł 38.94

$11.06 zł 40.41

-3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 zł 202

$48.39 zł 177

14.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 zł 33.98

$8.25 zł 30.15

12.73%

Cappuccino

$4.03 zł 14.74

$3.62 zł 13.22

11.33%

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

$2.22 zł 8.09

$1.90 zł 6.94

16.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 zł 8.12

$1.62 zł 5.91

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 zł 14.72

$3.27 zł 11.95

23.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 zł 15.18

$4.02 zł 14.69

3.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.01

$1.09 zł 3.98

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 zł 5.28

$1.22 zł 4.46

18.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 zł 5.38

$1.17 zł 4.29

25.64%

Eggs

$3.75 zł 13.69

$3.06 zł 11.18

22.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 zł 33.06

$8.63 zł 31.54

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 zł 23.28

$6.74 zł 24.61

-5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 zł 42.20

$10.92 zł 39.90

5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 zł 4.55

$1.21 zł 4.44

3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 zł 6.63

$1.78 zł 6.50

1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.56

$1.93 zł 7.05

-6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 zł 11.44

$2.81 zł 10.28

11.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 zł 3.83

$0.91 zł 3.31

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 zł 3.70

$1.19 zł 4.35

-15.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 zł 4.96

$1.14 zł 4.18

19.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 zł 2.42

$0.56 zł 2.04

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 zł 20.03

$5.10 zł 18.64

7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 zł 24.97

$7.20 zł 26.30

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 zł 4.50

$1.20 zł 4.38

2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 zł 6.44

$1.89 zł 6.90

-6.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.03

$1.20 zł 4.39

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 zł 144

$46.48 zł 170

-15.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 zł 9.16

$2.16 zł 7.88

16.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.71

$0.49 zł 1.79

108.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 zł 47.15

$9.69 zł 35.40

33.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 zł 6.27

$1.68 zł 6.15

2.38%

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

$33.0K zł 120.5K

$34.3K zł 125.1K

-3.68%

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

$31.4K zł 114.6K

$29.1K zł 106.1K

7.98%

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

$270 zł 987

$332 zł 1,212

-18.61%

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

$9.39 zł 34.29

$8.53 zł 31.17

10.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.80 zł 61.4

$16.64 zł 60.8

0.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 zł 143

$42.71 zł 156

-8.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 zł 83.4

$25.66 zł 93.7

-11.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 zł 30.01

$8.35 zł 30.49

-1.56%

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

$446 zł 1,629

$332 zł 1,213

34.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K zł 48.6K

$9,335 zł 34.1K

42.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 zł 284

$91.7 zł 335

-15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 zł 164

$30.73 zł 112

45.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 zł 363

$75.4 zł 275

32.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 407

$95.8 zł 350

16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 zł 3,316

$626 zł 2,287

44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 zł 2,805

$483 zł 1,764

59.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 zł 5,790

$1,104 zł 4,032

43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 zł 4,342

$878 zł 3,207

35.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,925 zł 21.6K

$3,246 zł 11.9K

82.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 zł 13.9K

$2,565 zł 9,371

48.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,961 zł 7,163

$1,676 zł 6,123

16.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.77

6.78

14.60%

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

Last update for Krakow: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lodz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Krakow and $626 in Lodz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 17% 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: $55.0 in Krakow vs $48.00 in Lodz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 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

Krakow vs Lodz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lodz wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lodz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Krakow pays 17% 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: $908 in Krakow versus $626 in Lodz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Krakow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lodz – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $55.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,521 in Lodz versus $1,738 in Krakow, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lodz but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Lodz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lodz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,521 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lodz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Krakow 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 14% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.