Cost of Living Comparison Between Lodz and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lodz and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,542 in Lodz versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Lodz versus $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,969 in Lodz versus $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Lodz is roughly 4% more expensive than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lodz 12% above, Cluj-Napoca 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.27 zł 38.06

$13.48 RON 60.8

-23.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.92 zł 185

$57.1 RON 258

-12.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 zł 35.90

$10.07 RON 45.45

-3.77%

Cappuccino

$3.75 zł 13.91

$3.92 RON 17.69

-4.34%

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

$2.77 zł 10.26

$2.47 RON 11.17

12.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 zł 10.60

$2.47 RON 11.13

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 zł 18.32

$3.36 RON 15.18

47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 zł 19.68

$4.46 RON 20.14

19.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 zł 3.97

$1.74 RON 7.85

-38.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 zł 4.38

$1.59 RON 7.19

-25.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 zł 5.45

$1.86 RON 8.38

-20.97%

Eggs

$3.64 zł 13.47

$3.90 RON 17.62

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 zł 40.90

$9.69 RON 43.73

13.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.25 zł 26.85

$7.78 RON 35.14

-6.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 zł 45.84

$12.11 RON 54.7

2.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 zł 4.66

$1.49 RON 6.71

-15.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 zł 6.29

$1.79 RON 8.09

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 zł 9.34

$1.96 RON 8.87

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 zł 11.35

$2.57 RON 11.61

19.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 zł 3.12

$1.00 RON 4.52

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 zł 3.45

$1.05 RON 4.73

-11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 zł 5.26

$1.03 RON 4.67

37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 zł 2.32

$1.03 RON 4.67

-39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 zł 21.85

$6.76 RON 30.50

-12.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 zł 26.47

$7.54 RON 34.05

-5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 zł 4.33

$1.29 RON 5.81

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 zł 6.94

$1.86 RON 8.39

0.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 zł 4.30

$0.79 RON 3.58

46.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.0 zł 200

$32.36 RON 146

66.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 zł 6.24

$0.92 RON 4.14

82.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 zł 2.25

$0.98 RON 4.41

-37.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 zł 35.02

$9.12 RON 41.17

3.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 zł 5.83

$1.91 RON 8.60

-17.80%

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

$31.8K zł 117.7K

$29.3K RON 132.4K

8.39%

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

$27.9K zł 103.3K

$26.1K RON 118.0K

6.63%

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

$327 zł 1,213

$165 RON 743

98.94%

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

$9.03 zł 33.46

$8.94 RON 40.35

1.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.04 zł 66.9

$10.16 RON 45.88

77.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.77 zł 144

$49.99 RON 226

-22.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 zł 69.2

$23.35 RON 105

-20.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 zł 30.39

$9.93 RON 44.84

-17.42%

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

$532 zł 1,970

$624 RON 2,818

-14.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K zł 41.1K

$10.0K RON 45.2K

10.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 zł 292

$93.8 RON 424

-16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.75 zł 155

$49.38 RON 223

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 zł 346

$103 RON 466

-9.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 zł 381

$117 RON 529

-12.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 zł 2,347

$677 RON 3,055

-6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 zł 1,829

$557 RON 2,516

-11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 zł 4,178

$1,195 RON 5,396

-5.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 zł 3,244

$844 RON 3,812

3.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 zł 12.4K

$4,864 RON 22.0K

-31.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,502 zł 9,271

$3,549 RON 16.0K

-29.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,695 zł 6,279

$1,340 RON 6,051

26.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

6.8

1.03%

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

Last update for Lodz: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $633 in Lodz and $677 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lodz pays 26% 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: $50.0 in Lodz vs $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $246 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

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

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Lodz, 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: $633 in Lodz versus $677 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 67% less than in Lodz. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $532 in Lodz versus $624 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $1,542 in Lodz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Lodz. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cluj-Napoca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lodz, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lodz and Cluj-Napoca 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Lodz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.