Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lodz and Cluj-Napoca

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.

72

Cost of Living Index in Lodz
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Lodz Living Index
68

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

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Lodz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,492

/mo nomad

Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lodz and in Cluj-Napoca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Lodz is roughly 6% more expensive than in Cluj-Napoca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.67 zł 37.97

$12.53 RON 59.8

-22.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.77 zł 184

$54.5 RON 260

-14.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 zł 34.54

$9.73 RON 46.43

-9.56%

Cappuccino

$3.55 zł 13.95

$3.68 RON 17.58

-3.53%

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

$2.80 zł 10.98

$2.31 RON 11.02

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 zł 10.67

$2.31 RON 11.02

17.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 zł 18.28

$3.22 RON 15.38

44.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 zł 20.27

$4.26 RON 20.33

21.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 zł 3.87

$1.63 RON 7.76

-39.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 zł 4.23

$1.43 RON 6.85

-24.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.28

$1.82 RON 8.71

-26.37%

Eggs

$3.47 zł 13.61

$3.82 RON 18.24

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 zł 41.23

$9.16 RON 43.73

14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 zł 27.17

$7.08 RON 33.80

-2.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 zł 47.01

$11.76 RON 56.2

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 zł 4.51

$1.40 RON 6.70

-17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.54

$1.70 RON 8.10

-1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 zł 9.11

$1.89 RON 9.04

22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 zł 11.77

$2.42 RON 11.54

23.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 zł 3.08

$0.92 RON 4.40

-15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 zł 3.67

$0.88 RON 4.19

5.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 zł 5.48

$0.97 RON 4.63

44.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 zł 2.35

$0.97 RON 4.65

-38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 zł 22.78

$6.21 RON 29.65

-6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 zł 26.54

$7.54 RON 35.98

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 zł 4.54

$1.26 RON 6.01

-7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 zł 6.89

$1.70 RON 8.12

2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.31

$0.72 RON 3.45

52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 zł 205

$31.02 RON 148

68.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 zł 6.06

$0.88 RON 4.20

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 zł 2.11

$0.93 RON 4.43

-41.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 zł 36.71

$8.51 RON 40.62

9.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 zł 6.31

$1.92 RON 9.16

-16.15%

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

$30.4K zł 119.2K

$28.9K RON 138.0K

5.06%

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

$28.3K zł 111.0K

$24.4K RON 116.3K

16.08%

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

$321 zł 1,259

$156 RON 746

105.34%

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

$8.43 zł 33.09

$8.74 RON 41.72

-3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.64 zł 69.2

$9.61 RON 45.87

83.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.34 zł 143

$46.29 RON 221

-21.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.84 zł 70.0

$21.98 RON 105

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 zł 32.74

$9.27 RON 44.27

-10.03%

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

$511 zł 2,006

$587 RON 2,800

-12.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K zł 40.1K

$9,749 RON 46.5K

4.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 zł 288

$90.1 RON 430

-18.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 zł 159

$46.13 RON 220

-12.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 zł 356

$98.2 RON 469

-7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 zł 388

$110 RON 527

-10.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 zł 2,352

$623 RON 2,977

-3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 zł 1,851

$529 RON 2,525

-10.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 zł 4,302

$1,143 RON 5,456

-4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 zł 3,269

$820 RON 3,916

1.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,108 zł 12.2K

$4,578 RON 21.9K

-32.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 zł 9,233

$3,358 RON 16.0K

-29.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,627 zł 6,389

$1,261 RON 6,019

29.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

6.65

3.31%

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

Last update for Lodz: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lodz

$472 31.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$529 37.5% 12.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lodz

$347 23.2%

Cluj-Napoca

$175 12.4% 49.7% $172

Groceries & Markets

Lodz

$222 14.9%

Cluj-Napoca

$233 16.5% 5.1% $11

Eating Out

Lodz

$202 13.5%

Cluj-Napoca

$217 15.3% 7.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Lodz

$137 9.2%

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11% 13.6% $19

Getting Around

Lodz

$61 4.1%

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8% 35.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Lodz

$53 3.6%

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6% 22.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Lodz and $623 in Cluj-Napoca. 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: $47 in Lodz vs $54 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $233 per month, with Lodz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Lodz

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

01:57 1:57 AM

1 h ahead of Lodz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

711,332

324,576

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.255 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

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).

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).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Lodz
Cluj-Napoca

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

Lodz vs Cluj-Napoca: 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.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $599 in Lodz versus $623 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 40% less than in Lodz. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $511 in Lodz versus $587 in Cluj-Napoca. 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, 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.

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.