Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lodz and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lodz: $1,469 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

72

Cost of Living Index in Lodz
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Lodz Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Lodz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,469

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lodz and in Sofia

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 Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,469 in Lodz versus $1,589 in Sofia.

Lodz $1,469
Sofia $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,141 in Lodz versus $2,456 in Sofia.

Lodz $2,141
Sofia $2,456

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,813 in Lodz versus $3,324 in Sofia.

Lodz $2,813
Sofia $3,324

Living in Lodz costs roughly 8% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lodz 10% above, Sofia 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 zł 38.19

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-42.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.41 zł 185

$66.9 BGN 117

-29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 zł 36.05

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-21.67%

Cappuccino

$3.53 zł 13.79

$3.42 BGN 5.99

3.22%

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

$2.77 zł 10.81

$2.42 BGN 4.23

14.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 zł 10.46

$1.86 BGN 3.26

44.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 zł 17.54

$3.33 BGN 5.83

34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 zł 19.54

$4.53 BGN 7.92

10.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 3.99

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-46.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 zł 4.19

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-29.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.25

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-39.37%

Eggs

$3.31 zł 12.93

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 zł 42.07

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-6.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 zł 27.58

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-19.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.96 zł 46.74

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 zł 4.48

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-47.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.54

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-18.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 zł 9.05

$1.84 BGN 3.22

25.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 zł 11.59

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 zł 3.29

$1.03 BGN 1.80

-18.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.56

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 zł 5.17

$1.20 BGN 2.11

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 zł 2.29

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-35.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 zł 22.59

$4.30 BGN 7.53

34.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 zł 26.25

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-8.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 zł 4.52

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 zł 6.57

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-10.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 zł 4.55

$0.87 BGN 1.52

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 zł 198

$28.14 BGN 49.24

80.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 zł 6.14

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-9.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 zł 2.25

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-39.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 zł 35.20

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-42.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 zł 6.35

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-9.50%

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

$30.8K zł 120.6K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

2.86%

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

$26.8K zł 104.7K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

1.60%

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

$309 zł 1,206

$156 BGN 273

97.86%

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

$8.67 zł 33.89

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-59.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.27 zł 67.5

$15.64 BGN 27.37

10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.49 zł 143

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 zł 70.3

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-35.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 zł 30.71

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-21.56%

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

$514 zł 2,010

$766 BGN 1,341

-32.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K zł 40.1K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 zł 291

$89.7 BGN 157

-16.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.66 zł 159

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 zł 348

$106 BGN 186

-16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 zł 376

$105 BGN 183

-8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 zł 2,343

$796 BGN 1,393

-24.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 zł 1,784

$607 BGN 1,063

-24.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 zł 4,265

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-30.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 zł 3,167

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-23.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,158 zł 12.3K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-27.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,374 zł 9,278

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-26.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,605 zł 6,275

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-7.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

2.89

137.72%

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

Last update for Lodz: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lodz

$456 31.2%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 33.1% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lodz

$335 22.9%

Sofia

$193 12% 42.4% $142

Groceries & Markets

Lodz

$222 15.2%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 29.4% $65

Eating Out

Lodz

$202 13.8%

Sofia

$256 16% 26.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Lodz

$135 9.2%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 13.6% $18

Getting Around

Lodz

$60 4.1%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 36.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Lodz

$52 3.6%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 28% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Lodz and $796 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 8% 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: $47.00 in Lodz vs $67.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $287 per month, with Lodz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Lodz

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

11:49 11:49 AM

1 h ahead of Lodz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

711,332

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lodz Sofia 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lodz
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lodz wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lodz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Sofia. 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: $599 in Lodz versus $796 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Sofia. 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 $47.00 versus $67.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,469 in Lodz versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lodz but tight or insufficient in Sofia. 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 $1,469 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lodz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lodz and Sofia 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 8% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.