Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Lodz

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.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Lodz
Learn more

Lodz Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Lodz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,469

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Sofia $1,589
Lodz $1,469

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

Sofia $2,456
Lodz $2,141

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

Sofia $3,324
Lodz $2,813

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$9.77 zł 38.19

75.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$47.41 zł 185

41.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.22 zł 36.05

27.66%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.53 zł 13.79

-3.12%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.77 zł 10.81

-12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$2.68 zł 10.46

-30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$4.49 zł 17.54

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$5.00 zł 19.54

-9.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.02 zł 3.99

88.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.07 zł 4.19

41.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.34 zł 5.25

64.93%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.31 zł 12.93

32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$10.76 zł 42.07

7.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$7.06 zł 27.58

24.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$11.96 zł 46.74

41.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.15 zł 4.48

88.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.67 zł 6.54

22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.31 zł 9.05

-20.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.96 zł 11.59

44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.84 zł 3.29

22.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.91 zł 3.56

2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.32 zł 5.17

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.59 zł 2.29

55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$5.78 zł 22.59

-25.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.72 zł 26.25

9.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.16 zł 4.52

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.68 zł 6.57

11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.16 zł 4.55

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$50.8 zł 198

-44.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$1.57 zł 6.14

10.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.58 zł 2.25

65.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$9.01 zł 35.20

72.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.62 zł 6.35

10.49%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$30.8K zł 120.6K

-2.78%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$26.8K zł 104.7K

-1.57%

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

$156 BGN 273

$309 zł 1,206

-49.46%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$8.67 zł 33.89

144.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$17.27 zł 67.5

-9.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$36.49 zł 143

28.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$18.00 zł 70.3

54.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$7.86 zł 30.71

27.48%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$514 zł 2,010

49.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$10.3K zł 40.1K

24.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$74.5 zł 291

20.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$40.66 zł 159

0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$89.0 zł 348

19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$96.2 zł 376

8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$599 zł 2,343

32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$456 zł 1,784

33.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,091 zł 4,265

43.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$810 zł 3,167

30.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$3,158 zł 12.3K

37.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$2,374 zł 9,278

36.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,605 zł 6,275

8.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.87

-57.93%

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

Last update for Sofia: 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

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Lodz

$456 31.2% 24.9% $151

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Lodz

$222 15.2% 22.7% $65

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Lodz

$202 13.8% 20.9% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Lodz

$335 22.9% 73.5% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Lodz

$135 9.2% 12% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Lodz

$52 3.6% 21.8% $15

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Lodz

$60 4.1% 56.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $599 in Lodz. 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $47.00 in Lodz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $222 per month, with Lodz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Lodz

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

711,332

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

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).

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 BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Sofia
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

Sofia vs Lodz: 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.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Sofia, 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: $796 in Sofia versus $599 in Lodz. 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, Sofia 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 8% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.