Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballsh and Shkoder

For one person, living is cheaper in Shkoder: $980 a month against $1,185 in Ballsh, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Ballsh
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Ballsh Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Shkoder
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Shkoder Living Index

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Ballsh

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,185

/mo nomad

Shkoder

🇦🇱 Albania

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ballsh and in Shkoder

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Ballsh vs $980 in Shkoder, rent included.

Ballsh $1,185
Shkoder $980

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Ballsh vs $1,474 in Shkoder, rent included.

Ballsh $1,834
Shkoder $1,474

A family of three spends $2,484 per month in Ballsh vs $1,969 in Shkoder, rent included.

Ballsh $2,484
Shkoder $1,969

Ballsh costs about 21% more than Shkoder, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ballsh and Shkoder are more affordable than the global median – Ballsh 13% lower, Shkoder 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.65 ALL 779

$9.30 ALL 751

3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 ALL 4,406

$38.93 ALL 3,144

40.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ALL 568

$6.21 ALL 502

13.37%

Cappuccino

$2.25 ALL 181

$1.93 ALL 156

16.58%

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

$1.47 ALL 119

$1.83 ALL 148

-19.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 72.7

$0.65 ALL 52.4

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ALL 283

$1.84 ALL 148

90.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ALL 332

$3.18 ALL 257

29.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ALL 181

$1.89 ALL 153

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ALL 98.2

$0.97 ALL 78.7

25.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 ALL 190

$2.01 ALL 163

16.92%

Eggs

$3.80 ALL 307

$2.60 ALL 210

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 ALL 1,051

$7.23 ALL 584

79.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ALL 763

$5.11 ALL 412

84.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 ALL 1,399

$10.81 ALL 873

60.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 159

$1.65 ALL 134

19.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ALL 203

$2.35 ALL 190

6.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ALL 180

$1.72 ALL 139

29.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ALL 154

$1.45 ALL 117

31.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ALL 86.0

$1.02 ALL 82.4

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 107

$1.23 ALL 99.0

7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ALL 121

$1.14 ALL 92.0

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 65.0

$0.77 ALL 62.3

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 ALL 387

$4.23 ALL 341

13.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 ALL 842

$6.14 ALL 496

69.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ALL 131

$1.51 ALL 122

7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ALL 164

$1.83 ALL 148

10.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ALL 42.52

$0.49 ALL 39.69

8.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.09 ALL 1,461

$11.12 ALL 898

62.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 ALL 304

$3.72 ALL 301

1.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.82 ALL 308

$3.85 ALL 311

-0.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.59 ALL 1,502

$18.71 ALL 1,511

-0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 ALL 195

$2.17 ALL 176

11.52%

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

$33.2K ALL 2.7M

$33.7K ALL 2.7M

-1.28%

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

$29.1K ALL 2.4M

$24.7K ALL 2.0M

18.05%

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

$97.8 ALL 7,898

$61.7 ALL 4,981

58.55%

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

$18.77 ALL 1,516

$16.47 ALL 1,331

13.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.21 ALL 1,632

$17.10 ALL 1,381

18.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 ALL 4,105

$42.68 ALL 3,448

19.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 ALL 1,012

Cinema Ticket

$9.73 ALL 786

$7.20 ALL 581

35.14%

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

$341 ALL 27.5K

$91.1 ALL 7,358

273.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,309 ALL 671.1K

$1,835 ALL 148.2K

352.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.97 ALL 3,956

$49.16 ALL 3,970

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 ALL 3,844

$12.34 ALL 997

285.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ALL 9,554

$74.0 ALL 5,975

59.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ALL 9,072

$147 ALL 11.8K

-23.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 ALL 36.0K

$489 ALL 39.5K

-8.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ALL 26.8K

$317 ALL 25.6K

4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 ALL 49.5K

$484 ALL 39.1K

26.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ALL 39.3K

$412 ALL 33.3K

18.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,745 ALL 140.9K

$1,866 ALL 150.7K

-6.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,144 ALL 92.4K

$1,232 ALL 99.5K

-7.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$567 ALL 45.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

3.20%

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

Last update for Ballsh: October 27, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ballsh

$332 28%

Shkoder

$317 32.4% 4.5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Ballsh

$295 24.9%

Shkoder

$206 21% 30.2% $89

Eating Out

Ballsh

$160 13.5%

Shkoder

$142 14.5% 11.7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Ballsh

$147 12.4%

Shkoder

$127 13% 13.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ballsh

$137 11.5%

Shkoder

$95 9.7% 30.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Ballsh

$70 5.9%

Shkoder

$57 5.8% 18.8% $13

Getting Around

Ballsh

$43 3.6%

Shkoder

$36 3.7% 16.2% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $446 in Ballsh versus $489 in Shkoder. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Ballsh versus $39 in Shkoder. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $206 – making Shkoder the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Ballsh

🇦🇱 Shkoder

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

Same time as Ballsh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

77,075

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.11 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ballsh Shkoder 160 km

From you

Ballsh
Shkoder

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

Ballsh vs Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ballsh is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Ballsh and $1,470 in Shkoder. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $446 in Ballsh and $489 in Shkoder. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Ballsh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Ballsh and $39 in Shkoder. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Ballsh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $980 in Shkoder to $1,185 in Ballsh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.