Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Durres Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Durres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,046 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,598 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,150 in Durres.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Durres is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$9.49 ALL 776

79.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$34.73 ALL 2,838

99.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.02 ALL 574

96.30%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.87 ALL 153

47.59%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.59 ALL 130

75.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.83 ALL 68.1

139.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.33 ALL 191

87.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.31 ALL 270

43.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.99 ALL 162

-35.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.91 ALL 74.3

125.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.03 ALL 166

-1.97%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.95 ALL 241

14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.51 ALL 859

78.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.78 ALL 636

20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$13.40 ALL 1,094

42.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.15 ALL 94.3

134.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.36 ALL 193

-0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.30 ALL 106

63.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.20 ALL 97.7

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.09 ALL 89.2

80.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.04 ALL 84.7

73.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.15 ALL 93.7

26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.64 ALL 52.2

34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.18 ALL 341

62.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$10.92 ALL 892

-27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.67 ALL 136

-16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.82 ALL 148

30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.46 ALL 37.36

534.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$18.43 ALL 1,506

55.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.62 ALL 296

23.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.05 ALL 167

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$17.71 ALL 1,447

66.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.20 ALL 180

-17.27%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$15.2K ALL 1.2M

155.02%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

29.81%

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

$189 €163

$67.9 ALL 5,548

178.65%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$17.82 ALL 1,456

27.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$15.72 ALL 1,284

139.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$37.03 ALL 3,025

55.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$59.5 ALL 4,857

-65.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.16 ALL 585

51.12%

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

$728 €628

$179 ALL 14.6K

307.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,380 ALL 357.8K

237.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$37.91 ALL 3,097

133.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$39.86 ALL 3,257

-7.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$84.6 ALL 6,910

20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$156 ALL 12.7K

-25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$427 ALL 34.9K

267.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$311 ALL 25.4K

291.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$614 ALL 50.2K

355.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$424 ALL 34.6K

366.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,812 ALL 148.1K

327.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,156 ALL 94.4K

347.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$834 ALL 68.1K

180.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.33

-36.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Durres: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $427 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 181% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $242 per month, with Durres 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

Barcelona vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Durres differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,046 including rent). Durres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 181% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $427 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $179 in Durres. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,046 in Durres versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Barcelona and Durres 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 Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.