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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,043 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,573 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,103 in Durres.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 126% more expensive than in Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Durres is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.90

$9.48 ALL 766

80.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.1

$35.56 ALL 2,874

91.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.85

$7.27 ALL 587

87.62%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.96 ALL 158

41.84%

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

$2.82 €2.45

$1.58 ALL 127

78.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.79 ALL 63.7

148.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.85

$2.43 ALL 196

82.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$3.34 ALL 270

38.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.05 ALL 165

-38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.92 ALL 74.0

131.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$2.01 ALL 163

-1.00%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.01 ALL 243

11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.47

$10.48 ALL 847

80.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.28

$7.64 ALL 618

24.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.27

$13.13 ALL 1,061

42.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$1.16 ALL 93.6

128.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.44 ALL 197

-3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.28 ALL 104

63.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.15 ALL 92.6

137.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.10 ALL 88.8

78.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.99 ALL 80.2

82.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.15 ALL 92.8

31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.62 ALL 50.5

43.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.89

$4.12 ALL 333

64.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.88

$11.00 ALL 889

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.66 ALL 134

-17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.82 ALL 147

31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.53

$0.49 ALL 39.77

493.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.90

$18.09 ALL 1,461

58.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.98

$3.60 ALL 291

27.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.11 ALL 171

-3.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.95

$17.45 ALL 1,410

64.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.11 ALL 170

-13.74%

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

$39.3K €34.2K

$15.4K ALL 1.2M

154.52%

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

$32.5K €28.2K

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

26.30%

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

$187 €162

$68.3 ALL 5,516

173.37%

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

$22.29 €19.37

$17.80 ALL 1,439

25.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.60

$15.74 ALL 1,272

131.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.98

$37.70 ALL 3,046

52.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.02

$58.9 ALL 4,758

-64.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.36

$7.03 ALL 568

53.20%

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

$725 €630

$174 ALL 14.1K

316.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$4,370 ALL 353.1K

246.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.3

$38.89 ALL 3,142

125.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.98

$39.80 ALL 3,216

-7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.8

$85.5 ALL 6,906

20.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$158 ALL 12.7K

-24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,324

$415 ALL 33.6K

266.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,066

$322 ALL 26.0K

281.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,370

$593 ALL 47.9K

360.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,724

$423 ALL 34.2K

368.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,489

$1,792 ALL 144.8K

316.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,555

$1,156 ALL 93.4K

353.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,079

$949 ALL 76.7K

152.01%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Durres: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $415 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 152% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $241 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 126% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,043 including rent). Durres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 152% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $415 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $174 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 $1,043 in Durres versus $2,359 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 126% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.