Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elbasan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elbasan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $917 in Elbasan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,433 in Elbasan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,949 in Elbasan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 157% more expensive than in Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Elbasan is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$9.47 ALL 770

81.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$32.67 ALL 2,655

108.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.12 ALL 579

91.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.80 ALL 147

54.44%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.29 ALL 105

118.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.75 ALL 60.5

161.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.81 ALL 147

144.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.30 ALL 187

100.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.80 ALL 146

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.92 ALL 75.0

131.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.49 ALL 121

33.56%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.00 ALL 244

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.69 ALL 787

95.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.44 ALL 442

75.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.45 ALL 1,012

50.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.87 ALL 70.5

204.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.37 ALL 193

-0.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.25 ALL 102

67.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.93 ALL 75.5

193.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.01 ALL 81.7

94.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.03 ALL 83.8

75.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.90 ALL 73.0

67.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.57 ALL 46.05

56.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.96 ALL 321

71.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.13 ALL 661

-2.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.90 ALL 73.0

52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.43 ALL 116

67.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.48 ALL 39.02

506.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$18.61 ALL 1,512

54.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.43 ALL 279

33.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.28 ALL 104

59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$14.32 ALL 1,163

100.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$2.18 ALL 177

-16.51%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.6K ALL 1.8M

82.12%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.7K ALL 2.2M

17.38%

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

$187 €162

$66.8 ALL 5,425

179.55%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$17.59 ALL 1,429

26.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$15.21 ALL 1,235

139.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$66.0 ALL 5,364

-12.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.18 ALL 1,314

28.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.67 ALL 461

89.95%

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

$725 €628

$139 ALL 11.3K

422.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,791 ALL 145.5K

745.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$47.58 ALL 3,866

84.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$34.42 ALL 2,797

6.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$95.5 ALL 7,760

8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$179 ALL 14.5K

-33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$286 ALL 23.2K

433.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$194 ALL 15.7K

533.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$415 ALL 33.8K

556.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$296 ALL 24.0K

570.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,310 ALL 106.5K

469.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$866 ALL 70.3K

505.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$550 ALL 44.7K

334.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.1

-44.43%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $286 in Elbasan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 335% 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 $33.00 in Elbasan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $206 per month, with Elbasan 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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Elbasan differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $917 including rent). Elbasan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 335% 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 $286 in Elbasan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $139 in Elbasan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $917 in Elbasan versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elbasan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Elbasan 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 Elbasan 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 Elbasan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.