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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $916 in Elbasan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,471 in Elbasan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,026 in Elbasan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 156% more expensive than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Elbasan is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.24 ALL 754

90.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$31.89 ALL 2,604

115.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.18 ALL 586

91.50%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.80 ALL 147

53.33%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.27 ALL 103

118.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.68 ALL 55.4

201.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.74 ALL 142

164.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.37 ALL 194

93.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.84 ALL 150

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.92 ALL 74.9

129.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.56 ALL 128

26.28%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.91 ALL 238

18.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.77 ALL 798

92.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.34 ALL 436

76.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.41 ALL 1,013

53.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.91 ALL 74.5

198.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.37 ALL 193

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.26 ALL 103

65.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.89 ALL 73.1

210.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.92 ALL 75.3

114.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.09 ALL 88.8

64.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.98 ALL 80.3

54.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.60 ALL 49.04

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.99 ALL 326

69.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.24 ALL 672

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.92 ALL 75.4

56.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.46 ALL 119

65.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.45 ALL 36.64

573.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$18.66 ALL 1,523

52.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.60 ALL 294

23.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.29 ALL 105

58.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$14.36 ALL 1,173

104.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.11 ALL 172

-10.43%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

84.22%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.5K ALL 2.2M

17.64%

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

$189 €161

$67.2 ALL 5,487

180.60%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$17.26 ALL 1,409

28.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$15.29 ALL 1,248

140.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$65.6 ALL 5,359

-11.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$16.37 ALL 1,336

28.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.43 ALL 443

103.50%

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

$726 €622

$139 ALL 11.4K

422.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,789 ALL 146.1K

750.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$104 ALL 8,511

-15.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$34.21 ALL 2,793

8.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$93.8 ALL 7,660

9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$180 ALL 14.7K

-33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$289 ALL 23.6K

428.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$198 ALL 16.2K

514.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$421 ALL 34.4K

563.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$300 ALL 24.5K

576.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,362 ALL 111.2K

420.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$847 ALL 69.1K

472.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$550 ALL 44.9K

336.73%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $289 in Elbasan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 337% 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 $32.00 in Elbasan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $207 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $916 including rent). Elbasan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 337% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $289 in Elbasan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $916 in Elbasan versus $2,341 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 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.