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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $911 in Elbasan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,427 in Elbasan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,943 in Elbasan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 163% more expensive than in Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Elbasan is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$9.23 ALL 757

91.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$32.62 ALL 2,677

114.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$6.87 ALL 564

98.84%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$1.79 ALL 147

53.07%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$1.33 ALL 109

109.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.74 ALL 60.9

164.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.76 ALL 144

147.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.38 ALL 195

92.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.86 ALL 153

-30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.86 ALL 70.4

138.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.56 ALL 128

26.92%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$2.91 ALL 239

16.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$9.74 ALL 799

91.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$5.19 ALL 426

84.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$12.45 ALL 1,021

51.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$0.90 ALL 73.6

205.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.42 ALL 199

2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.25 ALL 103

68.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$0.98 ALL 80.5

187.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.98 ALL 80.5

106.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.07 ALL 87.8

72.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.91 ALL 74.9

65.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.60 ALL 49.53

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$4.17 ALL 343

69.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$8.13 ALL 667

-1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.92 ALL 75.9

55.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.44 ALL 118

59.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.49 ALL 40.02

487.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$18.52 ALL 1,519

53.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$3.54 ALL 291

23.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.23 ALL 101

73.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$14.03 ALL 1,151

107.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.21 ALL 182

-15.84%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$21.3K ALL 1.7M

82.94%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

20.41%

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

$189 €165

$67.6 ALL 5,550

179.57%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$17.33 ALL 1,422

31.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$15.47 ALL 1,270

136.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$65.1 ALL 5,345

-11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$16.73 ALL 1,373

27.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$5.65 ALL 464

91.33%

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

$726 €634

$139 ALL 11.4K

421.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$1,732 ALL 142.1K

771.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$47.46 ALL 3,894

84.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$33.80 ALL 2,773

9.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$93.3 ALL 7,653

11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$178 ALL 14.6K

-34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$285 ALL 23.4K

452.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$198 ALL 16.2K

516.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$431 ALL 35.3K

529.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$298 ALL 24.4K

560.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$1,349 ALL 110.7K

478.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$847 ALL 69.5K

521.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$542 ALL 44.4K

338.42%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $285 in Elbasan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 338% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Elbasan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $911 including rent). Elbasan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 338% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $285 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 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $911 in Elbasan versus $2,399 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 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.