Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarande Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarande

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,287 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,177 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,067 in Sarande.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 80% more expensive than in Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Sarande is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$11.94 ALL 974

47.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$58.4 ALL 4,763

19.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.39 ALL 766

50.80%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.97 ALL 160

42.13%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.83 ALL 149

53.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.93 ALL 75.5

121.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.92 ALL 239

57.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.42 ALL 279

37.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.08 ALL 170

-40.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.14 ALL 92.8

78.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.21 ALL 180

-10.41%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.83 ALL 312

-8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.15 ALL 1,072

39.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.65 ALL 624

28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.64 ALL 1,276

22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.69 ALL 138

61.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.78 ALL 227

-14.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.95 ALL 159

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.98 ALL 161

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.37 ALL 112

43.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.27 ALL 103

40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.44 ALL 117

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.73 ALL 59.7

24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.22 ALL 344

68.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.48 ALL 529

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.64 ALL 134

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.15 ALL 175

11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.16 ALL 94.6

159.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$22.72 ALL 1,853

29.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.59 ALL 293

21.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.10 ALL 252

-31.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$17.88 ALL 1,458

65.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.05 ALL 167

-11.22%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

7.83%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

10.96%

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

$189 €166

$101 ALL 8,221

87.53%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$18.07 ALL 1,474

23.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$18.78 ALL 1,532

97.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$89.2 ALL 7,275

-34.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$41.83 ALL 3,412

-50.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$9.65 ALL 787

12.64%

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

$706 €618

$287 ALL 23.4K

146.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,616 ALL 458.0K

164.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$67.7 ALL 5,519

32.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$49.81 ALL 4,062

-26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$108 ALL 8,820

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$127 ALL 10.4K

-6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$880 ALL 71.8K

79.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$391 ALL 31.9K

216.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,135 ALL 92.6K

138.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$948 ALL 77.3K

115.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,652 ALL 379.4K

61.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,937 ALL 239.5K

78.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$776 ALL 63.3K

204.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.52

-38.59%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sarande: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $880 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 205% 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 $58.0 in Sarande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $270 per month, with Sarande 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 Sarande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sarande differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,287 including rent). Sarande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $880 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $287 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Sarande versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarande but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sarande 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 Sarande 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 Sarande gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.