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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,308 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,199 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,090 in Sarande.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 81% more expensive than Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sarande is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.90 ALL 973

47.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$58.0 ALL 4,742

18.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$9.50 ALL 778

48.00%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.05 ALL 167

35.61%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.91 ALL 156

46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.97 ALL 79.4

112.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.92 ALL 239

52.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.45 ALL 282

33.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.06 ALL 168

-39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.08 ALL 88.7

87.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.22 ALL 182

-13.51%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.02 ALL 329

-17.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.23 ALL 1,083

39.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.61 ALL 623

24.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$15.84 ALL 1,296

20.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.79 ALL 146

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.80 ALL 229

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.99 ALL 163

6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.92 ALL 157

48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.32 ALL 108

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.32 ALL 108

40.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.44 ALL 118

2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.74 ALL 60.9

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.29 ALL 351

66.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.66 ALL 545

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.65 ALL 135

-16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.08 ALL 170

11.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.14 ALL 93.1

161.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$22.80 ALL 1,865

28.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.49 ALL 286

31.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.17 ALL 259

-34.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$17.69 ALL 1,447

64.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.05 ALL 168

-10.24%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.9K ALL 2.9M

11.89%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

12.13%

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

$188 €162

$102 ALL 8,362

83.74%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$18.17 ALL 1,487

26.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$18.44 ALL 1,509

99.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$92.4 ALL 7,557

-37.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$41.04 ALL 3,358

-49.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$9.53 ALL 780

17.42%

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

$721 €620

$290 ALL 23.8K

148.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,487 ALL 448.9K

174.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$68.3 ALL 5,588

26.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$51.1 ALL 4,179

-27.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$108 ALL 8,852

-5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$128 ALL 10.5K

-9.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$852 ALL 69.7K

80.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$379 ALL 31.0K

222.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,099 ALL 89.9K

145.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$951 ALL 77.8K

111.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,646 ALL 380.1K

55.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,976 ALL 243.4K

74.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$776 ALL 63.5K

204.07%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sarande: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $852 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 204% 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 $58.0 in Sarande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $272 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 81% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,308 including rent). Sarande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 204% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $852 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $290 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,308 in Sarande versus $2,367 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 81% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.