Cost of Living Comparison Between Bra and Shkoder Cost of Living Comparison Between Bra and Shkoder

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Bra versus $989 in Shkoder.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,541 in Bra versus $1,467 in Shkoder.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,400 in Bra versus $1,944 in Shkoder.

Living in Bra is roughly 70% more expensive than in Shkoder, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bra is 22% above, Shkoder is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.39 €20.18

$9.70 ALL 769

141.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.88 €34.41

$38.43 ALL 3,045

3.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 €9.94

$6.40 ALL 507

80.00%

Cappuccino

$1.65 €1.43

$2.04 ALL 161

-19.12%

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

$3.67 €3.17

$1.94 ALL 154

89.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.71 ALL 56.6

176.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.97

$1.91 ALL 152

201.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 €4.06

$3.12 ALL 247

50.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.01 ALL 160

-15.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.24

$0.93 ALL 74.0

179.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.44

$2.16 ALL 171

30.56%

Eggs

$3.29 €2.84

$2.76 ALL 219

19.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 €11.72

$7.24 ALL 574

87.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 €10.33

$5.05 ALL 400

137.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.62 €16.93

$10.86 ALL 860

80.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.62 ALL 129

45.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.35 ALL 186

-7.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.72 ALL 136

38.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$1.49 ALL 118

128.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.05 ALL 83.1

69.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.24 ALL 98.4

43.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.17 ALL 92.5

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.55

$0.72 ALL 56.8

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €5.93

$4.45 ALL 353

54.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 €5.35

$6.45 ALL 511

-3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.56 ALL 124

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.85 ALL 147

25.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$0.48 ALL 37.75

252.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.26 €41.64

$11.52 ALL 913

318.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 €7.10

$3.67 ALL 291

124.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 €1.49

$3.99 ALL 316

-56.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.55 €9.97

$18.51 ALL 1,467

-37.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.21 ALL 175

-7.69%

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

$27.4K €23.6K

$34.7K ALL 2.7M

-21.00%

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

$30.5K €26.3K

$26.0K ALL 2.1M

17.30%

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

$115 €99.5

$62.4 ALL 4,947

84.72%

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

$10.55 €9.11

$16.97 ALL 1,345

-37.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.82 €24.86

$17.24 ALL 1,367

67.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 €50.2

$43.44 ALL 3,443

33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.47 €24.57

$12.41 ALL 983

129.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 €8.09

$7.53 ALL 596

24.57%

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

$116 €99.7

$93.4 ALL 7,404

23.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K €17.5K

$1,922 ALL 152.3K

956.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.4

$50.4 ALL 3,990

117.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €45.30

$12.76 ALL 1,011

311.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$76.7 ALL 6,081

52.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$150 ALL 11.9K

-8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 €584

$496 ALL 39.3K

36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €522

$313 ALL 24.8K

93.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,057

$374 ALL 29.7K

227.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €793

$365 ALL 28.9K

151.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,327 €2,871

$1,916 ALL 151.8K

73.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,117 €1,826

$1,269 ALL 100.6K

66.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$574 ALL 45.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

-38.00%

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

Last update for Bra: August 29, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Bra and $496 in Shkoder. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Bra vs $38.00 in Shkoder for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $209 per month, with Shkoder 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

Bra vs Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shkoder wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Bra. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shkoder the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,522 in Bra and $1,484 in Shkoder to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $677 in Bra versus $496 in Shkoder. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $116 in Bra versus $93.4 in Shkoder. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Bra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Shkoder versus $1,681 in Bra, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shkoder but tight or insufficient in Bra. The gap between the two cities makes Shkoder 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, Bra and Shkoder 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 Shkoder gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Bra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.