Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Durres

For one person, living is cheaper in Durres: $1,138 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Durres
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Durres Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Durres

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Durres

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dubai and in Durres actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,138 in Durres.

Dubai $2,896
Durres $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,733 in Durres.

Dubai $4,384
Durres $1,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,329 in Durres.

Dubai $5,872
Durres $2,329

Living in Dubai is roughly 154% more expensive than in Durres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Durres is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$10.51 ALL 846

20.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$37.27 ALL 3,001

119.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$10.18 ALL 820

-8.25%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.98 ALL 160

197.47%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.04 ALL 164

-17.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.05 ALL 84.2

-25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.98 ALL 240

358.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$4.23 ALL 340

218.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.11 ALL 170

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.07 ALL 86.2

40.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.37 ALL 190

8.44%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.69 ALL 297

-10.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$12.79 ALL 1,030

-1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.64 ALL 615

26.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$14.57 ALL 1,173

-12.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.15 ALL 93.0

126.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.38 ALL 192

-20.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.54 ALL 124

24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.31 ALL 106

4.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.92 ALL 74.0

22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.94 ALL 76.1

7.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.25 ALL 101

15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.70 ALL 56.7

-4.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$4.24 ALL 341

38.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$11.01 ALL 887

46.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.50 ALL 121

81.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.06 ALL 166

49.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.48 ALL 38.53

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$19.19 ALL 1,545

295.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.57 ALL 287

-9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$2.47 ALL 199

-71.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.18 ALL 176

-55.05%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

70.43%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

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

$249 AED 913

$93.6 ALL 7,534

165.60%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$16.62 ALL 1,338

227.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$16.68 ALL 1,343

448.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$40.50 ALL 3,262

155.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$61.3 ALL 4,932

-30.91%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$7.48 ALL 602

117.78%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$183 ALL 14.7K

360.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,590 ALL 369.6K

297.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$39.06 ALL 3,146

71.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$41.02 ALL 3,303

41.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$89.4 ALL 7,195

14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$159 ALL 12.8K

-38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$444 ALL 35.8K

438.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$336 ALL 27.0K

356.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$690 ALL 55.6K

565.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$469 ALL 37.8K

526.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,774 ALL 142.9K

297.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,154 ALL 92.9K

265.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$940 ALL 75.7K

268.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.25

-13.52%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Durres: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Durres

$336 29.5% 78.1% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Durres

$127 11.2% 67.8% $268

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Durres

$174 15.3% 42.9% $131

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Durres

$261 22.9% 10.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Durres

$148 13% 0.9% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Durres

$55 4.9% 59.2% $81

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Durres

$37 3.3% 58.5% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $444 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 268% 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: $82.0 in Dubai vs $37.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $261 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇦🇱 Durres

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

15:07 3:07 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

175,110

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Durres 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Durres

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Dubai vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 268% higher in Dubai, 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: $2,393 in Dubai versus $444 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 296% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $183 in Durres. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,138 in Durres versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Durres is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Durres 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 Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.