Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,053 in Durres versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Durres versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Durres versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Durres costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durres is 21% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 ALL 767

$17.61 €15.08

-46.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.05 ALL 2,862

$68.7 €58.8

-48.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 ALL 586

$13.75 €11.77

-47.78%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ALL 157

$2.76 €2.36

-30.43%

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

$1.62 ALL 132

$2.78 €2.38

-41.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ALL 68.3

$2.05 €1.75

-59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ALL 191

$4.61 €3.94

-49.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ALL 275

$4.59 €3.93

-26.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ALL 165

$1.28 €1.10

57.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ALL 70.6

$2.11 €1.81

-59.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ALL 158

$1.97 €1.69

-2.03%

Eggs

$2.94 ALL 240

$3.44 €2.95

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ALL 851

$18.83 €16.12

-44.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 ALL 635

$9.45 €8.09

-17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 ALL 1,076

$19.01 €16.27

-30.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ALL 97.5

$2.72 €2.33

-56.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 ALL 191

$2.37 €2.03

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$2.08 €1.78

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 93.5

$2.76 €2.36

-58.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 ALL 90.4

$1.97 €1.69

-43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.5

$1.79 €1.53

-44.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ALL 92.6

$1.51 €1.29

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.7

$0.90 €0.77

-31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ALL 326

$6.76 €5.79

-40.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 ALL 920

$7.55 €6.46

49.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ALL 137

$1.44 €1.23

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ALL 143

$2.41 €2.06

-27.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.74

$3.03 €2.59

-85.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.03 ALL 1,472

$28.39 €24.30

-36.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ALL 292

$4.43 €3.79

-19.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 ALL 174

$2.05 €1.76

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.76 ALL 1,450

$29.33 €25.11

-39.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 ALL 180

$1.89 €1.62

16.93%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

$38.7K €33.2K

-60.25%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$32.4K €27.7K

-20.45%

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

$66.3 ALL 5,414

$189 €161

-64.84%

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

$17.73 ALL 1,447

$22.21 €19.01

-20.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.07 ALL 1,312

$36.82 €31.52

-56.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 ALL 3,048

$58.0 €49.64

-35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.1 ALL 4,903

$20.99 €17.97

186.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 ALL 593

$11.05 €9.46

-34.30%

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

$180 ALL 14.7K

$726 €622

-75.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

$15.2K €13.0K

-70.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.32 ALL 3,128

$88.3 €75.6

-56.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 ALL 3,251

$36.98 €31.66

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ALL 6,856

$103 €87.8

-18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ALL 12.5K

$119 €102

28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 ALL 34.8K

$1,526 €1,307

-72.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ALL 25.8K

$1,218 €1,043

-74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ALL 48.9K

$2,794 €2,392

-78.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 ALL 34.5K

$2,027 €1,735

-79.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

$7,094 €6,073

-74.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

$4,849 €4,151

-76.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 ALL 68.9K

$2,404 €2,058

-64.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.39

57.23%

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

Last update for Durres: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Durres and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 185% 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: $35.00 in Durres vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $320 per month, with Durres 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

Durres vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres and Barcelona differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,053 vs $2,341 including rent). Durres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 185% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Durres versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $180 in Durres versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,053 in Durres versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Durres 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, Durres and Barcelona 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 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.