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: $1,046 in Durres versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in Durres versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in Durres versus $4,599 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 22% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.49 ALL 776

$17.08 €14.72

-44.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 ALL 2,838

$69.2 €59.7

-49.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 ALL 574

$13.78 €11.87

-49.06%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ALL 153

$2.76 €2.37

-32.25%

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

$1.59 ALL 130

$2.79 €2.40

-43.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ALL 68.1

$1.99 €1.72

-58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ALL 191

$4.36 €3.76

-46.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ALL 270

$4.74 €4.09

-30.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ALL 162

$1.29 €1.11

54.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 ALL 74.3

$2.05 €1.77

-55.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ALL 166

$1.99 €1.71

2.01%

Eggs

$2.95 ALL 241

$3.39 €2.92

-12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 ALL 859

$18.81 €16.21

-44.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 ALL 636

$9.36 €8.07

-16.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.40 ALL 1,094

$19.12 €16.48

-29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 94.3

$2.70 €2.32

-57.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 ALL 193

$2.34 €2.02

0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$2.12 €1.83

-38.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 97.7

$2.85 €2.46

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 89.2

$1.97 €1.70

-44.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 84.7

$1.80 €1.55

-42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ALL 93.7

$1.45 €1.25

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ALL 52.2

$0.86 €0.74

-25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ALL 341

$6.78 €5.84

-38.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ALL 892

$7.90 €6.81

38.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ALL 136

$1.39 €1.20

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ALL 148

$2.37 €2.04

-23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ALL 37.36

$2.92 €2.52

-84.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.43 ALL 1,506

$28.69 €24.72

-35.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ALL 296

$4.46 €3.84

-18.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ALL 167

$2.05 €1.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.71 ALL 1,447

$29.55 €25.46

-40.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 ALL 180

$1.82 €1.56

20.88%

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

$15.2K ALL 1.2M

$38.8K €33.5K

-60.79%

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

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

$33.1K €28.5K

-22.96%

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

$67.9 ALL 5,548

$189 €163

-64.11%

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

$17.82 ALL 1,456

$22.80 €19.65

-21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.72 ALL 1,284

$37.59 €32.39

-58.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 ALL 3,025

$57.7 €49.75

-35.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.5 ALL 4,857

$20.74 €17.87

186.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 ALL 585

$10.82 €9.33

-33.83%

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

$179 ALL 14.6K

$728 €628

-75.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,380 ALL 357.8K

$14.8K €12.7K

-70.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.91 ALL 3,097

$88.6 €76.4

-57.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 ALL 3,257

$36.85 €31.75

8.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 ALL 6,910

$102 €87.9

-17.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 ALL 12.7K

$116 €100

34.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ALL 34.9K

$1,569 €1,352

-72.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ALL 25.4K

$1,218 €1,050

-74.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 ALL 50.2K

$2,795 €2,409

-78.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 ALL 34.6K

$1,975 €1,702

-78.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,812 ALL 148.1K

$7,754 €6,680

-76.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ALL 94.4K

$5,176 €4,460

-77.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ALL 68.1K

$2,343 €2,019

-64.41%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Durres and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 181% 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 $242 vs $319 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 123% in total monthly costs ($1,046 vs $2,337 including rent). Durres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 181% 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: $427 in Durres versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $179 in Durres versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,046 in Durres versus $2,337 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 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.