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: $1,179 in Durres versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Durres versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Durres versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Durres costs roughly 52% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durres is 14% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 ALL 840

$18.74 €16.32

-43.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.30 ALL 3,037

$69.5 €60.5

-44.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 ALL 833

$13.77 €11.99

-23.75%

Cappuccino

$2.08 ALL 165

$3.10 €2.70

-32.90%

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

$2.05 ALL 162

$2.83 €2.47

-27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ALL 81.5

$1.88 €1.64

-45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ALL 248

$3.98 €3.47

-21.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ALL 357

$4.53 €3.95

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ALL 175

$1.27 €1.11

73.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ALL 86.8

$2.16 €1.88

-49.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ALL 189

$1.76 €1.53

35.23%

Eggs

$3.97 ALL 315

$5.13 €4.47

-22.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.95 ALL 1,027

$17.88 €15.58

-27.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 ALL 629

$9.65 €8.41

-17.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 ALL 1,193

$20.15 €17.55

-25.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ALL 93.5

$3.25 €2.83

-63.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ALL 194

$2.23 €1.94

9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ALL 126

$2.60 €2.27

-38.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ALL 106

$2.76 €2.40

-51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ALL 69.2

$2.21 €1.93

-60.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 76.1

$2.12 €1.85

-54.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ALL 101

$1.55 €1.35

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 57.0

$0.95 €0.83

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ALL 351

$7.34 €6.40

-39.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 ALL 907

$8.05 €7.01

42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ALL 120

$1.54 €1.35

-1.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ALL 166

$2.79 €2.43

-25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ALL 41.43

$3.11 €2.71

-83.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.12 ALL 1,516

$25.86 €22.53

-26.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 ALL 300

$3.27 €2.85

15.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 ALL 202

$1.48 €1.29

72.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 ALL 179

$1.73 €1.51

30.64%

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

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

$36.4K €31.7K

-55.78%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

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

$98.0 ALL 7,773

$187 €163

-47.59%

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

$17.04 ALL 1,351

$15.14 €13.19

12.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.04 ALL 1,351

$37.69 €32.83

-54.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 ALL 3,329

$55.9 €48.73

-24.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.9 ALL 4,907

$17.08 €14.88

262.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ALL 595

$11.41 €9.94

-34.18%

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

$188 ALL 14.9K

$997 €868

-81.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,691 ALL 372.0K

$16.5K €14.4K

-71.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.91 ALL 3,164

$92.6 €80.7

-56.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 ALL 3,320

$41.22 €35.91

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 ALL 7,196

$111 €96.9

-18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 ALL 13.1K

$125 €109

32.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ALL 36.4K

$1,707 €1,487

-73.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ALL 27.1K

$1,286 €1,120

-73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ALL 56.8K

$2,565 €2,235

-72.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ALL 37.4K

$1,942 €1,692

-75.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,835 ALL 145.5K

$7,647 €6,662

-76.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 ALL 91.6K

$5,167 €4,501

-77.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$969 ALL 76.8K

$2,348 €2,046

-58.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.16

66.14%

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

Last update for Durres: September 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Durres and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 142% 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: $38.00 in Durres vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $336 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 110% in total monthly costs ($1,179 vs $2,476 including rent). Durres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 142% lower in Barcelona. 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: $459 in Durres versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $188 in Durres versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,179 in Durres versus $2,476 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 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.