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: $1,043 in Durres versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Durres versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Durres versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Durres costs roughly 56% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durres is 22% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 ALL 766

$17.15 €14.90

-44.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.56 ALL 2,874

$68.1 €59.1

-47.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 ALL 587

$13.64 €11.85

-46.70%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ALL 158

$2.78 €2.41

-29.50%

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

$1.58 ALL 127

$2.82 €2.45

-43.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 63.7

$1.96 €1.71

-59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ALL 196

$4.43 €3.85

-45.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ALL 270

$4.61 €4.00

-27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 165

$1.27 €1.11

61.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 74.0

$2.13 €1.85

-56.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 163

$1.99 €1.73

1.01%

Eggs

$3.01 ALL 243

$3.37 €2.92

-10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ALL 847

$18.96 €16.47

-44.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 ALL 618

$9.53 €8.28

-19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 ALL 1,061

$18.73 €16.27

-29.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ALL 93.6

$2.65 €2.30

-56.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 ALL 197

$2.35 €2.04

3.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 104

$2.09 €1.81

-38.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 92.6

$2.73 €2.37

-57.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 ALL 88.8

$1.96 €1.70

-43.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.2

$1.81 €1.57

-45.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ALL 92.8

$1.51 €1.31

-23.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.5

$0.89 €0.78

-30.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ALL 333

$6.78 €5.89

-39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 ALL 889

$7.92 €6.88

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ALL 134

$1.37 €1.19

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ALL 147

$2.40 €2.09

-24.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.77

$2.91 €2.53

-83.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.09 ALL 1,461

$28.66 €24.90

-36.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 291

$4.58 €3.98

-21.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 ALL 171

$2.04 €1.77

3.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 ALL 1,410

$28.72 €24.95

-39.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 170

$1.82 €1.59

15.93%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.2M

$39.3K €34.2K

-60.71%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$32.5K €28.2K

-20.83%

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

$68.3 ALL 5,516

$187 €162

-63.42%

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

$17.80 ALL 1,439

$22.29 €19.37

-20.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.74 ALL 1,272

$36.37 €31.60

-56.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.70 ALL 3,046

$57.5 €49.98

-34.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 ALL 4,758

$20.74 €18.02

183.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 ALL 568

$10.77 €9.36

-34.73%

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

$174 ALL 14.1K

$725 €630

-75.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,370 ALL 353.1K

$15.2K €13.2K

-71.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 ALL 3,142

$87.9 €76.3

-55.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ALL 3,216

$36.81 €31.98

8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 ALL 6,906

$103 €89.8

-17.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 ALL 12.7K

$119 €103

32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ALL 33.6K

$1,524 €1,324

-72.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ALL 26.0K

$1,227 €1,066

-73.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ALL 47.9K

$2,727 €2,370

-78.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.2K

$1,984 €1,724

-78.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 ALL 144.8K

$7,469 €6,489

-76.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ALL 93.4K

$5,243 €4,555

-77.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ALL 76.7K

$2,393 €2,079

-60.32%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Durres and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 152% 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: $36.00 in Durres vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 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 126% in total monthly costs ($1,043 vs $2,359 including rent). Durres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 152% 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: $415 in Durres versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $174 in Durres versus $725 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 $1,043 in Durres versus $2,359 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 126% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.