Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Durres: $1,128 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Durres, Albania
Lisbon, Portugal
Durres
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,128
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durres and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,128 in Durres versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Durres $1,128
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Durres versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Durres $1,732
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,336 in Durres versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Durres $2,336
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Durres costs roughly 49% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durres is 17% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.48 ALL 849
$16.65 €14.87
-37.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.19 ALL 3,013
$61.7 €55.2
-39.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 ALL 840
$11.36 €10.14
-8.71%
Cappuccino
$2.07 ALL 168
$2.97 €2.65
-30.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 ALL 172
$2.29 €2.04
-7.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 ALL 86.9
$1.74 €1.56
-38.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 ALL 248
$3.40 €3.04
-10.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 ALL 359
$3.31 €2.96
34.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 ALL 168
$1.16 €1.03
79.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 ALL 83.4
$1.91 €1.71
-46.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 ALL 185
$1.51 €1.35
51.66%
Eggs
$3.86 ALL 312
$4.02 €3.59
-3.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.69 ALL 1,028
$12.94 €11.56
-1.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.78 ALL 631
$7.77 €6.94
0.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 ALL 1,217
$17.76 €15.86
-15.43%
Apples (1kg)
$1.20 ALL 97.4
$2.30 €2.06
-47.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.43 ALL 197
$1.73 €1.55
40.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.56 ALL 126
$1.86 €1.66
-16.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 ALL 107
$2.59 €2.31
-49.03%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 ALL 73.1
$1.82 €1.63
-50.55%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 ALL 77.2
$1.97 €1.76
-51.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ALL 99.1
$1.47 €1.31
-17.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ALL 57.4
$0.72 €0.65
-1.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ALL 359
$6.58 €5.88
-32.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.99 ALL 890
$5.61 €5.01
95.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 ALL 121
$1.36 €1.22
9.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 ALL 169
$2.14 €1.91
-2.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 ALL 38.50
$2.33 €2.08
-79.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.58 ALL 1,586
$44.68 €39.91
-56.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 ALL 296
$3.85 €3.44
-5.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.50 ALL 202
$1.07 €0.96
133.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.46 €14.70
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 ALL 178
$2.20 €1.97
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.0K ALL 1.3M
$34.2K €30.5K
-53.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K ALL 2.1M
$38.7K €34.6K
-33.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.2 ALL 7,310
$161 €144
-44.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.02 ALL 1,460
$18.41 €16.44
-2.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.33 ALL 1,323
$32.74 €29.24
-50.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.02 ALL 3,323
$44.55 €39.79
-7.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$61.3 ALL 4,963
$19.10 €17.06
220.73%
Cinema Ticket
$7.52 ALL 610
$9.60 €8.57
-21.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$189 ALL 15.3K
$668 €596
-71.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,673 ALL 378.6K
$17.6K €15.7K
-73.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.78 ALL 3,142
$102 €91.1
-61.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.46 ALL 3,358
$44.46 €39.72
-6.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 ALL 7,216
$98.5 €88.0
-9.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$162 ALL 13.1K
$124 €110
30.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$451 ALL 36.5K
$1,608 €1,437
-71.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$321 ALL 26.0K
$1,190 €1,063
-73.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$703 ALL 57.0K
$2,812 €2,512
-75.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 ALL 37.5K
$2,013 €1,798
-77.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,993 ALL 161.5K
$7,839 €7,002
-74.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,302 ALL 105.5K
$4,576 €4,087
-71.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Durres
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$977 ALL 79.1K
$1,575 €1,407
-38.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
3.85
36.36%

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

Last update for Durres: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Durres
$321
Lisbon
$1.2K 271% $869
Groceries & Markets
Durres
$263
Lisbon
$272 3.7% $9.6
Eating Out
Durres
$177
Lisbon
$243 37.2% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Durres
$149
Lisbon
$166 11.3% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
$125
Lisbon
$212 70.4% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Durres
$56
Lisbon
$64 13.7% $7.7
Getting Around
Durres
$38
Lisbon
$63 68% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $451 in Durres and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 61% 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: $37 in Durres vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $272 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇱 Durres
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:14 6:14 AM
05:14 5:14 AM
1 h behind Durres
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
175,110
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 81.01 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.8 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Durres Lisbon 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Durres
  • Lisbon

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
Durres vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Durres or Lisbon?
Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Durres or in Lisbon?
On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Durres. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Durres compared to Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $451 in Durres versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Durres compared to Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,128 per month in Durres versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Durres is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Durres compared to Lisbon?
A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Durres or in Lisbon?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Durres is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Durres or Lisbon?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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