Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Managua Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Managua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,046 in Durres versus $952 in Managua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Durres versus $1,555 in Managua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,146 in Durres versus $2,158 in Managua.

Living in Durres is roughly 10% more expensive than Managua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 22% lower, Managua 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.50 ALL 777

$4.80 NIO 176

97.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.79 ALL 2,846

$35.28 NIO 1,292

-1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 ALL 568

$6.90 NIO 253

0.58%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ALL 159

$2.44 NIO 89.3

-20.49%

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

$1.64 ALL 134

$0.80 NIO 29.36

105.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ALL 70.3

$0.69 NIO 25.21

24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ALL 190

$1.33 NIO 48.60

74.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ALL 273

$2.06 NIO 75.4

62.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ALL 167

$1.25 NIO 45.85

63.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ALL 71.8

$2.37 NIO 86.9

-62.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 165

$1.82 NIO 66.8

10.99%

Eggs

$2.89 ALL 237

$2.31 NIO 84.6

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ALL 869

$11.00 NIO 403

-3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 ALL 635

$6.51 NIO 238

19.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 ALL 1,105

$8.10 NIO 297

66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ALL 99.0

$3.86 NIO 141

-68.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 ALL 198

$0.89 NIO 32.77

171.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 105

$1.84 NIO 67.5

-30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ALL 95.4

$2.28 NIO 83.7

-48.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 94.0

$3.94 NIO 144

-70.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ALL 83.9

$2.24 NIO 82.2

-54.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ALL 93.5

$1.06 NIO 38.98

7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ALL 51.4

$1.05 NIO 38.52

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ALL 326

$2.61 NIO 95.4

52.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 ALL 888

$14.53 NIO 532

-25.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ALL 139

$1.41 NIO 51.7

20.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ALL 142

$2.16 NIO 79.1

-19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 40.16

$0.16 NIO 5.81

206.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.28 ALL 1,495

$5.93 NIO 217

208.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ALL 290

$1.46 NIO 53.7

143.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 ALL 166

$0.54 NIO 19.61

275.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.65 ALL 1,444

$6.70 NIO 246

163.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 178

$1.29 NIO 47.27

68.99%

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

$15.3K ALL 1.3M

$22.7K NIO 831.7K

-32.64%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$26.7K NIO 976.9K

-3.64%

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

$68.6 ALL 5,612

$98.2 NIO 3,595

-30.11%

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

$17.91 ALL 1,465

$17.14 NIO 628

4.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.96 ALL 1,306

$37.51 NIO 1,374

-57.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.45 ALL 3,064

$35.85 NIO 1,313

4.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.0 ALL 4,747

$14.84 NIO 543

290.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 ALL 584

$7.92 NIO 290

-9.85%

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

$177 ALL 14.5K

$122 NIO 4,474

45.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,422 ALL 361.7K

$6,003 NIO 219.9K

-26.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.99 ALL 3,108

$78.2 NIO 2,862

-51.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 ALL 3,218

$71.1 NIO 2,605

-44.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 ALL 6,965

$131 NIO 4,802

-35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ALL 12.5K

$110 NIO 4,012

39.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ALL 35.0K

$255 NIO 9,348

67.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ALL 26.4K

$191 NIO 7,000

68.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 ALL 49.4K

$442 NIO 16.2K

36.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 ALL 34.4K

$444 NIO 16.3K

-5.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,803 ALL 147.5K

$1,209 NIO 44.3K

49.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,161 ALL 95.0K

$646 NIO 23.7K

79.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$860 ALL 70.3K

$360 NIO 13.2K

138.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.25

-48.00%

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

Last update for Durres: May 30, 2026

Last update for Managua: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Durres and $255 in Managua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 139% 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 $35.00 in Managua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $260 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 Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Managua wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Durres. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Managua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Durres pays 139% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Durres versus $255 in Managua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,046 per month in Durres versus $952 in Managua – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Managua runs roughly 208% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $952 in Managua versus $1,046 in Durres, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Managua but tight or insufficient in Durres. The gap between the two cities makes Managua 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.

Expats usually find Managua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.