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: $1,152 in Durres versus $998 in Managua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,773 in Durres versus $1,576 in Managua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,393 in Durres versus $2,154 in Managua.

Living in Durres is roughly 15% more expensive than in Managua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 16% lower, Managua 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 ALL 847

$9.91 NIO 363

8.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.29 ALL 3,027

$36.90 NIO 1,351

3.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 ALL 841

$7.40 NIO 271

43.78%

Cappuccino

$2.05 ALL 162

$2.49 NIO 91.3

-17.67%

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

$2.11 ALL 167

$0.84 NIO 30.78

151.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ALL 80.5

$0.68 NIO 24.75

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ALL 254

$1.45 NIO 53.3

122.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ALL 342

$2.03 NIO 74.5

112.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ALL 175

$1.30 NIO 47.46

70.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ALL 90.3

$2.40 NIO 87.7

-52.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ALL 190

$1.77 NIO 65.0

36.16%

Eggs

$3.84 ALL 304

$2.29 NIO 84.0

67.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 ALL 1,036

$11.71 NIO 429

11.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 ALL 635

$6.70 NIO 246

19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 ALL 1,189

$7.07 NIO 259

112.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 ALL 98.0

$3.76 NIO 138

-67.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 ALL 201

$0.57 NIO 21.03

345.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ALL 124

$1.77 NIO 65.0

-11.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ALL 106

$2.18 NIO 79.9

-38.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ALL 67.9

$3.82 NIO 140

-77.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ALL 76.3

$2.16 NIO 79.2

-55.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ALL 98.3

$0.99 NIO 36.31

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ALL 56.5

$1.03 NIO 37.65

-31.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ALL 344

$2.69 NIO 98.5

61.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 ALL 903

$14.82 NIO 543

-22.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 ALL 124

$1.48 NIO 54.2

5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ALL 171

$2.32 NIO 84.8

-6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ALL 40.51

$0.15 NIO 5.64

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.15 ALL 1,514

$6.15 NIO 225

211.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ALL 291

$1.66 NIO 60.8

121.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 ALL 205

$1.67 NIO 61.0

55.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 NIO 242

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 ALL 172

$1.36 NIO 49.89

59.56%

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

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

$23.2K NIO 851.4K

-30.94%

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

$25.9K NIO 947.5K

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

$97.0 ALL 7,671

$117 NIO 4,282

-17.00%

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

$17.29 ALL 1,367

$16.96 NIO 621

1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.02 ALL 1,345

$36.52 NIO 1,338

-53.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.56 ALL 3,364

$32.97 NIO 1,208

29.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$63.4 ALL 5,010

$15.06 NIO 552

320.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ALL 593

$8.54 NIO 313

-12.06%

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

$190 ALL 15.0K

$234 NIO 8,562

-18.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,635 ALL 366.4K

$6,050 NIO 221.6K

-23.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.39 ALL 3,114

$70.0 NIO 2,563

-43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.78 ALL 3,302

$73.4 NIO 2,687

-43.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 ALL 7,254

$133 NIO 4,881

-31.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 ALL 12.8K

$109 NIO 4,009

48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ALL 37.2K

$255 NIO 9,341

84.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ALL 26.4K

$191 NIO 7,009

74.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ALL 58.0K

$439 NIO 16.1K

67.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 ALL 37.9K

$366 NIO 13.4K

30.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,835 ALL 145.1K

$1,192 NIO 43.7K

53.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,151 ALL 91.0K

$642 NIO 23.5K

79.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 ALL 77.0K

$357 NIO 13.1K

173.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.25

-48.78%

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

Last update for Durres: August 30, 2026

Last update for Managua: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Durres and $255 in Managua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 173% 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 $37.00 in Managua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $257 per month, with Managua 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 15% 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.

Average pay runs 173% higher in Durres, 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: $471 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 $1,152 per month in Durres versus $998 in Managua – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Managua runs roughly 211% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $998 in Managua versus $1,152 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 15% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.