Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Tirana

For one person, living is cheaper in Durres: $1,128 a month against $1,401 in Tirana, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Durres, Albania
Tirana, Albania
Durres
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,128
/mo nomad
Tirana
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,401
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durres and in Tirana

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 Tirana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,128 in Durres versus $1,401 in Tirana.

  • Durres $1,128
  • Tirana $1,401

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Durres versus $2,191 in Tirana.

  • Durres $1,732
  • Tirana $2,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,336 in Durres versus $2,982 in Tirana.

  • Durres $2,336
  • Tirana $2,982

Living in Durres costs roughly 19% less than in Tirana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durres is 17% below, Tirana is 3% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Durres
Tirana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.48 ALL 849
$10.09 ALL 817
3.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.19 ALL 3,013
$56.5 ALL 4,573
-34.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 ALL 840
$10.92 ALL 885
-5.04%
Cappuccino
$2.07 ALL 168
$2.21 ALL 179
-6.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 ALL 172
$2.45 ALL 198
-13.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 ALL 86.9
$1.27 ALL 103
-15.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 ALL 248
$3.56 ALL 288
-14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 ALL 359
$4.13 ALL 335
7.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Durres
Tirana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 ALL 168
$2.28 ALL 185
-8.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 ALL 83.4
$1.15 ALL 93.1
-10.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 ALL 185
$2.39 ALL 194
-4.18%
Eggs
$3.86 ALL 312
$3.83 ALL 310
0.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.69 ALL 1,028
$12.71 ALL 1,029
-0.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.78 ALL 631
$8.98 ALL 728
-13.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 ALL 1,217
$16.98 ALL 1,375
-11.54%
Apples (1kg)
$1.20 ALL 97.4
$2.01 ALL 163
-40.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.43 ALL 197
$2.43 ALL 197
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.56 ALL 126
$2.14 ALL 173
-27.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 ALL 107
$1.89 ALL 153
-30.16%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 ALL 73.1
$1.06 ALL 86.1
-15.09%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 ALL 77.2
$1.30 ALL 106
-26.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ALL 99.1
$1.46 ALL 118
-16.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ALL 57.4
$0.79 ALL 64.0
-10.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ALL 359
$4.93 ALL 400
-10.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.99 ALL 890
$10.62 ALL 861
3.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 ALL 121
$1.58 ALL 128
-5.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 ALL 169
$2.12 ALL 172
-1.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Durres
Tirana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 ALL 38.50
$0.50 ALL 40.55
-4.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.58 ALL 1,586
$19.97 ALL 1,617
-1.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 ALL 296
$3.81 ALL 309
-4.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.50 ALL 202
$3.77 ALL 306
-33.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$18.87 ALL 1,529
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 ALL 178
$2.39 ALL 194
-7.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.0K ALL 1.3M
$33.0K ALL 2.7M
-51.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K ALL 2.1M
$29.8K ALL 2.4M
-14.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
Tirana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.2 ALL 7,310
$97.8 ALL 7,925
-7.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.02 ALL 1,460
$18.80 ALL 1,523
-4.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.33 ALL 1,323
$19.77 ALL 1,602
-17.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Durres
Tirana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.02 ALL 3,323
$59.4 ALL 4,808
-30.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$61.3 ALL 4,963
$19.68 ALL 1,594
211.28%
Cinema Ticket
$7.52 ALL 610
$9.75 ALL 790
-22.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Durres
Tirana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$189 ALL 15.3K
$344 ALL 27.9K
-45.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,673 ALL 378.6K
$8,329 ALL 674.7K
-43.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Durres
Tirana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.78 ALL 3,142
$72.7 ALL 5,887
-46.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.46 ALL 3,358
$48.76 ALL 3,950
-14.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 ALL 7,216
$121 ALL 9,795
-26.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$162 ALL 13.1K
$110 ALL 8,934
46.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Durres
Tirana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$451 ALL 36.5K
$810 ALL 65.6K
-44.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$321 ALL 26.0K
$511 ALL 41.4K
-37.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$703 ALL 57.0K
$1,572 ALL 127.3K
-55.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 ALL 37.5K
$888 ALL 71.9K
-47.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,993 ALL 161.5K
$4,085 ALL 330.9K
-51.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,302 ALL 105.5K
$2,081 ALL 168.6K
-37.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Durres
Tirana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$977 ALL 79.1K
$886 ALL 71.7K
10.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
5.16
1.74%

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

Last update for Durres: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tirana: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Durres
$321
Tirana
$511 59.2% $190
Groceries & Markets
Durres
$263
Tirana
$290 10.5% $28
Eating Out
Durres
$177
Tirana
$181 2.3% $4
Clothing & Footwear
Durres
$149
Tirana
$159 6.5% $9.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
$125
Tirana
$136 9.5% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Durres
$56
Tirana
$79 40.6% $23
Getting Around
Durres
$38
Tirana
$45 18.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $451 in Durres and $810 in Tirana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Durres vs $56 in Tirana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $290 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇱 Durres
🇦🇱 Tirana
🕒 Local time
06:01 6:01 AM
06:01 6:01 AM
Same time as Durres
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
175,110
418,495 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Durres Tirana 31 km
From you
  • Durres
  • Tirana

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 Tirana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Durres or Tirana?
Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Tirana. 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 Tirana?
Average pay runs 10% higher in Durres, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Durres compared to Tirana?
Rent for a central apartment: $451 in Durres versus $810 in Tirana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Durres or in Tirana?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Tirana. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Durres compared to Tirana?
All in, you’ll spend $1,128 per month in Durres versus $1,401 in Tirana – Durres is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Durres or in Tirana?
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 is better for families?
For families, Durres is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tirana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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