Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Ballsh

For one person, living is cheaper in Elbasan: $887 a month against $1,183 in Ballsh, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Elbasan
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Elbasan Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Ballsh
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Ballsh Living Index

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Elbasan

🇦🇱 Albania

$887

/mo nomad

Ballsh

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elbasan and in Ballsh

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

A single person spends $887 per month in Elbasan vs $1,183 in Ballsh, rent included.

Elbasan $887
Ballsh $1,183

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Elbasan vs $1,835 in Ballsh, rent included.

Elbasan $1,399
Ballsh $1,835

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Elbasan vs $2,487 in Ballsh, rent included.

Elbasan $1,912
Ballsh $2,487

Elbasan is about 25% cheaper than Ballsh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Elbasan and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Elbasan 34% lower, Ballsh 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ALL 802

$9.88 ALL 796

0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.83 ALL 2,967

$55.5 ALL 4,469

-33.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 ALL 544

$7.09 ALL 571

-4.65%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ALL 138

$2.21 ALL 178

-22.17%

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

$1.40 ALL 113

$1.41 ALL 114

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.7

$0.85 ALL 68.2

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ALL 172

$3.68 ALL 297

-41.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ALL 220

$4.14 ALL 334

-33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ALL 153

$2.19 ALL 176

-13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ALL 75.4

$1.15 ALL 92.9

-18.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ALL 127

$2.35 ALL 190

-33.19%

Eggs

$2.60 ALL 210

$3.69 ALL 297

-29.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 ALL 833

$13.04 ALL 1,051

-20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 ALL 476

$9.40 ALL 757

-37.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 ALL 910

$16.86 ALL 1,359

-32.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 96.8

$1.94 ALL 156

-38.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ALL 182

$2.50 ALL 202

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 112

$2.24 ALL 180

-37.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 91.6

$1.83 ALL 147

-37.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ALL 80.2

$1.06 ALL 85.1

-5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 83.8

$1.25 ALL 101

-16.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ALL 66.6

$1.44 ALL 116

-42.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ALL 53.5

$0.81 ALL 65.0

-18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ALL 350

$4.80 ALL 386

-9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 ALL 492

$10.60 ALL 854

-42.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ALL 82.3

$1.58 ALL 127

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ALL 145

$2.02 ALL 163

-10.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ALL 38.22

$0.47 ALL 38.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.64 ALL 1,583

$20.12 ALL 1,621

-2.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 290

$3.74 ALL 301

-3.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 ALL 117

$3.65 ALL 294

-60.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 ALL 1,174

$18.33 ALL 1,477

-20.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 172

$2.43 ALL 196

-11.93%

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

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

$33.2K ALL 2.7M

-11.96%

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

$29.3K ALL 2.4M

$29.9K ALL 2.4M

-2.18%

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

$61.7 ALL 4,971

$100 ALL 8,091

-38.57%

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

$15.34 ALL 1,236

$18.54 ALL 1,494

-17.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.08 ALL 973

$20.19 ALL 1,627

-40.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 ALL 4,671

$57.6 ALL 4,637

0.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 ALL 1,372

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 ALL 355

$9.98 ALL 804

-55.81%

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

$142 ALL 11.4K

$351 ALL 28.3K

-59.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,886 ALL 151.9K

$8,208 ALL 661.3K

-77.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ALL 5,857

$50.2 ALL 4,045

44.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 ALL 3,548

$47.35 ALL 3,815

-7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 ALL 7,523

$120 ALL 9,636

-21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ALL 7,768

$112 ALL 9,037

-14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ALL 23.9K

$476 ALL 38.3K

-37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 ALL 16.8K

$320 ALL 25.8K

-34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ALL 35.1K

$717 ALL 57.8K

-39.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ALL 25.5K

$471 ALL 37.9K

-32.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,377 ALL 111.0K

$1,976 ALL 159.2K

-30.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$870 ALL 70.1K

$1,284 ALL 103.5K

-32.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ALL 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.16

18.22%

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

Last update for Elbasan: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Elbasan

$208 23.5%

Ballsh

$320 27.1% 53.8% $112

Groceries & Markets

Elbasan

$208 23.4%

Ballsh

$291 24.6% 40.4% $84

Eating Out

Elbasan

$145 16.3%

Ballsh

$163 13.7% 12.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Elbasan

$138 15.6%

Ballsh

$148 12.5% 7.4% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elbasan

$89 10.1%

Ballsh

$139 11.8% 56.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Elbasan

$67 7.5%

Ballsh

$78 6.6% 16.1% $11

Getting Around

Elbasan

$32 3.7%

Ballsh

$44 3.7% 35.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Elbasan versus $476 in Ballsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Elbasan versus $55 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $291 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Elbasan

🇦🇱 Ballsh

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

Same time as Elbasan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,703

7,000

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Elbasan Ballsh 64 km

From you

Elbasan
Ballsh

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

Elbasan vs Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ballsh is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,331 per month in Elbasan and $1,775 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $297 there versus $476 in Ballsh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $887 in Elbasan and $1,183 in Ballsh. That makes Elbasan about 25% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $142 per month in Elbasan and $351 in Ballsh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Ballsh at $1,183. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballsh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.