Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $919 in Elbasan versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,443 in Elbasan versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,967 in Elbasan versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Elbasan costs roughly 61% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elbasan is 32% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.64 ALL 787

$17.08 €14.72

-43.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 ALL 2,624

$69.2 €59.7

-53.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 ALL 589

$13.78 €11.87

-47.68%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ALL 146

$2.76 €2.37

-35.14%

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

$1.29 ALL 105

$2.79 €2.40

-53.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ALL 55.9

$1.99 €1.72

-65.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ALL 146

$4.36 €3.76

-58.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ALL 198

$4.74 €4.09

-48.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ALL 150

$1.29 €1.11

42.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ALL 76.3

$2.05 €1.77

-54.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ALL 128

$1.99 €1.71

-21.61%

Eggs

$3.04 ALL 249

$3.39 €2.92

-10.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ALL 821

$18.81 €16.21

-46.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 ALL 426

$9.36 €8.07

-44.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 ALL 992

$19.12 €16.48

-36.51%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 ALL 69.5

$2.70 €2.32

-68.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ALL 202

$2.34 €2.02

5.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 102

$2.12 €1.83

-41.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 ALL 79.0

$2.85 €2.46

-65.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 78.1

$1.97 €1.70

-51.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 88.8

$1.80 €1.55

-39.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ALL 73.5

$1.45 €1.25

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ALL 46.46

$0.86 €0.74

-33.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ALL 323

$6.78 €5.84

-41.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 ALL 629

$7.90 €6.81

-2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.6

$1.39 €1.20

-35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ALL 123

$2.37 €2.04

-36.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.39

$2.92 €2.52

-83.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 ALL 1,567

$28.69 €24.72

-33.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ALL 283

$4.46 €3.84

-22.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ALL 101

$2.05 €1.77

-39.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ALL 1,136

$29.55 €25.46

-52.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 172

$1.82 €1.56

15.93%

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

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

$38.8K €33.5K

-45.83%

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

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

$33.1K €28.5K

-17.95%

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

$68.5 ALL 5,596

$189 €163

-63.81%

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

$17.59 ALL 1,437

$22.80 €19.65

-22.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.13 ALL 1,236

$37.59 €32.39

-59.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 ALL 5,392

$57.7 €49.75

14.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.22 ALL 1,325

$20.74 €17.87

-21.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ALL 469

$10.82 €9.33

-46.95%

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

$142 ALL 11.6K

$728 €628

-80.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

$14.8K €12.7K

-88.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ALL 3,804

$88.6 €76.4

-47.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 ALL 2,827

$36.85 €31.75

-6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 ALL 7,650

$102 €87.9

-8.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 ALL 14.5K

$116 €100

52.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 ALL 23.2K

$1,569 €1,352

-81.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ALL 16.0K

$1,218 €1,050

-83.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.5K

$2,795 €2,409

-84.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ALL 24.2K

$1,975 €1,702

-85.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

$7,754 €6,680

-82.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$862 ALL 70.5K

$5,176 €4,460

-83.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 ALL 43.8K

$2,343 €2,019

-77.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

3.39

79.94%

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

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Elbasan and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 337% 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: $32.00 in Elbasan vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $319 per month, with Elbasan 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

Elbasan vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elbasan and Barcelona differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($919 vs $2,337 including rent). Elbasan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 337% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $284 in Elbasan versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $142 in Elbasan versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Elbasan versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elbasan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Elbasan 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.

Safety-wise, Elbasan and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Elbasan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.