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: $917 in Elbasan versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Elbasan versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Elbasan versus $4,638 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 31% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.47 ALL 776

$17.15 €14.96

-44.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.67 ALL 2,678

$68.1 €59.3

-52.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 ALL 584

$13.64 €11.89

-47.80%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ALL 148

$2.78 €2.42

-35.25%

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

$1.29 ALL 105

$2.82 €2.46

-54.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ALL 61.1

$1.96 €1.71

-61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 ALL 148

$4.43 €3.86

-59.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ALL 188

$4.61 €4.01

-50.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ALL 148

$1.27 €1.11

41.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 75.7

$2.13 €1.86

-56.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ALL 122

$1.99 €1.73

-25.13%

Eggs

$3.00 ALL 246

$3.37 €2.93

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 ALL 794

$18.96 €16.53

-48.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 ALL 446

$9.53 €8.31

-42.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.45 ALL 1,021

$18.73 €16.33

-33.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 ALL 71.1

$2.65 €2.31

-67.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ALL 194

$2.35 €2.05

0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 103

$2.09 €1.82

-40.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ALL 76.2

$2.73 €2.38

-65.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ALL 82.4

$1.96 €1.71

-48.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ALL 84.6

$1.81 €1.58

-43.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ALL 73.6

$1.51 €1.32

-40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ALL 46.45

$0.89 €0.78

-35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ALL 324

$6.78 €5.91

-41.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 ALL 666

$7.92 €6.90

2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.6

$1.37 €1.19

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ALL 117

$2.40 €2.09

-40.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.35

$2.91 €2.54

-83.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.61 ALL 1,525

$28.66 €24.98

-35.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ALL 281

$4.58 €3.99

-25.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 ALL 105

$2.04 €1.78

-37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 ALL 1,173

$28.72 €25.03

-50.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 179

$1.82 €1.59

19.78%

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

$21.6K ALL 1.8M

$39.3K €34.3K

-45.09%

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

$27.7K ALL 2.3M

$32.5K €28.3K

-14.81%

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

$66.8 ALL 5,471

$187 €163

-64.23%

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

$17.59 ALL 1,442

$22.29 €19.43

-21.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.21 ALL 1,246

$36.37 €31.71

-58.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 ALL 5,410

$57.5 €50.2

14.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 ALL 1,326

$20.74 €18.08

-21.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 ALL 465

$10.77 €9.39

-47.35%

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

$139 ALL 11.4K

$725 €632

-80.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,791 ALL 146.8K

$15.2K €13.2K

-88.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.58 ALL 3,899

$87.9 €76.6

-45.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.42 ALL 2,821

$36.81 €32.09

-6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 ALL 7,827

$103 €90.2

-7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 ALL 14.7K

$119 €103

50.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 ALL 23.4K

$1,524 €1,328

-81.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ALL 15.9K

$1,227 €1,070

-84.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ALL 34.0K

$2,727 €2,378

-84.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ALL 24.2K

$1,984 €1,730

-85.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 ALL 107.4K

$7,469 €6,511

-82.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 ALL 70.9K

$5,243 €4,571

-83.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$550 ALL 45.1K

$2,393 €2,086

-77.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Elbasan and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 335% 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: $33.00 in Elbasan vs $68.0 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 157% in total monthly costs ($917 vs $2,359 including rent). Elbasan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 335% lower in Barcelona. 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: $286 in Elbasan versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $139 in Elbasan versus $725 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 $917 in Elbasan versus $2,359 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 157% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.