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: $916 in Elbasan versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,471 in Elbasan versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,026 in Elbasan versus $4,582 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 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 ALL 755

$17.61 €15.04

-47.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.89 ALL 2,606

$68.7 €58.7

-53.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 ALL 587

$13.75 €11.74

-47.78%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ALL 147

$2.76 €2.36

-34.78%

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

$1.27 ALL 103

$2.78 €2.38

-54.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ALL 55.4

$2.05 €1.75

-66.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 ALL 142

$4.61 €3.93

-62.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ALL 194

$4.59 €3.92

-48.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ALL 150

$1.28 €1.09

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 75.0

$2.11 €1.80

-56.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ALL 128

$1.97 €1.68

-20.81%

Eggs

$2.91 ALL 238

$3.44 €2.94

-15.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 ALL 798

$18.83 €16.08

-48.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 ALL 436

$9.45 €8.07

-43.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 ALL 1,014

$19.01 €16.24

-34.72%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 ALL 74.6

$2.72 €2.32

-66.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ALL 193

$2.37 €2.03

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ALL 103

$2.08 €1.77

-39.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 ALL 73.1

$2.76 €2.36

-67.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ALL 75.4

$1.97 €1.68

-53.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 88.9

$1.79 €1.53

-39.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ALL 80.4

$1.51 €1.29

-35.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ALL 49.08

$0.90 €0.77

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ALL 326

$6.76 €5.77

-40.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 ALL 673

$7.55 €6.44

9.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ALL 75.4

$1.44 €1.23

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ALL 119

$2.41 €2.06

-39.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.68

$3.03 €2.59

-85.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 ALL 1,525

$28.39 €24.25

-34.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 294

$4.43 €3.78

-18.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ALL 105

$2.05 €1.75

-37.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.36 ALL 1,174

$29.33 €25.05

-51.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 172

$1.89 €1.61

11.64%

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

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

$38.7K €33.1K

-45.72%

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

$27.5K ALL 2.2M

$32.4K €27.6K

-15.00%

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

$67.2 ALL 5,492

$189 €161

-64.36%

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

$17.26 ALL 1,411

$22.21 €18.96

-22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.29 ALL 1,249

$36.82 €31.44

-58.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ALL 5,364

$58.0 €49.52

13.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 ALL 1,338

$20.99 €17.93

-22.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 ALL 443

$11.05 €9.44

-50.86%

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

$139 ALL 11.4K

$726 €620

-80.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,789 ALL 146.2K

$15.2K €13.0K

-88.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ALL 8,518

$88.3 €75.4

18.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.21 ALL 2,796

$36.98 €31.58

-7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 ALL 7,667

$103 €87.6

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 ALL 14.7K

$119 €102

50.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 ALL 23.6K

$1,526 €1,304

-81.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ALL 16.2K

$1,218 €1,040

-83.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 ALL 34.4K

$2,794 €2,386

-84.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ALL 24.5K

$2,027 €1,731

-85.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,362 ALL 111.3K

$7,094 €6,058

-80.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 ALL 69.2K

$4,849 €4,141

-82.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$550 ALL 45.0K

$2,404 €2,053

-77.10%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $289 in Elbasan and $1,526 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 $207 vs $320 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 156% in total monthly costs ($916 vs $2,341 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: $289 in Elbasan versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $139 in Elbasan versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $916 in Elbasan versus $2,341 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 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.