Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Tirana

For one person, living is cheaper in Elbasan: $887 a month against $1,387 in Tirana, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Elbasan
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Elbasan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Tirana
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Tirana Living Index

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Elbasan

🇦🇱 Albania

$887

/mo nomad

Tirana

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elbasan 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 Elbasan and in Tirana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $887 per month in Elbasan vs $1,387 in Tirana, rent included.

Elbasan $887
Tirana $1,387

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Elbasan vs $2,180 in Tirana, rent included.

Elbasan $1,399
Tirana $2,180

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Elbasan vs $2,972 in Tirana, rent included.

Elbasan $1,912
Tirana $2,972

Elbasan is about 36% cheaper than Tirana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Elbasan sits 34% below the global median, while Tirana is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ALL 802

$9.89 ALL 797

0.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.83 ALL 2,967

$55.0 ALL 4,433

-33.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 ALL 544

$11.17 ALL 900

-39.48%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ALL 138

$2.23 ALL 179

-22.87%

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

$1.40 ALL 113

$2.35 ALL 190

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.7

$1.29 ALL 104

-49.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ALL 172

$3.62 ALL 292

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ALL 220

$4.14 ALL 333

-33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ALL 153

$2.18 ALL 176

-12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ALL 75.4

$1.18 ALL 94.7

-20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ALL 127

$2.39 ALL 193

-34.31%

Eggs

$2.60 ALL 210

$3.53 ALL 285

-26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 ALL 832

$12.81 ALL 1,032

-19.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 ALL 476

$9.36 ALL 754

-36.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 ALL 910

$17.23 ALL 1,388

-34.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 96.8

$1.92 ALL 155

-37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ALL 182

$2.50 ALL 202

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 112

$2.14 ALL 172

-35.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 91.6

$1.88 ALL 151

-39.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ALL 80.2

$1.05 ALL 84.6

-4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 83.8

$1.20 ALL 96.7

-13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ALL 66.6

$1.43 ALL 116

-41.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ALL 53.5

$0.76 ALL 61.1

-13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ALL 350

$4.97 ALL 400

-12.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 ALL 492

$11.26 ALL 907

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ALL 82.3

$1.57 ALL 126

-35.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ALL 145

$1.93 ALL 156

-6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ALL 38.21

$0.47 ALL 37.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.64 ALL 1,582

$19.99 ALL 1,610

-1.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 290

$3.64 ALL 294

-1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 ALL 117

$3.65 ALL 294

-60.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 ALL 1,174

$18.69 ALL 1,506

-22.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 172

$2.42 ALL 195

-11.57%

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

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

$33.6K ALL 2.7M

-13.02%

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

$29.3K ALL 2.4M

$29.9K ALL 2.4M

-2.20%

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

$61.7 ALL 4,970

$97.5 ALL 7,856

-36.73%

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

$15.34 ALL 1,236

$18.63 ALL 1,501

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.08 ALL 973

$19.46 ALL 1,568

-37.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 ALL 4,671

$59.2 ALL 4,772

-2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 ALL 1,372

$19.08 ALL 1,537

-10.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 ALL 355

$9.96 ALL 802

-55.72%

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

$142 ALL 11.4K

$350 ALL 28.2K

-59.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,886 ALL 151.9K

$10.2K ALL 821.8K

-81.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ALL 5,856

$62.1 ALL 5,004

17.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 ALL 3,547

$46.17 ALL 3,719

-4.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 ALL 7,522

$119 ALL 9,576

-21.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ALL 7,767

$121 ALL 9,746

-20.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ALL 23.9K

$809 ALL 65.2K

-63.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 ALL 16.8K

$500 ALL 40.3K

-58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ALL 35.1K

$1,554 ALL 125.2K

-71.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ALL 25.5K

$892 ALL 71.9K

-64.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,377 ALL 111.0K

$4,260 ALL 343.2K

-67.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$870 ALL 70.1K

$2,101 ALL 169.3K

-58.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ALL 50.4K

$899 ALL 72.5K

-30.39%

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 Tirana: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elbasan

$208 23.5%

Tirana

$500 36.1% 140% $292

Groceries & Markets

Elbasan

$208 23.4%

Tirana

$291 21% 40.4% $84

Eating Out

Elbasan

$145 16.3%

Tirana

$180 13% 24.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Elbasan

$138 15.6%

Tirana

$157 11.3% 13.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elbasan

$89 10.1%

Tirana

$136 9.8% 52.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Elbasan

$67 7.5%

Tirana

$79 5.7% 18.5% $12

Getting Around

Elbasan

$32 3.7%

Tirana

$44 3.2% 35.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Elbasan versus $809 in Tirana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Tirana, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

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

Good to know

🇦🇱 Elbasan

🇦🇱 Tirana

🕒 Local time

06:59 6:59 AM

Same time as Elbasan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,703

418,495 Capital

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.11 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Elbasan Tirana 33 km

From you

Elbasan
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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 Tirana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tirana is pricier by about 56%, 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 $2,081 in Tirana. 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 $809 in Tirana.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Elbasan and $55 in Tirana. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Tirana, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Tirana at $1,387. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tirana 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.

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tirana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.