Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Albania Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Albania

Name: Albania
Address: AL

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Italy vs $1,117 in Albania, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,623 per month in Italy vs $1,706 in Albania, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,528 per month in Italy vs $2,294 in Albania, rent included.

Italy costs about 54% more than Albania on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 28% above the global median, while Albania is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Italy has a wider regional cost range ($1,147–$2,536) than Albania ($916–$1,395), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €14.75

$11.83 ALL 966

45.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 €68.7

$53.9 ALL 4,398

49.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €9.79

$9.18 ALL 750

24.62%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.64

$1.96 ALL 160

-2.04%

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

$2.98 €2.55

$1.86 ALL 152

60.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.85 ALL 69.6

55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 €4.99

$2.90 ALL 237

101.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.42

$4.18 ALL 341

23.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.44

$2.10 ALL 172

-19.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.02 ALL 83.6

136.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.57

$2.12 ALL 173

41.51%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.49

$3.73 ALL 304

9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 €13.88

$12.32 ALL 1,006

31.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.65 €10.83

$7.92 ALL 646

59.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 €17.23

$14.69 ALL 1,199

37.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.23

$1.56 ALL 127

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$2.50 ALL 204

-11.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.23

$1.84 ALL 150

41.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.81

$1.74 ALL 142

88.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.19 ALL 96.9

63.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.21 ALL 98.6

51.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.32 ALL 108

17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$0.73 ALL 59.2

-31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.89

$4.14 ALL 338

66.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €5.87

$9.91 ALL 809

-30.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.54 ALL 126

16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.16

$2.13 ALL 174

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.45 ALL 37.05

331.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.82 €35.80

$18.78 ALL 1,533

122.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €4.88

$3.57 ALL 291

59.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.31

$3.06 ALL 250

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.12 €30.06

$17.85 ALL 1,457

96.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.17 ALL 178

-6.45%

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

$31.8K €27.3K

$34.1K ALL 2.8M

-6.47%

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

$33.3K €28.5K

$32.0K ALL 2.6M

4.00%

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

$224 €192

$98.6 ALL 8,049

127.16%

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

$13.50 €11.56

$18.21 ALL 1,487

-25.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.92 €26.47

$18.87 ALL 1,541

63.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.19

$50.6 ALL 4,131

11.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 €21.73

$23.50 ALL 1,919

8.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €8.91

$8.38 ALL 684

24.22%

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

$575 €492

$259 ALL 21.2K

121.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,043

$4,478 ALL 365.7K

135.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €76.5

$66.0 ALL 5,390

35.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.72 €34.00

$48.50 ALL 3,960

-18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €85.2

$105 ALL 8,573

-5.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €111

$135 ALL 11.0K

-3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 €731

$631 ALL 51.5K

35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 €558

$419 ALL 34.2K

55.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 €1,265

$1,254 ALL 102.4K

17.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €949

$800 ALL 65.3K

38.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,361

$2,833 ALL 231.3K

38.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 €2,063

$1,665 ALL 135.9K

44.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,932 €1,654

$748 ALL 61.1K

158.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

5.52

-20.11%

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

Last update for Italy: April 27, 2026

Last update for Albania: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $742 in Italy vs $467 in Albania. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,349 in Rome and $810 in Tirana.

Average salary: $1,935 in Italy vs $644 in Albania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 72% more in Italy.

Public transport is 132% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 200% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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

Italy vs Albania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albania is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 59% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Italy, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Italy consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Albania, contributing to the overall 59% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Albania, but in Italy it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Albania is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.