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 $1,782 per month in Italy vs $1,127 in Albania, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,722 per month in Italy vs $1,725 in Albania, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,662 per month in Italy vs $2,323 in Albania, rent included.

The cost of living in Italy is about 58% higher than in Albania on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 30% above the global median, while Albania is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Italy ($1,169–$2,657) than in Albania ($773–$1,418), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.07 €18.36

$9.97 ALL 787

111.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 €70.7

$43.79 ALL 3,459

85.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €10.02

$9.02 ALL 713

27.49%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.83

$2.07 ALL 163

1.45%

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

$3.07 €2.67

$2.13 ALL 169

44.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.02 ALL 80.5

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.11

$2.95 ALL 233

98.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.99

$3.68 ALL 291

55.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.39

$2.24 ALL 177

-29.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.10

$1.11 ALL 88.1

117.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.61

$2.33 ALL 184

28.33%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.78

$3.64 ALL 288

19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 €15.36

$12.61 ALL 996

39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.69 €11.06

$8.83 ALL 698

43.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.80 €18.13

$15.38 ALL 1,215

35.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$1.68 ALL 133

55.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.45 ALL 193

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.86 ALL 147

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.94

$1.75 ALL 138

92.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.09 ALL 85.8

87.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.20 ALL 94.5

63.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.23 ALL 97.0

26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.46

$0.81 ALL 64.0

-34.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €5.96

$4.73 ALL 373

44.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.72

$10.04 ALL 793

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.60 ALL 126

16.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.10 ALL 166

18.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 €1.67

$0.48 ALL 38.31

297.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.16 €38.49

$20.22 ALL 1,598

118.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.12

$3.71 ALL 293

58.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.49

$3.72 ALL 294

-54.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.16 €30.65

$19.05 ALL 1,505

84.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.20 ALL 173

-4.09%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$34.7K ALL 2.7M

6.35%

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

$36.5K €31.8K

$32.3K ALL 2.6M

12.93%

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

$229 €200

$97.0 ALL 7,665

136.51%

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

$12.09 €10.54

$18.65 ALL 1,474

-35.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €27.52

$19.48 ALL 1,539

62.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €47.18

$50.1 ALL 3,956

8.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 €21.37

$23.65 ALL 1,868

3.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.40

$8.87 ALL 701

21.53%

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

$562 €490

$301 ALL 23.8K

86.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.7K

$6,501 ALL 513.6K

88.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 €82.2

$66.1 ALL 5,223

42.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.50

$47.94 ALL 3,788

-15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.7

$116 ALL 9,181

-10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$126 ALL 9,916

8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 €725

$564 ALL 44.6K

47.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 €564

$377 ALL 29.8K

71.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 €1,264

$983 ALL 77.7K

47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €942

$614 ALL 48.5K

76.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,816 €3,326

$2,879 ALL 227.4K

32.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 €2,015

$1,700 ALL 134.3K

35.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,954 €1,703

$753 ALL 59.5K

159.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.46

-34.62%

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

Last update for Italy: September 13, 2026

Last update for Albania: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $748 in Italy vs $488 in Albania. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,238 in Rome and $845 in Tirana.

Average salary: $1,958 in Italy vs $676 in Albania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 74% more in Italy.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 190% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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 75% 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 75% 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.