Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kukes and Ballsh

For one person, living is cheaper in Kukes: $750 a month against $1,185 in Ballsh, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Kukes
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Kukes Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ballsh
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Ballsh Living Index

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Kukes

🇦🇱 Albania

$750

/mo nomad

Ballsh

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kukes and in Ballsh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kukes and in Ballsh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $750 per month in Kukes vs $1,185 in Ballsh, rent included.

Kukes $750
Ballsh $1,185

A couple spends around $1,115 per month in Kukes vs $1,834 in Ballsh, rent included.

Kukes $1,115
Ballsh $1,834

A family of three spends $1,480 per month in Kukes vs $2,484 in Ballsh, rent included.

Kukes $1,480
Ballsh $2,484

Kukes is about 37% cheaper than Ballsh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kukes and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Kukes 45% lower, Ballsh 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 ALL 293

$9.65 ALL 779

-62.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.06 ALL 1,782

$54.6 ALL 4,406

-59.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 ALL 612

$7.04 ALL 568

7.53%

Cappuccino

$1.49 ALL 121

$2.25 ALL 181

-33.78%

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

$1.40 ALL 113

$1.47 ALL 119

-4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ALL 51.5

$0.90 ALL 72.7

-28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 ALL 153

$3.50 ALL 283

-46.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ALL 182

$4.11 ALL 332

-45.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ALL 128

$2.24 ALL 181

-29.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ALL 63.0

$1.22 ALL 98.2

-36.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 ALL 170

$2.35 ALL 190

-10.64%

Eggs

$2.72 ALL 220

$3.80 ALL 307

-28.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 ALL 745

$13.01 ALL 1,051

-29.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 ALL 597

$9.45 ALL 763

-21.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 ALL 847

$17.32 ALL 1,399

-39.43%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 ALL 79.0

$1.97 ALL 159

-50.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 ALL 154

$2.51 ALL 203

-23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 ALL 76.4

$2.22 ALL 180

-57.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ALL 129

$1.91 ALL 154

-16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ALL 62.3

$1.06 ALL 86.0

-27.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ALL 82.3

$1.32 ALL 107

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ALL 87.3

$1.50 ALL 121

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ALL 56.6

$0.80 ALL 65.0

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ALL 356

$4.79 ALL 387

-7.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 ALL 607

$10.42 ALL 842

-27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ALL 88.0

$1.62 ALL 131

-32.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ALL 132

$2.03 ALL 164

-19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ALL 40.72

$0.53 ALL 42.52

-5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.35 ALL 1,563

$18.09 ALL 1,461

6.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 ALL 307

$3.77 ALL 304

0.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.80 ALL 307

$3.82 ALL 308

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 ALL 396

$18.59 ALL 1,502

-73.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 ALL 182

$2.42 ALL 195

-7.02%

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

$33.8K ALL 2.7M

$33.2K ALL 2.7M

1.81%

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

$24.8K ALL 2.0M

$29.1K ALL 2.4M

-14.78%

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

$61.4 ALL 4,962

$97.8 ALL 7,898

-37.17%

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

$16.50 ALL 1,332

$18.77 ALL 1,516

-12.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.09 ALL 1,380

$20.21 ALL 1,632

-15.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 ALL 4,640

$50.8 ALL 4,105

13.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 ALL 1,002

Cinema Ticket

$3.62 ALL 292

$9.73 ALL 786

-62.80%

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

$99.3 ALL 8,022

$341 ALL 27.5K

-70.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,309 ALL 671.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.24 ALL 3,008

$48.97 ALL 3,956

-23.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.06 ALL 2,267

$47.59 ALL 3,844

-41.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 ALL 4,055

$118 ALL 9,554

-57.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.89 ALL 3,626

$112 ALL 9,072

-60.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 ALL 18.9K

$446 ALL 36.0K

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ALL 14.1K

$332 ALL 26.8K

-47.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ALL 22.7K

$612 ALL 49.5K

-54.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ALL 16.7K

$486 ALL 39.3K

-57.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,941 ALL 156.8K

$1,745 ALL 140.9K

11.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,312 ALL 106.0K

$1,144 ALL 92.4K

14.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 ALL 43.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

-3.10%

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

Last update for Kukes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kukes

$208 27.7%

Ballsh

$295 24.9% 42% $87

Accommodation & Living

Kukes

$175 23.3%

Ballsh

$332 28% 90.3% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kukes

$95 12.7%

Ballsh

$137 11.5% 43.9% $42

Eating Out

Kukes

$92 12.2%

Ballsh

$160 13.5% 74.9% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Kukes

$72 9.6%

Ballsh

$147 12.4% 104% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Kukes

$65 8.6%

Ballsh

$70 5.9% 8.6% $5.6

Getting Around

Kukes

$44 5.9%

Ballsh

$43 3.6% 2.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $235 in Kukes versus $446 in Ballsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Kukes versus $55 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $295 – making Kukes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Kukes

🇦🇱 Ballsh

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

Same time as Kukes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,985

7,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Kukes Ballsh 170 km

From you

Kukes
Ballsh

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

Kukes vs Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ballsh is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,126 per month in Kukes and $1,778 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kukes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $235 there versus $446 in Ballsh.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Ballsh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Kukes and $55 in Ballsh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kukes, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Ballsh at $1,185. In Kukes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballsh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kukes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.