Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Managua and Durres

For one person, living is cheaper in Managua: $1,042 a month against $1,138 in Durres, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Durres outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

Cost of Living Index in Managua
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Managua Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Durres
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Durres Living Index

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Managua

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,042

/mo nomad

Durres

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Managua and in Durres

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Managua versus $1,138 in Durres.

Managua $1,042
Durres $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,629 in Managua versus $1,733 in Durres.

Managua $1,629
Durres $1,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,215 in Managua versus $2,329 in Durres.

Managua $2,215
Durres $2,329

Living in Managua costs roughly 8% less than in Durres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Managua 23% lower, Durres 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 NIO 360

$10.51 ALL 846

-6.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 NIO 1,305

$37.27 ALL 3,001

-4.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 NIO 275

$10.18 ALL 820

-26.23%

Cappuccino

$2.58 NIO 94.4

$1.98 ALL 160

30.30%

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

$0.91 NIO 33.38

$2.04 ALL 164

-55.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NIO 27.07

$1.05 ALL 84.2

-29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 NIO 54.0

$2.98 ALL 240

-50.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NIO 81.1

$4.23 ALL 340

-47.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 NIO 44.57

$2.11 ALL 170

-42.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 NIO 87.5

$1.07 ALL 86.2

123.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NIO 68.7

$2.37 ALL 190

-20.68%

Eggs

$2.43 NIO 88.9

$3.69 ALL 297

-34.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 NIO 418

$12.79 ALL 1,030

-10.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 NIO 235

$7.64 ALL 615

-16.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.74 NIO 283

$14.57 ALL 1,173

-46.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 NIO 149

$1.15 ALL 93.0

254.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 NIO 21.50

$2.38 ALL 192

-75.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NIO 67.4

$1.54 ALL 124

19.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 NIO 90.5

$1.31 ALL 106

88.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 NIO 146

$0.92 ALL 74.0

333.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NIO 79.5

$0.94 ALL 76.1

130.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 NIO 38.08

$1.25 ALL 101

-16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NIO 36.86

$0.70 ALL 56.7

44.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 NIO 98.0

$4.24 ALL 341

-36.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 NIO 539

$11.01 ALL 887

33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NIO 52.4

$1.50 ALL 121

-4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NIO 83.1

$2.06 ALL 166

10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 NIO 5.69

$0.48 ALL 38.53

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.99 NIO 220

$19.19 ALL 1,545

-68.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 NIO 60.7

$3.57 ALL 287

-53.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NIO 58.9

$2.47 ALL 199

-34.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 NIO 252

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 NIO 49.58

$2.18 ALL 176

-38.07%

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

$23.2K NIO 850.6K

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

44.54%

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

$26.2K NIO 960.2K

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

$150 NIO 5,499

$93.6 ALL 7,534

60.47%

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

$19.87 NIO 728

$16.62 ALL 1,338

19.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.01 NIO 1,172

$16.68 ALL 1,343

91.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.39 NIO 1,296

$40.50 ALL 3,262

-12.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 NIO 555

$61.3 ALL 4,932

-75.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 NIO 332

$7.48 ALL 602

21.12%

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

$235 NIO 8,616

$183 ALL 14.7K

28.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,163 NIO 225.7K

$4,590 ALL 369.6K

34.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NIO 2,163

$39.06 ALL 3,146

51.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 NIO 2,408

$41.02 ALL 3,303

60.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NIO 4,494

$89.4 ALL 7,195

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NIO 5,394

$159 ALL 12.8K

-7.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 NIO 9,407

$444 ALL 35.8K

-42.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 NIO 6,678

$336 ALL 27.0K

-45.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 NIO 15.9K

$690 ALL 55.6K

-36.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 NIO 13.5K

$469 ALL 37.8K

-21.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,188 NIO 43.5K

$1,774 ALL 142.9K

-33.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$681 NIO 24.9K

$1,154 ALL 92.9K

-40.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$430 NIO 15.7K

$940 ALL 75.7K

-54.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

5.25

127.05%

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

Last update for Managua: October 12, 2026

Last update for Durres: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Managua

$260 25%

Durres

$261 22.9% 0.3% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Managua

$202 19.4%

Durres

$127 11.2% 37.2% $75

Accommodation & Living

Managua

$182 17.5%

Durres

$336 29.5% 84.1% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Managua

$178 17.1%

Durres

$148 13% 16.8% $30

Eating Out

Managua

$150 14.4%

Durres

$174 15.3% 15.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Managua

$54 5.1%

Durres

$55 4.9% 3.7% $2

Getting Around

Managua

$16 1.6%

Durres

$37 3.3% 127% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $257 in Managua and $444 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 119% 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: $36.00 in Managua vs $37.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $261 per month, with Managua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇮 Managua

🇦🇱 Durres

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

14:57 2:57 PM

8 h ahead of Managua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,039,290 Capital

175,110

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to NIO in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Managua Durres 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Managua
Durres

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

Managua vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Managua wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Durres. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Managua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 119% lower in Durres. 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: $257 in Managua versus $444 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,042 per month in Managua versus $1,138 in Durres – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Managua runs roughly 220% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,042 in Managua versus $1,138 in Durres, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Managua but tight or insufficient in Durres. The gap between the two cities makes Managua 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.

Expats usually find Managua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.