Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarande and Ballsh

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballsh: $1,182 a month against $1,298 in Sarande, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Sarande
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Sarande Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ballsh
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Ballsh Living Index

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Sarande

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,298

/mo nomad

Ballsh

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,298 per month in Sarande vs $1,182 in Ballsh, rent included.

Sarande $1,298
Ballsh $1,182

A couple spends around $2,205 per month in Sarande vs $1,821 in Ballsh, rent included.

Sarande $2,205
Ballsh $1,821

A family of three spends $3,111 per month in Sarande vs $2,461 in Ballsh, rent included.

Sarande $3,111
Ballsh $2,461

Sarande costs about 10% more than Ballsh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Sarande and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Sarande 4% lower, Ballsh 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.02 ALL 807

$9.85 ALL 793

1.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ALL 4,404

$54.9 ALL 4,422

-0.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 ALL 907

$6.88 ALL 554

63.66%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ALL 179

$2.21 ALL 178

0.45%

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

$2.38 ALL 192

$1.48 ALL 119

60.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ALL 94.4

$0.84 ALL 67.3

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 ALL 281

$3.46 ALL 279

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 ALL 324

$4.14 ALL 334

-2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ALL 179

$2.17 ALL 175

2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ALL 92.8

$1.14 ALL 92.1

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 ALL 190

$2.36 ALL 190

-0.42%

Eggs

$3.84 ALL 309

$3.76 ALL 303

2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 ALL 1,026

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 ALL 741

$9.17 ALL 738

0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.09 ALL 1,377

$16.84 ALL 1,356

1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ALL 156

$1.87 ALL 151

3.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ALL 200

$2.45 ALL 197

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ALL 161

$2.20 ALL 177

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ALL 153

$1.81 ALL 146

4.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ALL 82.4

$1.00 ALL 80.8

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ALL 101

$1.30 ALL 105

-3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 ALL 123

$1.48 ALL 119

2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 63.3

$0.73 ALL 59.1

8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.77 ALL 384

Wine (Bottle)

$7.23 ALL 582

$10.48 ALL 844

-31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ALL 132

$1.56 ALL 125

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ALL 162

$2.06 ALL 166

-1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ALL 89.0

$0.48 ALL 38.48

131.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ALL 1,826

$19.90 ALL 1,603

13.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 ALL 307

$3.69 ALL 297

3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.80 ALL 306

$3.65 ALL 294

4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 ALL 1,472

$18.04 ALL 1,453

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 176

$2.32 ALL 187

-6.03%

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

$33.9K ALL 2.7M

$33.4K ALL 2.7M

1.25%

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

$27.8K ALL 2.2M

$36.0K ALL 2.9M

-22.85%

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

$98.5 ALL 7,935

$97.3 ALL 7,839

1.23%

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

$18.17 ALL 1,463

$17.99 ALL 1,448

1.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.46 ALL 1,567

$19.89 ALL 1,602

-2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 ALL 7,300

$56.7 ALL 4,565

59.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.51 ALL 3,262

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 ALL 792

$9.79 ALL 789

0.41%

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

$302 ALL 24.3K

$344 ALL 27.7K

-12.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,070 ALL 649.9K

$8,407 ALL 677.0K

-4.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ALL 5,817

$49.22 ALL 3,963

46.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.20 ALL 3,882

$47.80 ALL 3,849

0.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ALL 9,678

$117 ALL 9,449

2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ALL 8,999

$111 ALL 8,936

0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 ALL 68.5K

$469 ALL 37.7K

81.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ALL 30.5K

$332 ALL 26.7K

14.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 ALL 89.4K

$699 ALL 56.3K

58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 ALL 75.9K

$470 ALL 37.8K

100.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,516 ALL 363.6K

$1,864 ALL 150.1K

142.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,812 ALL 226.4K

$1,245 ALL 100.3K

125.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 ALL 61.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

5.39

-4.27%

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

Last update for Sarande: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarande

$379 29.2%

Ballsh

$332 28.1% 12.4% $47

Groceries & Markets

Sarande

$284 21.9%

Ballsh

$287 24.3% 1.2% $3.5

Eating Out

Sarande

$180 13.9%

Ballsh

$161 13.6% 10.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Sarande

$159 12.2%

Ballsh

$146 12.4% 7.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarande

$136 10.5%

Ballsh

$135 11.4% 0.7% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sarande

$110 8.5%

Ballsh

$76 6.5% 30.8% $34

Getting Around

Sarande

$50 3.8%

Ballsh

$44 3.7% 12.3% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $851 in Sarande versus $469 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 $55.0 in Sarande versus $55.0 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $287 – making Sarande the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Sarande

🇦🇱 Ballsh

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

Same time as Sarande

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,233

7,000

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sarande Ballsh 84 km

From you

Sarande
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

Sarande vs Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarande is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,947 per month in Sarande and $1,773 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Sarande – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Sarande and $55.0 in Ballsh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,182, than in Sarande at $1,298. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarande it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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