Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shkoder and Ballsh

For one person, living is cheaper in Shkoder: $980 a month against $1,185 in Ballsh, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Shkoder
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Shkoder Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ballsh
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Ballsh Living Index

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Shkoder

🇦🇱 Albania

$980

/mo nomad

Ballsh

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $980 per month in Shkoder vs $1,185 in Ballsh, rent included.

Shkoder $980
Ballsh $1,185

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Shkoder vs $1,834 in Ballsh, rent included.

Shkoder $1,474
Ballsh $1,834

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Shkoder vs $2,484 in Ballsh, rent included.

Shkoder $1,969
Ballsh $2,484

Shkoder is about 17% cheaper than Ballsh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shkoder and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Shkoder 28% lower, Ballsh 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 ALL 751

$9.65 ALL 779

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 ALL 3,144

$54.6 ALL 4,406

-28.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 ALL 502

$7.04 ALL 568

-11.79%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ALL 156

$2.25 ALL 181

-14.22%

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

$1.83 ALL 148

$1.47 ALL 119

24.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.4

$0.90 ALL 72.7

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ALL 148

$3.50 ALL 283

-47.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ALL 257

$4.11 ALL 332

-22.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ALL 153

$2.24 ALL 181

-15.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ALL 78.7

$1.22 ALL 98.2

-20.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 163

$2.35 ALL 190

-14.47%

Eggs

$2.60 ALL 210

$3.80 ALL 307

-31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 ALL 584

$13.01 ALL 1,051

-44.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ALL 412

$9.45 ALL 763

-45.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 ALL 873

$17.32 ALL 1,399

-37.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ALL 134

$1.97 ALL 159

-16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ALL 190

$2.51 ALL 203

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ALL 139

$2.22 ALL 180

-22.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ALL 117

$1.91 ALL 154

-24.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ALL 82.4

$1.06 ALL 86.0

-3.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ALL 99.0

$1.32 ALL 107

-6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ALL 92.0

$1.50 ALL 121

-24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ALL 62.3

$0.80 ALL 65.0

-3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ALL 341

$4.79 ALL 387

-11.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 ALL 496

$10.42 ALL 842

-41.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ALL 122

$1.62 ALL 131

-6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ALL 148

$2.03 ALL 164

-9.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.69

$0.53 ALL 42.52

-7.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.12 ALL 898

$18.09 ALL 1,461

-38.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ALL 301

$3.77 ALL 304

-1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.85 ALL 311

$3.82 ALL 308

0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.71 ALL 1,511

$18.59 ALL 1,502

0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 ALL 176

$2.42 ALL 195

-10.33%

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

$33.7K ALL 2.7M

$33.2K ALL 2.7M

1.29%

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

$24.7K ALL 2.0M

$29.1K ALL 2.4M

-15.29%

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

$61.7 ALL 4,981

$97.8 ALL 7,898

-36.93%

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

$16.47 ALL 1,331

$18.77 ALL 1,516

-12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.10 ALL 1,381

$20.21 ALL 1,632

-15.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 ALL 3,448

$50.8 ALL 4,105

-16.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 ALL 1,012

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ALL 581

$9.73 ALL 786

-26.00%

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

$91.1 ALL 7,358

$341 ALL 27.5K

-73.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,835 ALL 148.2K

$8,309 ALL 671.1K

-77.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.16 ALL 3,970

$48.97 ALL 3,956

0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.34 ALL 997

$47.59 ALL 3,844

-74.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 ALL 5,975

$118 ALL 9,554

-37.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 ALL 11.8K

$112 ALL 9,072

30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ALL 39.5K

$446 ALL 36.0K

9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ALL 25.6K

$332 ALL 26.8K

-4.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ALL 39.1K

$612 ALL 49.5K

-21.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 ALL 33.3K

$486 ALL 39.3K

-15.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,866 ALL 150.7K

$1,745 ALL 140.9K

6.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 ALL 99.5K

$1,144 ALL 92.4K

7.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$567 ALL 45.8K

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 Shkoder: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shkoder

$317 32.4%

Ballsh

$332 28% 4.7% $15

Groceries & Markets

Shkoder

$206 21%

Ballsh

$295 24.9% 43.4% $89

Eating Out

Shkoder

$142 14.5%

Ballsh

$160 13.5% 13.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Shkoder

$127 13%

Ballsh

$147 12.4% 16% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shkoder

$95 9.7%

Ballsh

$137 11.5% 43.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Shkoder

$57 5.8%

Ballsh

$70 5.9% 23.1% $13

Getting Around

Shkoder

$36 3.7%

Ballsh

$43 3.6% 19.3% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Shkoder 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 $39 in Shkoder versus $55 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $295 – making Shkoder the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Shkoder

🇦🇱 Ballsh

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

Same time as Shkoder

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,075

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shkoder Ballsh 160 km

From you

Shkoder
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

Shkoder vs Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ballsh is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,470 per month in Shkoder and $1,778 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $489 in Shkoder and $446 in Ballsh. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 43% 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 $39 in Shkoder and $55 in Ballsh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Ballsh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $980 in Shkoder to $1,185 in Ballsh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.