Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Albania

For one person, living is cheaper in Albania: $1,217 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Spain
Albania
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,217
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in Albania

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

A single person spends $1,775 per month in Spain vs $1,217 in Albania, rent included.

  • Spain $1,775
  • Albania $1,217

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Spain vs $1,876 in Albania, rent included.

  • Spain $2,606
  • Albania $1,876

A family of three spends $3,438 per month in Spain vs $2,534 in Albania, rent included.

  • Spain $3,438
  • Albania $2,534

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($931–$2,610) than in Albania ($750–$1,401), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Spain is about 46% higher than in Albania on average.

Spain sits 30% above the global median, while Albania is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Albania
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.95
$10.07 ALL 818
65.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7 €49.88
$42.72 ALL 3,470
30.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 €10.18
$8.72 ALL 708
30.39%
Cappuccino
$2.42 €2.16
$2.12 ALL 172
14.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.40
$2.12 ALL 172
26.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.60
$0.95 ALL 77.4
88.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.07
$2.70 ALL 219
26.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.47
$3.69 ALL 300
5.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Albania
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$2.21 ALL 180
-45.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.11 ALL 90.3
33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 €1.50
$2.34 ALL 190
-28.63%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.06
$3.59 ALL 292
-4.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 €12.69
$12.54 ALL 1,019
13.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 €7.46
$8.61 ALL 699
-3.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 €14.51
$15.25 ALL 1,239
6.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$1.71 ALL 139
43.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.82
$2.50 ALL 203
-18.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$1.85 ALL 151
12.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$1.69 ALL 138
52.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.06 ALL 86.2
72.64%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.16 ALL 94.5
72.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.29 ALL 104
1.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.79 ALL 64.0
-2.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36 €5.70
$4.65 ALL 378
36.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.05
$9.66 ALL 785
-41.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.17
$1.63 ALL 132
-20.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.06 ALL 168
1.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Albania
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.47
$0.47 ALL 38.16
248.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.91 €29.48
$19.73 ALL 1,602
66.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.96
$3.78 ALL 307
17.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 €1.31
$3.60 ALL 293
-59.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.98 €22.38
$18.46 ALL 1,499
35.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.59
$2.34 ALL 190
-24.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.8K
$34.0K ALL 2.8M
4.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K €27.4K
$28.0K ALL 2.3M
9.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Albania
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €134
$91.2 ALL 7,405
63.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67 €15.83
$18.83 ALL 1,529
-6.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88 €28.55
$19.05 ALL 1,547
67.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Albania
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.24 €39.62
$50.5 ALL 4,100
-12.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29 €13.70
$23.87 ALL 1,939
-35.94%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66 €8.65
$9.82 ALL 797
-1.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Albania
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 €487
$277 ALL 22.5K
96.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K €9,499
$6,515 ALL 529.1K
62.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Albania
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9 €76.0
$63.1 ALL 5,125
34.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11 €33.24
$47.16 ALL 3,830
-21.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 €79.9
$114 ALL 9,245
-21.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.7
$119 ALL 9,657
-11.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Albania
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 €946
$561 ALL 45.6K
88.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$808 €723
$380 ALL 30.9K
112.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 €1,452
$973 ALL 79.0K
66.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,246 €1,116
$605 ALL 49.2K
105.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,135 €3,704
$2,786 ALL 226.2K
48.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,633 €2,358
$1,658 ALL 134.7K
58.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Albania
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,999 €1,790
$748 ALL 60.8K
167.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
5.17
-36.17%

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

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Last update for Albania: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Spain
$808
Albania
$380 52.9% $427
Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272
Albania
$274 1% $2.9
Eating Out
Spain
$239
Albania
$165 30.9% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199
Albania
$129 35.1% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143
Albania
$154 8.2% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64
Albania
$70 10.3% $6.5
Getting Around
Spain
$51
Albania
$43 15.3% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $920 in Spain vs $469 in Albania. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,508 in Madrid and $810 in Tirana.

Average salary: $1,972 in Spain vs $684 in Albania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 96% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 36% more in Spain.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are about 2.9 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Spain
🇦🇱 Albania
🕒 Local time
01:06 1:06 AM
01:06 1:06 AM
Same time as Spain
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,415,750
2,811,655
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 81.22 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.69 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Spain Albania 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Spain
  • Albania

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
Spain vs Albania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Albania and Spain compare in cost of living?
Albania is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 31% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Albania and Spain?
Housing costs more in Spain: a central one-bedroom averages $920 versus $469 in Albania.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Albania or Spain?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Albania – part of why living there is about 31% cheaper overall.
How far does $2,000 go in Albania compared to Spain?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Albania, but in Spain it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Albania and in Spain?
Albania is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Spain vs other spots: cost of living compared

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