Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tirana and Ballsh

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballsh: $1,185 a month against $1,401 in Tirana, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Tirana
Learn more

Tirana Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ballsh
Learn more

Ballsh Living Index

Jump to prices

Tirana

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,401

/mo nomad

Ballsh

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,401 per month in Tirana vs $1,185 in Ballsh, rent included.

Tirana $1,401
Ballsh $1,185

A couple spends around $2,191 per month in Tirana vs $1,834 in Ballsh, rent included.

Tirana $2,191
Ballsh $1,834

A family of three spends $2,982 per month in Tirana vs $2,484 in Ballsh, rent included.

Tirana $2,982
Ballsh $2,484

Tirana costs about 18% more than Ballsh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tirana sits 3% above the global median, while Ballsh is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 ALL 819

$9.65 ALL 784

4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 ALL 4,585

$54.6 ALL 4,431

3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 ALL 887

$7.04 ALL 572

55.11%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ALL 179

$2.25 ALL 182

-1.78%

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

$2.45 ALL 199

$1.47 ALL 120

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 ALL 103

$0.90 ALL 73.1

41.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ALL 289

$3.50 ALL 285

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ALL 335

$4.11 ALL 334

0.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 ALL 185

$2.24 ALL 182

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ALL 93.3

$1.22 ALL 98.7

-5.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ALL 194

$2.35 ALL 191

1.70%

Eggs

$3.83 ALL 311

$3.80 ALL 309

0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 ALL 1,032

$13.01 ALL 1,057

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 ALL 729

$9.45 ALL 768

-4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.98 ALL 1,379

$17.32 ALL 1,407

-1.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 163

$1.97 ALL 160

2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 ALL 197

$2.51 ALL 204

-3.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ALL 173

$2.22 ALL 181

-3.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ALL 154

$1.91 ALL 155

-1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ALL 86.3

$1.06 ALL 86.5

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$1.32 ALL 107

-1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 ALL 118

$1.50 ALL 122

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 64.2

$0.80 ALL 65.4

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 ALL 401

$4.79 ALL 389

2.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 ALL 863

$10.42 ALL 846

1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ALL 128

$1.62 ALL 131

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ALL 172

$2.03 ALL 165

4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ALL 40.66

$0.53 ALL 42.75

-5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.97 ALL 1,622

$18.09 ALL 1,469

10.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 ALL 310

$3.77 ALL 306

1.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.77 ALL 306

$3.82 ALL 310

-1.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.87 ALL 1,533

$18.59 ALL 1,510

1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 ALL 194

$2.42 ALL 196

-1.24%

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

$33.0K ALL 2.7M

$33.2K ALL 2.7M

-0.85%

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

$29.8K ALL 2.4M

$29.1K ALL 2.4M

2.40%

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

$97.8 ALL 7,946

$97.8 ALL 7,942

0.05%

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

$18.80 ALL 1,527

$18.77 ALL 1,525

0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.77 ALL 1,606

$20.21 ALL 1,641

-2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 ALL 4,820

$50.8 ALL 4,128

16.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 ALL 1,598

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 ALL 792

$9.73 ALL 790

0.21%

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

$344 ALL 28.0K

$341 ALL 27.7K

1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,329 ALL 676.5K

$8,309 ALL 674.8K

0.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ALL 5,902

$48.97 ALL 3,978

48.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.76 ALL 3,960

$47.59 ALL 3,866

2.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ALL 9,820

$118 ALL 9,607

2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ALL 8,958

$112 ALL 9,123

-1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 ALL 65.8K

$446 ALL 36.2K

81.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ALL 41.5K

$332 ALL 27.0K

53.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 ALL 127.7K

$612 ALL 49.7K

156.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 ALL 72.1K

$486 ALL 39.5K

82.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,085 ALL 331.8K

$1,745 ALL 141.7K

134.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,081 ALL 169.0K

$1,144 ALL 92.9K

81.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ALL 71.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

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

Last update for Tirana: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tirana

$511 36.5%

Ballsh

$332 28% 35% $179

Groceries & Markets

Tirana

$290 20.7%

Ballsh

$295 24.9% 1.7% $5

Eating Out

Tirana

$181 12.9%

Ballsh

$160 13.5% 11.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Tirana

$159 11.3%

Ballsh

$147 12.4% 7.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tirana

$136 9.7%

Ballsh

$137 11.5% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tirana

$79 5.6%

Ballsh

$70 5.9% 10.9% $8.6

Getting Around

Tirana

$45 3.2%

Ballsh

$43 3.6% 3.6% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $810 in Tirana 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 $56 in Tirana versus $55 in Ballsh. Groceries tell a different story – $290 in Tirana vs $295 in Ballsh – so Tirana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Tirana

🇦🇱 Ballsh

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

Same time as Tirana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

418,495 Capital

7,000

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tirana Ballsh 81 km

From you

Tirana
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

Tirana vs Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tirana is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,101 per month in Tirana 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 Ballsh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $446 there versus $810 in Tirana.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Ballsh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $344 per month in Tirana and $341 in Ballsh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Ballsh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,185 in Ballsh to $1,401 in Tirana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.