Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tirana and Sarande

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarande: $1,300 a month against $1,401 in Tirana, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tirana outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Tirana
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Tirana Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Sarande
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Sarande Living Index

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Tirana

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,401

/mo nomad

Sarande

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tirana and in Sarande

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 Sarande actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,401 per month in Tirana vs $1,300 in Sarande, rent included.

Tirana $1,401
Sarande $1,300

A couple spends around $2,191 per month in Tirana vs $2,195 in Sarande, rent included.

Tirana $2,191
Sarande $2,195

A family of three spends $2,982 per month in Tirana vs $3,090 in Sarande, rent included.

Tirana $2,982
Sarande $3,090

Tirana costs about 8% more than Sarande.

Tirana sits 3% above the global median, while Sarande is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 ALL 819

$10.10 ALL 821

-0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 ALL 4,585

$55.1 ALL 4,477

2.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 ALL 887

$11.03 ALL 896

-1.00%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ALL 179

$2.24 ALL 182

-1.34%

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

$2.45 ALL 199

$2.36 ALL 191

3.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 ALL 103

$1.17 ALL 95.0

8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ALL 289

$3.52 ALL 286

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ALL 335

$3.97 ALL 323

4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 ALL 185

$2.24 ALL 182

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ALL 93.3

$1.19 ALL 96.8

-3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ALL 194

$2.36 ALL 192

1.27%

Eggs

$3.83 ALL 311

$3.65 ALL 297

4.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 ALL 1,032

$12.98 ALL 1,054

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 ALL 729

$9.34 ALL 759

-3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.98 ALL 1,379

$17.37 ALL 1,410

-2.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 163

$1.94 ALL 158

3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 ALL 197

$2.47 ALL 201

-1.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ALL 173

$2.09 ALL 170

2.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ALL 154

$1.90 ALL 154

-0.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ALL 86.3

$1.02 ALL 82.7

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$1.26 ALL 102

3.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 ALL 118

$1.47 ALL 119

-0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 64.2

$0.74 ALL 60.1

6.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 ALL 401

$4.68 ALL 380

5.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 ALL 863

$7.56 ALL 614

40.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ALL 128

$1.55 ALL 126

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ALL 172

$2.07 ALL 168

2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ALL 40.66

$1.10 ALL 89.6

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.97 ALL 1,622

$22.09 ALL 1,794

-9.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 ALL 310

$3.60 ALL 292

5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.77 ALL 306

$3.62 ALL 294

4.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.87 ALL 1,533

$18.27 ALL 1,484

3.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 ALL 194

$2.19 ALL 178

9.13%

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

$33.0K ALL 2.7M

$33.5K ALL 2.7M

-1.71%

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

$29.8K ALL 2.4M

$28.1K ALL 2.3M

6.28%

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

$97.8 ALL 7,946

$99.8 ALL 8,107

-1.98%

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

$18.80 ALL 1,527

$18.16 ALL 1,475

3.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.77 ALL 1,606

$19.69 ALL 1,599

0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 ALL 4,820

$89.8 ALL 7,296

-33.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 ALL 1,598

$40.07 ALL 3,255

-50.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 ALL 792

$10.07 ALL 818

-3.18%

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

$344 ALL 28.0K

$302 ALL 24.5K

13.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,329 ALL 676.5K

$7,994 ALL 649.3K

4.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ALL 5,902

$72.5 ALL 5,885

0.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.76 ALL 3,960

$48.39 ALL 3,930

0.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ALL 9,820

$118 ALL 9,562

2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ALL 8,958

$113 ALL 9,138

-1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 ALL 65.8K

$835 ALL 67.8K

-2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ALL 41.5K

$380 ALL 30.9K

34.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 ALL 127.7K

$1,086 ALL 88.2K

44.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 ALL 72.1K

$917 ALL 74.5K

-3.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,085 ALL 331.8K

$4,581 ALL 372.0K

-10.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,081 ALL 169.0K

$2,902 ALL 235.7K

-28.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ALL 71.9K

$770 ALL 62.5K

15.01%

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 Sarande: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tirana

$511 36.5%

Sarande

$380 29.2% 25.7% $131

Groceries & Markets

Tirana

$290 20.7%

Sarande

$286 22% 1.5% $4.4

Eating Out

Tirana

$181 12.9%

Sarande

$180 13.9% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Tirana

$159 11.3%

Sarande

$158 12.2% 0.4% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tirana

$136 9.7%

Sarande

$138 10.6% 0.9% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tirana

$79 5.6%

Sarande

$110 8.5% 39.5% $31

Getting Around

Tirana

$45 3.2%

Sarande

$48 3.7% 8% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $810 in Tirana versus $835 in Sarande. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Tirana. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Tirana versus $55 in Sarande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $286 – making Sarande the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Tirana

🇦🇱 Sarande

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

Same time as Tirana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

418,495 Capital

17,233

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Tirana Sarande 160 km

From you

Tirana
Sarande

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 Sarande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tirana costs about 8% more than Sarande, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,101 per month in Tirana and $1,950 in Sarande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $810 in Tirana and $835 in Sarande. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $344 per month in Tirana and $302 in Sarande. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,401 in Tirana and $1,300 in Sarande. That makes Sarande about 7% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,401 in Tirana and $1,300 in Sarande, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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