The Cost of Travel in Albania: My 2025 Budget Breakdown

Albania is the country of the moment.

At least when it comes to European travel.

These days, it feels like every travel publication I turn to is singing this country’s praises and urging travellers to get there — but, like, yesterday.

This is the most underrated country in Europe — travel writers are announcing in their droves — and it’s one of the cheapest, too. Imagine the beaches of Croatia, the cuisine of Greece, and the landscapes of Montenegro, all blended together with an inexpensive price tag and a distinct lack of crowds.

That’s what you’ll uncover in Albania. But it’s changing fast.

It turns out a side effect of every traveller announcing that Albania is cheap and uncrowded, is that it rapidly becomes more expensive and crowded.

Still, it’s got nothing on the overtourism of Greece and Croatia.

I recently spent two weeks in Albania, determined to explore as much of the country as I could. It was an action-packed adventure!

We started the trip by celebrating Dave’s birthday at a high-end restaurant in an achingly hipster neighbourhood in Tirana, then rounded it off by sunbathing on the uncrowded beaches of the Albanian Riviera. In between, we ventured from Berat to Gjirokaster; Ksamil to Saranda.

What to Know About Money in Albania

I hinted at this above, but one thing I do want to mention upfront is that while the internet is littered with articles declaring Albania the cheapest country in Europe, this is not the case in 2025.

Sure, it’s cheaper than tourist-filled spots in neighbouring Greece and Croatia, and it’s definitely cheaper than Western Europe, but it’s likely not as cheap as you’re expecting it to be. Prices have been steadily increasing over the past couple of years and there’s little sign of them slowing down.

Want to spend the day at the famous beaches in Ksamil? They’re all privately-owned and will cost €20-25 just to hire a sunbed and umbrella; on some beaches, you’ll pay as much as €70 for a spot for the day. Yikes!

Still, it is possible to visit Albania on a reasonable budget. Dave and I stayed in mid-range guesthouses, used public transport to get around, mostly ate local food, and squeezed in as many activities as we could. The further south we ventured, the more expensive things started to get, but there wasn’t a huge difference. On average, we each spent €80 a day.

Albania uses the lek as its currency. Unfortunately, due to the country’s history of money laundering — and the resulting restrictions — you’ll be expected to pay in cash for almost everything, especially accommodation. Yes, even if you book online through Booking or Airbnb, you will be expected to meet the hotel/apartment owner in person and pay them in cash when you check-in. Even locals will usually pay their rent in cash! This means you can expect to be visiting an ATM almost every day of your trip, and yes, it gets annoying at times.

We were unable to find fee-free ATMs anywhere in the country and so you can expect to spend a hefty €5-8 per withdrawal. You could bring EUR or USD to the country to exchange once you’re on the ground (Iliria 98 offers the best rates), but the exchange rate isn’t good enough to make it a better deal. In the end, using ATMs is the easiest option.

You can occasionally pay for things in euros at the beaches along the coastline, but you’ll get a terrible exchange rate, so I’d recommend sticking with lek in this case, too.

With all of that out of the way, let’s dive into all the details on how much it costs to travel in Albania.

The Cost Of Accommodation In Albania

Accommodation in Albania was one area that I felt was disproportionately more expensive than everything else. Let’s start by looking at the cost of accommodation on the lowest end of the spectrum. If you’re flexible with your requirements and travel dates, it’s even possible to score yourself some accommodation for free.

For starters, I always recommend that you take a quick look on Trusted Housesitters before you start booking all of your accommodation. There’s usually multiple options up for grabs in Albania, and especially over the summer months.

Housesitting involves taking care of somebody’s house for free while they’re away, often (but not always) looking after their pets, too. This option is best for long-term travellers, digital nomads, or retirees, as you obviously can’t set your own dates and destinations, so you’ll need to have flexibility as to where you go and at what time of year.

If you do have that freedom, though, it’s a wonderful way to cut down your travel expenses, soak up some home comforts, and live like a local for a while. Trusted Housesitters is the best site for getting started with housesitting, as they have the highest number of listings for Albania. And hey, you never know! You may strike gold and discover a Seoul local is heading overseas on the same dates that you are.

Another option, when it comes to free accommodation, is WorldPackers, which might be something that appeals to my backpacking readers. It’s a work exchange program, where you can volunteer for locals in exchange for food and board. There are over a hundred options for Albania on the site right now, from helping to run boat tours along the Albanian coastline to taking care of rescued animals on a small, sustainable farm. Readers of this site get a $10 discount for WorldPackers with the promo code neverendingfootsteps.

The Cost of Hostels in Albania

If you want to visit Albania on as tight a budget as possible, your best option for saving money is going to be staying in hostels. There are dozens upon dozens of hostels in Albania, so it’s easy to find one that suits your comfort requirements.

In general, you can expect to spend €15 a night for a room in a 6- or 8-bed dorm, and €40-50 a night for a private double room.

I use HostelWorld to find the cheapest hostels, as they had way more listings for Albania than anywhere else I checked.

Where I Stayed While Traveling In Albania

I’ve sprinkled a few photos of where I stayed in Albania in this guide so far; Dave and I opted to stay in mid-range properties for this trip. We were looking for places that were in a central and safe location, were rated 9.5 or higher on Booking.com, and offered excellent value for money, with friendly staff and decent internet. As you’ll see below, this generally meant we spent €50 a night.

I always find it’s helpful for me to list out the properties that I chose to stay in on my trips, along with a brief review, so that you can get a good idea of what you can get for your money. Here’s where I stayed on my two-week trip to Albania:

Tirana: UrbanBllok5 (€50 a night)

Dave and I absolutely adored our colourful room at UrbanBllok5! It’s located in the coolest neighbourhood in Tirana — Blloku — surrounded by all the best bars and restaurants. Despite that, the room was silent, even on busy weekend nights. The internet was super fast, the shower pressure was great, and the air conditioning worked well. We met the owner outside the property after flying into Tirana, which made checking in easy. There was even free fruit placed out every morning for all the guests!

Berat: Kris Guesthouse (€50 a night)

When it comes to accommodation in Berat, you have two options for where to stay: inside the old town or atop the hill inside the castle walls. For us, it was a no-brainer: how many times do you get the opportunity to sleep inside an actual castle?! Kris Guesthouse is the best-rated property in town and was just as cosy as we imagined. Our room was spacious and decorated in a traditional style, the owner was so helpful, and we were within walking distance of everything. The rooftop terrace offered up amazing views over the town, too; the perfect spot for enjoying the homemade breakfast each morning.

Gjirokaster: Alsara Guesthouse (€50 a night)

If you forced me to choose just one property as my favourite place to stay in Albania, I think I would have to go with Alsara. The owner was absolutely wonderful! He met us in town to walk us to his guesthouse, served us an amazing breakfast in the morning, and shared all of his favourite restaurants that aren’t frequented by tourists. He even drove us to the bus station at the end of our stay! The guesthouse is right in the heart of the old town, but the rooms are silent, so we were able to sleep well.

Sarande: Memories Apartments (€49 a night)

We loved the bright and beachy-themed apartment we chose for Sarande! We were just steps away from the ocean and bus station, which was super-convenient. The apartment was large, with a living area, kitchenette, and a lovely balcony that was perfect for drinking wine in the sunshine. Most importantly, the room was high-up in the building, so we managed to avoid the loud noises that afflict many other properties in town. The only weird aspect was that the owner refused to text us the lockbox code for the key until we were standing directly in front of it — a bit annoying!

Himare: Sea Breeze Rooms (€55 a night)

Dave and I absolutely adored the family that runs this little guesthouse in Himare. It’s set a five-minute walk back from the beach and in a lovely little area of locals, with some of the coolest gardens I’ve seen. The family, in particular, is growing so many unusual vegetables that I couldn’t stop taking photos of them! Our room was more basic than anywhere else we stayed, but the family and vibe more than made up for it. In particular, we loved the beachy views from the guesthouse terrace.

I also highly recommend jumping on the tour the family offers all along the coastline of Albania — you’ll head out on their own little boat and spend the day beach-, cove-, and cave-hopping to some of the most pristine spots in the country; many of which are only accessible by water!

The Cost Of Transportation In Albania

I’ve been lucky enough to visit 100 countries and unlucky enough to have experienced Albania’s public transportation.

Yes, I’m ready to declare this country’s bus network the most maddening I’ve ever encountered. While the confusion and chaos felt like an adventure at the start of our trip, by the end of our time here, we were dreading every upcoming travel day.

Something always seemed to go terribly wrong, no matter how much I’d prepared for exactly that.

In this country, you’ve got three options for getting from A to B, each with its own set of advantages and difficulties. Let’s briefly go over them.

• Renting a car
  • Advantages: Mostly, you’ll avoid the complexities of bus travel in Albania! Plus the freedom to stop wherever you like, explore the country in more depth, and not be at the mercy of minivans that run on unpredictable schedules. The roads are also in great condition.
  • Disadvantages: Parking can be particularly complex in places like Berat and Gjirokaster, where you’ll be attempting to navigate single-lane cobblestone alleyways on steep gradients with hairpin turns, and impatient locals honking at you to hurry up.
• Using the buses and minivans
  • Advantages: Offers an inexpensive way to get around the country, rarely costing more than €4-8 for a multi-hour journey. Plus, you can avoid aggressive drivers and the hassle of parking in tight spaces on steep slopes.
  • Disadvantages: Bus stations are often random street corners or stretches of highway in the middle of nowhere, with no indication that you’re in the right place. Timetables are frequently inaccurate online, and station locations can be confusing or outright wrong. You can’t easily book tickets in advance, and most don’t have air conditioning.
• Hiring taxis
  • Advantages: There’s no need to worry about parking, dealing with impatient drivers, or spending hours figuring out bus station locations.
  • Disadvantages: It’s the most expensive option, taxis can be rundown (ours had wing mirrors tied on with string!), drivers might randomly pull over to demand more money, and it can occasionally feel unsafe as a solo traveller.

I had several bus-related mishaps while I was travelling in the country. To give an example of the complexities of this system, I’ll tell you about my attempts to travel from Berat to Gjirokaster.

There were two direct minivans between the towns: one at 8 a.m. — unappealing as we’d have to skip breakfast — and one at 2 p.m.: worse, as it was pouring with rain and we had to check out at 10.

We browsed Girafa Travel, the only semi-reliable website in Albania for researching bus timetables. It revealed that there was a 10 a.m. bus from Berat to Fier, then a bus to Gjirokaster half an hour later. Perfect! Or so we thought.

In reality, our minivan stopped on a random street in Fier that was most definitely not a bus station. Google Maps led us to a car park masquerading as the town’s transport hub, where we waited in vain for a bus that didn’t exist. When we asked for help, a local took my phone, and dropped a pin 10 kilometres away, well outside of the city, on the side of a highway. This was a disaster for several reasons:

1. The next bus to Gjirokaster was in two hours.
2. If this guy was incorrect and the bus didn’t drive past that point — or didn’t stop for us — we would be stranded. There were no working taxi apps in Fier and the “station” really was the side of a motorway in the middle of nowhere.
3. It was still pouring with rain. Standing on a grassy verge in the middle of a storm with no protection for our luggage while waiting for a bus wasn’t an exciting prospect.

We turned to other options: Hailing a taxi? There weren’t any. Asking for help? Nobody spoke English. Finally, a kind woman at a travel agent — our Albanian angel — spent an hour calling every driver and bus company she knew. Her solution? A minivan driver would swing by in two hours, pick us up in the middle of town, in a random spot where she’d dropped a pin on my map, and take us to Gjirokaster.

This was not an isolated incidence. In Albania, every travel day felt like a roll of the dice, and I have no idea how a less-experienced traveller could have survived the chaos. Albanian buses: not for the faint of heart.

But this is a guide to the cost of travel, so let’s take a look at what you can expect to pay in Albania for transportation. As you can gather from my spiel above, I decided to opt for public transportation for my two weeks in the country. Despite the many downsides, I’m glad we did, not least because we saved a ton of money by doing so.

And let’s face it: nothing went majorly wrong. It was just kind of annoying and confusing most of the time.

Here’s how much I spent on minivan and bus tickets in Albania:

• Tirana to Berat: €5
• Berat to Gjirokaster: €10
• Gjirokaster to Sarande: €4.50
• Sarande to Butrint: €2
• Butrint to Ksamil: €1
• Ksamil to Sarande: €1.50
• Sarande to Himare: €8
• Himare to Tirana: €12
• Tirana to Ohrid: €18

I also used taxis to get around within Tirana a couple of times, using the app Patoko. As with most transportation in Albania, expect the process to be stressful! Occasionally, it would take half an hour to hail a ride, with drivers repeatedly cancelling or not showing up. Still, rides were inexpensive. We paid the following for taxis within in Tirana:

• Blloku to Tirana’s East Bus Terminal (12 min drive): €9
• Blloku to Dajti Ekspres cable car (15 min drive): €8
• Bunkart 1 to Skanderbeg Square (15 min drive): €10
• Tirana’s South and North Bus Terminal to East Bus Terminal (20 mins): €14

Because the bus stations are usually located far outside of your travel destination — the drivers usually prefer to stop on the outskirts instead of driving into the city — you often need to take taxis to your accommodation to avoid a 30-minute walk. We did this several times:

• Berat bus station to the castle entrance: €2.50
• The castle entrance back to Berat’s bus station: €3
• Gjirokaster’s bus station to the old town entrance: €2.50

And finally, we gave up on the buses and paid €45 to take a taxi from Fier to Gjirokaster with a journey time of 90 minutes.

The alternative to battling with buses is hiring a car — and I’d estimate that half of visitors to Albania opt to drive themselves around. Note that there’s only one major airport in the country and no train line, so the roads are your only option for getting around.

Many travel bloggers will tell you to avoid hiring a car because the roads in Albania are poor, but that’s not the case in 2025. The roads in Albania were great! They were paved, smoothed, and well-maintained, with no pot-holes. Many of the guesthouses have free parking available, too, which makes things easier.

Fuel is generally cheap.

See below for the average car rental prices in Albania.

• Car Wiz – Tirana – $37 a day
• Sur Price – Shkodër – $60 a day
• Sur Price – Sarandë – $49 a day

Uber has not yet established itself in Albania, but taxis are readily available and quite cheap. Always negotiate a price with your driver before you get in the cab, as some drivers are notorious for scamming tourists. If you’re going to the airport, ask your guesthouse owner to organize it for you and get them to agree on the price, so you don’t get ripped off.

There aren’t many domestic ferries you can take in Albania, but if you are interested in going to either Greece or Italy, some routes are available from Durrës and Sarandë. Prices vary depending on the time of year, but to get the cheapest tickets, head down to the port the day before and enquire.

The average cost of transport per day in Albania is $6.

The Cost of Food In Albania

So, Albanian food wasn’t my favourite cuisine in the world. I was a bit surprised by this, because I absolutely adore the local eats in both Croatia and Greece, but alas! I have to confess I found the food a bit too meat-heavy and bland in Albania. That’s not to say that there aren’t some absolutely delicious dishes to uncover while you’re on the ground, but also, don’t be surprised if you end up opting for some international eats while you’re there, too.

If you’re confused about what you should try, stick to the basic snacks like cevapi and byrek. After you’re fed up with those, branch out with things like tava e kosit and speca të mbushura. Don’t forget fërgesë, either — that was my absolute favourite local dish in Albania!

I also have a bit of a funny story to share about Dave and Albanian food.

There are just two things in the world that Dave can’t eat: dairy and bell peppers, as he has a painful intolerance to both.

Well.

Let me tell you that it sure felt like 95% of the dishes in Albania contained both of these items!

We’d wander down for our hotel breakfast in the morning and be greeted with a cheese and pepper omelette; we’d sit down for dinner and be greeted by a free appetiser of… bell pepper-infused tzatziki; Dave would order meatballs and they’d come with… a side of bell peppers; we’d a peruse a menu at a traditional restaurant and have to leave because every single dish contained peppers. It was hilarious frustrating to deal with.

But hey, if you love your meat, cheese, and bell peppers, you’re going to be very happy in Albania.

In terms of prices, the food was all super affordable, even in the most touristy of areas. On average, I paid L700 [€7/£6/$8] for a meal. I’ll give a brief rundown, now, of the typical dishes you can expect to run into for each meal, as well as what you’ll likely pay for them.

Typical breakfast dishes in Albania:

Byrek: arguably the most well-known food in Albania,This tasty pastry is perfect for breakfast and can be picked up from most bakeries across the country. The flaky snack consists of layers of dough with different fillings available, such as ricotta cheese, spinach, onions, tomatoes, or meat. My favourite version was from Byrek Special “Luani” in Tirana, where I paid an unbelievable 50 Lek (50 cents!) for a spinach and cheese one.

Flija – Similar to Byrek, but with a twist, Flija is another scrumptious breakfast bite that’s made with multiple layers of pancakes and drenched in cream, sour cream, and butter. Be warned; you need to have a big appetite to get through a serving of this. A slice of Flija usually costs between $1.00 and $1.50

More typical breakfasts in Albania

• Fergese (bell peppers, onions, spices, feta cheese, and tomatoes) at a cafe – $3 to $4
• Trahana (wheat flour and yogurt made into chunks the size of pasta) at a local eatery – $3 to $4
• Petulla (fried dough) at a street food stall – $2

Lunch Prices In Albania

Fërgese – Every restaurant will have Fërgese on their menu. It’s one of the country’s signatures that’s almost like consisting of tomatoes, peppers, onions, spices, and cottage cheese. Don’t forget to order yourself some bread for dipping. Fërgese will typically cost about $3 to $4 with a side of bread.

Imam Bajalldi – Originating from Turkey but making its way to Albanian shores decades ago during the Ottoman period is Imam Bajalldi. It’s a simple recipe with stuffed eggplant filled with cheese, onions, tomato puree, and parsley. A serving of Imam Bajalldi is priced between $3 and $4.

More typical lunches in Albania

• Tavë Kosi (lamb and rice bake) at a typical Albanian restaurant – $4
• Kackavall ne Furre me Domate (baked cheese with tomatoes) in a locally owned dining venue – $3.50

Dinner Prices In Albania

Cevapi – You can’t leave Albania without sampling some Cevapi; it would be a sin. This meal is eaten all over the Balkans, but the way the Albanians prepare it is special. It’s made by grilling minced meat and rolling it into pieces of finger-sized sausage. The meat is then put into a certain type of bread and sprinkled with onions. A full Cevapi should only cost a maximum of $4.

Tave Mishi – Dinner for two, anyone? Tave Mishi is a massive spread of meat that usually comes out for big occasions. There’s just about everything in there, from lamb to sausage. If you order Tave Mishi at a restaurant, a side of lemon will be served alongside it for some added flavor. The price of a platter of Tave Mishi varies, but expect to pay between $6 and $10, depending on how much food is on it.

More typical dinners In Albania

• A plate of Qofte (meatball-based dish) in a restaurant – $3 to $4
• Peshk dhe Perime ne Tave (fish and vegetables) at a seafood eatery – $5 to $6

Alcohol in Albania is cheap. A locally brewed beer only costs around $2, and for imported ones, it’s $3 to $3.50. On the days you don’t find yourself drinking beer, you’ll probably be drinking Rakia, an anise-flavored liqueur made with fermented grapes or plums, drank by Albanians on every occasion, whether it’s to wake up or to celebrate somebody finishing their exams.

Shots of Rakia only cost about a dollar, but go easy on that stuff because it’s distilled at home usually, which means they can make it as strong as they want; after a couple of them, you’ll end up not remembering your name.

This stuff is sold everywhere, from the side of the road by locals to high-end bars. It’s super strong, so be careful when choosing your portion sizes.

Different Food Budgets For Albania

You could easily get by on less than $10 a day on food in Albania if you don’t drink alcohol, especially if you only eat two times a day. Of course, there are high-end restaurants where you can spend copious amounts of money, but if you’re just sticking to local eateries, you’ll spend very little.

In Albania, I don’t recommend getting your own ingredients and cooking your own food just because eating out is cheap. Obviously, if you have some sort of allergies to certain foods, well then you should go about doing some shopping. If that’s the case, you could spend $10 to $15 on supplies in a supermarket.

Even though alcohol in Albania is cheap, it will still add a bit to your budget. If you like to have a drink after a day of exploring, you’ll spend at least $15 a day between food and a couple of beverages. 

We all love to treat ourselves sometimes, but if you’re someone that luxurious restaurants are your guilty pleasure, you could spend anything for $60 and up.

The average cost of food per day in Albania is $10.

The Cost Of Activities In Albania

There’s so, so, so much to keep you entertained in Albania, both free and paid — but the paid activities are usually pretty well-priced.

Over my two weeks in Albania, I spent money on the following activities:

• Tirana — Entrance ticket for Bunk’art 1: L500 [€5/£4/$6]
• Tirana — Entrance ticket for Bunk’art 2: L500 [€5/£4/$6]
• Tirana — Entrance ticket for House of Leaves museum: L700 [€7/£6/$8]
• Tirana — Return ticket for the Dajti Ekspres cable car: L1400 [€14/£12/$16]
• Berat — Entrance ticket for the Onufri Iconographic Museum: L400 [€4/£3/$4]
• Gjirokaster — Entrance to Gjirokaster Castle: L400 [€4/£3/$4]
• Butrint — Entrance ticket for Butrint National Archaeological Park: L1000 [€10/£8/$11]

If you’re looking to do some guided tours, they’ll set you back quite a bit. Here’s a full list of activities you shouldn’t miss in Albania.

Day Trip to Bogë and Theth National Park from Shkodër – $77.20 per person – Go deep into the Albanian Alps through Theth National Park in search of the picturesque village of Bogë. Soak up alluring mountainscapes and immerse yourself in the Balkan countryside.

The Gamti Mountain Hike – from Tirana – $85.77 per person – Take on one of Albania’s most impressive hikes, the Gamti Mountain Hike. Follow an experienced guide as they take you through the challenging trek one step at a time. As you reach the top, you’ll be treated to a fabulous view of the crystal clear, ice-blue Bovilla Lake. This one’s a popular one, so do book in advance!

Osum Canyon and Bogove Waterfall Tour from Berat – $75.05 per person – Visit the largest canyon in Albania, Osum Canyon, which is 76 kilometers long. Experience natural beauties such as Bogove Waterfall, a natural pool, clear waters, skyscraping cliffs, and more. To top it all off, indulge in a lovely Albanian picnic lunch provided by your guide.

The Blue Eye and Lekuresi Castle Tour From Saranda – $63.26 per person – No doubt you’ve heard about Albania’s national symbol, the blue eye, a clear freshwater spring where you can see from a depth of over 50 meters. This tour takes you to see it for yourself as well as making a stop at the Lekursi Castle, embedded within rolling hills.

Old Baazar and Cfaka Walking Tour In Gjirokaster – $16.08 per person – Roam through Gjirokaster’s famous old town in search of the delightful Old Bazaar, where you can pick yourself up some souvenirs. See the well-known Zerzebili Bridge before stopping by the ancient district of Cfaka, lined with Ottoman buildings housing cute bars, bakeries, restaurants, and corner stores.

The average cost of activities per day in Albania is $20.

How Much Does it Cost Per Day to Visit Albania?

And that’s all of your expenses for traveling to Albania. Now, we need to determine how much the total costs of your trip will add up to.

• Accommodation: $12.54 a night for a budget traveler + $27 for a mid-range traveler
• Transportation: $6 per day
• Food: $10 per day for a budget traveler + $60 for a mid-range traveler
• Activities: $20 per day

Total expenses for each day – $48.54 (budget traveler) or $113 (mid-range traveler)

Albania is one of the most underrated destinations in Europe, but get there soon, as it’s starting to get a bit more attention in recent years, and soon it will end up as popular as places like Croatia.