How Much for a Month in Albania’s Biggest City?

As full-time travelers, we’re always looking to get great value from each destination. Even though we aren’t budget travelers, we are budget minded and we always appreciate when our money goes a long way. But many of the popular destinations in Europe are also the most expensive. 

So we came to the least visited countries in Europe. Albania is a country that has a lot to offer and it has a reputation for being a place where your dollar can go really far. Albania is also pretty new to the tourist map after decades of isolation during communist times. That was all the more reason for us to see what Tirana is all about today. 

Now that we’re at the end of our month here, it’s time to look back at all our experiences in Tirana — the wining, the dining, the sightseeing — and we put a price tag on it. How much did we spend and what did we get for it? 

We were fairly certain Tirana would be an affordable destination but what kind of experience would we get? When you’re in a country that doesn’t see a lot of international tourists, it can be a little harder to navigate. Would language be an issue? Would it be hard to get around? Would we even be able to find an apartment that we liked? 

Of course, seeing the sights is one of the main reasons to come to a new city in the first place. But going to a lot of paid attractions can really add up, even in a low-cost destination. For that reason, we always like to make the most of free attractions and then move onto the paid ones. 

Of course, the first thing we needed to do was check out Skanderbeg Square. This is an absolutely massive square right in the centre of Tirana; it could likely fit six football fields. And many of Tirana’s significant buildings are located around it, including a lovely 18th century mosque with beautiful frescos and a stunning modern Orthodox church that was built just a decade ago.  

We also explored Tirana’s only pedestrian street, which was very small and charming. And we explored the much bigger neighbourhood of Blloku, which used to be exclusively for high ranking members of the communist party but now it’s filled to the brim with stylish restaurants and shops. If we ever wanted a break from all the traffic and buzz, we just headed over to the Grand Park which is a very peaceful slice of nature in the middle of the city.

There are also a few paid attractions that are definitely worth the spend. We checked out Bunk’Art 1 and 2. These are both nuclear bunkers built during the communist era that have since been converted to museums. Bunk’Art 2 is in the centre of the city and focuses on how the state oppressed the people in the 20th century. Bunk’Art 1 is on the edge of town and is an absolutely massive bunker well worth a visit. The highlight was the living quarters of the party leadership. 

Our favourite excursion of the month was taking a cable car up Mount Dajti. Since it’s us, of course we decided to hike an hour up to a great view of the region. 

I did go to the National Art Gallery, which was a unique experience. There was a huge amount of art on display — hundreds of paintings and statues — without any dates or explanations. This one might be for the true art lovers only.

Dining out seems to be a big part of the lifestyle here in Tirana.

There are restaurants and cafes on just about every corner; it’s a really dynamic restaurant scene. In fact, we kept finding brand new restaurants that hadn’t even made it onto Google Maps yet. Not every restaurant served up great food but the prices were low enough that we didn’t mind experimenting a little. In fact, the prices were low enough that we usually ate out at least one meal a day.

Interestingly, traditional Albanian food is harder to come by in downtown Tirana, although there are a few memorable spots. We got to try the classics like stuffed eggplant and a lamb and yogurt casserole; a hearty meal of roast lamb. If you like Italian food, you’re in luck; there’s pasta and pizza on almost every menu. Seafood is also available everywhere. 

Of course, we don’t just dine out when we’re traveling. We also like to cook at home, although this month we haven’t been quite as motivated because we’re surrounded by so many interesting restaurants in our neighbourhood.  I’d say our cooking has been a bit more simple here. We often roast a fish or buy a grilled chicken and then whip up some vegetables to go with it. 

The produce here is really abundant. There’s a vendor on every corner and you can really tell what’s in season. And the prices are great; we were able to create a few meals from just $10 USD of produce. 

As mentioned, we were a little worried about navigating a city that doesn’t see that much international tourism. And, in truth, it has been a little more challenging to communicate when we’re ordering in a restaurant or taking a cab versus other countries we’ve visited. There just aren’t as many English speakers. 

But that hasn’t stopped us from feeling at home here in Tirana. As usual, we find a little research goes a long way in helping us feel comfortable. Before we arrived, we really dug into the guide books, blogs and vlogs and we received lots of recommendations from fellow travelers. 

Of course, all that research helped us land a pretty nice Airbnb.

We looked at a lot of listings to find a place that met all our requirements and then some. Of course, we realized very quickly that we wouldn’t be paying local prices. If you want a stylish apartment in Tirana, you’re really going to pay a premium. 

All in all, it’s been really worth it to get off the beaten path and spend this past month in TIrana. Yes, not every restaurant here has an English menu. But the people are really friendly and the city offers a lot of excitement if you make the effort. 

Now let’s tally up our expenses and see if Tirana provides great value too. Entertainment was $32 USD — very reasonable for visiting multiple attractions. Transportation was $22 USD for just a few cab rides around town. Dining out came in at $511 USD, which covered one to two meals out every day. Groceries for the month were just $298 USD. Finally our very comfortable Airbnb came in at $1,152 USD. The total amount we spent was just $2014 USD, which feels like pretty good value for a big city experience.

Of course, that was for a whole month in Tirana. What if you’re just passing through and want to make the most of your time and your budget in just one day? You can check out this video to find out how much fun you can have in Tirana for just $20 USD.