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"Business Insider": American tourists choose Albania to live
2025-04-24 08:27:47 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE
My husband and I have traveled to most of Central and South America, some parts of Africa, a good part of Europe, and most of Southeast and East Asia, according to the American daily "Business Insider".
"We have visited 47 countries, but our favorite place is Albania, in the Balkans," said Alicia and Nathan.
Albania is absolutely gorgeous and still untouched by mass tourism, especially compared to other European destinations like Barcelona, Paris, London, Rome, and even Prague.
The food is one of our favorites and the locals are very welcoming.
The country is still developing after the end of its communist era in the 1990s, so you will still see bunkers scattered throughout the cities.
Every time we return, we feel like we are discovering a new place. This is what makes Albania such a unique place!
Albania has stunning nature and good weather.
Albania is located across the Adriatic Sea, bordering Greece and Montenegro.
It's a relatively small country, perhaps the size of Portugal.
You can easily travel across the country in a week or two.
It has a mild, typically Mediterranean climate.
Winter is generally mild, and summer can be hot, but along the coast, the weather is much more suitable.
The Albanian Riviera – a coastal stretch along the Ionian Sea with crystal-clear blue waters – is the most stunning area in the south of the country.
Thethi National Park is also fascinating.
Albania has mountains, including the Albanian Alps, Mount Korab, and Mount Tomorri. The snow-capped mountains are great for hiking.
It's so beautiful here. Every time we head out into nature, away from the city centers, we are amazed by the unique landscape of the Balkan country.
The architecture of Albania is quite diverse.
In cities like Berat, known as the “city of one window upon another,” you’ll find well-preserved Ottoman architecture – white stone buildings with dark tiled roofs and wooden-louvered windows – dating back some 2,000 years.
Meanwhile, Tirana's architecture is a mix of styles. There are still buildings from the communist era and new modern buildings with lots of green spaces.
Living in Albania is affordable
We moved to Tirana in February 2023. After three years of traveling, we decided to live in Europe.
We are accommodated in a new apartment complex – in a furnished unit of about 740 square meters, with one bedroom and one bathroom.
We pay 450 euros, about $520, in monthly rent. Utilities – internet, water, and electricity – cost us about 100 euros, or $115, per month.
Housing in Albania is much more affordable than in the United States. In 2019, before traveling abroad, we lived in San Diego and rented a 630-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment — about an hour from downtown — for $1,250 a month — the cheapest rent we could find.
The value for money here is incredible.
Food in the city can be a little more expensive, but traditional Albanian foods are super affordable.
Typically, you can order five or six shared dishes, served family style, along with a liter of wine, or a few beers, and you can rarely spend more than $50.
Public transportation is also excellent and affordable in Tirana.
The city was recently added to Google Maps, which has made navigation even easier.
Bus travel within Tirana costs only 40 cents.
There are some compromises to life in Albania, but the good things the country offers outweigh the bad.
The money we save on food and living expenses in Albania has greatly impacted our lives.
It has allowed us to travel and invest more in travel.
Part of the reason we left the US to pursue this dream is that we simply couldn't afford to live there.
However, there are some trade-offs to living here.
For example, we have to go to different places to get everything we need: a grocery store; a fruit and vegetable market; a bakery and a coffee shop. Convenience can be a challenge.
Something important is Albania's visa policy. American citizens receive a 365-day visa upon arrival in the country.
Also, our Schengen visa days are renewed every time we leave Albania and travel to the EU.
Beyond that, the locals are extremely supportive and really helpful to us deciding to live here.
Ultimately, our dream is to buy a house in Italy, but there are many steps before we get there. For now, we are very happy here in Albania.
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