Is Albania Expensive? Real Prices for a Holiday in 2026

What things actually cost in Albania: hotels, meals, coffee and beer, fuel, car rental, ferries and entry fees, with a daily budget for three travel styles.

No, Albania is not expensive. It remains one of the cheapest countries in Europe for a holiday, and noticeably cheaper than Greece, Croatia or Italy for the same kind of trip. It is also not as cheap as it was five years ago: coastal prices in July and August have risen fast, and the gap between the Riviera in peak season and the rest of the country in May or September is now large. Here is what things actually cost, in lek and euro, so you can budget properly.

All prices are at the current rate of roughly 95 lek to the euro. Our lek converter and money guide has today's figure and explains where to get cash at a fair rate.

Accommodation

• Hostel dorm bed in Tirana or Sarandë: 1,200 to 2,000 lek (13 to 21 euro)
• Family guesthouse with private room: 2,500 to 4,000 lek (25 to 40 euro), often including breakfast
• Mid-range hotel in a city: 4,000 to 7,000 lek (40 to 70 euro)
• Boutique hotel or sea-view apartment on the Riviera in July and August: 8,000 to 13,000 lek (80 to 130 euro), and often fully booked by June

The rule of thumb: the same room costs roughly half as much in May or late September as in the first two weeks of August. Inland towns (Berat, Gjirokastër, Shkodër, Korçë) stay cheap all year.

Food and drink

• Coffee (espresso or macchiato): 100 to 200 lek (1 to 2 euro)
• Byrek from a bakery: 100 to 150 lek
• Simple lunch (a grilled dish with salad and bread): 600 to 1,000 lek (6 to 10 euro)
• Full dinner in a traditional restaurant with a glass of wine: 1,500 to 2,500 lek (16 to 26 euro) per person
• Seafood dinner on the Riviera: 1,500 to 3,000 lek per person, depending on how much fish you order
• Local beer in a bar: 300 to 500 lek; raki: 200 to 400 lek; glass of Albanian wine: 400 to 600 lek
• 1.5 litre bottle of water from a shop: 50 to 100 lek

Restaurants in Blloku (Tirana) and on the Ksamil and Dhermi beachfronts charge the most. Anywhere a menu is only in English and prices are only in euro, expect to pay 30 to 50 percent above the local rate.

Getting around

• Car rental: economy cars on RidePrise start from around 15 euro a day in low season and typically 45 to 65 euro a day in peak summer, from vetted local agencies. Our guide to car rental costs breaks down what is included and what to watch for.
• Fuel: around 200 lek per litre for petrol, slightly less for diesel, about 2.10 euro. A full tank on a small car is 45 to 55 euro. There is one toll in the country, 5 euro on the A1 towards Kosovo; everything else is free.
• Furgon (shared minibus) between cities: 300 to 1,500 lek depending on distance. Cheap, but slow and without a fixed timetable.
• City bus in Tirana: 40 lek. Taxi across Tirana: 500 to 800 lek. Airport to the centre: 2,000 to 3,000 lek.
• Ferry Sarandë to Corfu: 20 to 25 euro per person each way.

Beaches, sights and activities

• Sunbed and umbrella on the Riviera: 1,000 to 2,500 lek per set per day in high season, more at the famous Ksamil beaches. Many beaches have a free stretch if you walk to the end.
• Museums: Bunk'Art 1 and 2 around 500 lek each, the House of Leaves around 700 lek, Gjirokastër Castle around 400 lek.
• Butrint National Park: around 1,000 lek.
• Dajti cable car (Tirana): around 1,500 lek return.
• Koman Lake ferry: roughly 800 to 1,000 lek per person; a car on the ferry costs extra.
• Blue Eye spring: a small entry fee of a few hundred lek per person.

Daily budget: three travel styles

• Backpacker (hostel, bakery lunches, furgons, one paid sight a day): 3,000 to 4,500 lek, about 30 to 45 euro a day.
• Mid-range couple with a rental car (guesthouse or 3-star hotel, one restaurant meal a day, fuel, sunbeds): 12,000 to 17,000 lek for two, about 125 to 180 euro a day for the couple, so 60 to 90 euro each.
• Comfort (sea-view hotel in peak season, seafood dinners, day trips): 20,000 lek and up for two, from about 210 euro a day.

A one-week Riviera road trip for two in September, with a rental car, guesthouses and eating out every evening, comes to roughly 900 to 1,200 euro all in. The same week in early August is closer to 1,400 to 1,800 euro, almost entirely because of accommodation.

What is more expensive than you expect

• Peak-season beach accommodation, especially Ksamil, Dhermi and Himara in August
• Sunbeds at the best-known beaches, which can cost more than lunch
• Fuel, which is priced at Western European levels
• Imported goods such as branded sunscreen, foreign beer and electronics
• Taxis without a meter, if you do not agree a price first

What is cheaper than you expect

• Coffee, which costs a euro almost everywhere and is good
• Fresh produce and bakeries
• Eating out inland: Berat, Gjirokastër and Korçë are half the price of the coast
• Car rental from local agencies, compared with airport chains in Greece or Italy
• Entry to sights, which rarely exceeds 10 euro

Tips for keeping costs down

• Travel in May, June or September: same beaches, half the room rates, no traffic on the Llogara road.
• Pay in lek, not euro. Prices quoted in euro are usually rounded against you.
• Withdraw cash from a bank ATM and decline the "convert to your currency" option, which adds several percent.
• Stay in family guesthouses inland and use the coast for day trips.
• Rent a car for the whole trip rather than taking taxis between towns: for two or more people it is cheaper, and it turns the Riviera and the mountains into a single route. Our road trip cost calculator estimates fuel and rental for your dates.

Frequently asked questions

Is Albania cheap for a holiday? Yes. Outside the August coast it is one of the cheapest destinations in Europe, with meals under 10 euro, coffee at 1 euro and guesthouses from 25 euro a night.

Is Albania cheaper than Greece or Croatia? Yes, usually by 30 to 50 percent for food, accommodation and car rental. Fuel is about the same.

How much money do I need per day in Albania? Around 40 euro a day as a backpacker, 60 to 90 euro each as a mid-range couple with a car, and 100 euro or more each for comfort travel in peak season.

Can I pay with euro in Albania? Often, in tourist areas, but at a worse rate. Carry lek for everyday spending.

Is Tirana expensive? No. It is cheaper than the Riviera in summer. A good dinner for two with wine is 30 to 45 euro in the centre.

Is it worth renting a car in Albania? For most trips, yes. Public transport between the coast and the mountains is slow, and a small rental car from a local agency costs less than a couple of taxi rides a day.

Renting a car for your Albania trip

Compare verified local agencies and real prices for your dates. Browse available cars or see car rental in Albania.