Albania travel budget
Ionian coves, Ottoman stone towns and mountain passes at half Greek prices.
How much per day?
Typical daily spend per person, everything included. Local amounts at the latest available rate (1 USD = 81.49 ALL).
Backpacker
$30–55
ALL 2,440–4,480
Dorms, street food, buses
Mid-range
$60–105
ALL 4,890–8,560
Private rooms, restaurants, some tours
Comfort
$115–200
ALL 9,370–16,300
Hotels, taxis, nicer dinners
What things cost
| Item | USD | ALL |
|---|---|---|
| Byrek or qofte/sufllaqe street food | $1–5 | |
| Sit-down meal at a local restaurant | $8–15 | |
| Espresso | $0.8–2 | |
| Local beer (0.5 L, bar) | $2–3.5 | |
| Bottled water (1.5 L, shop) | $0.5–1 | |
| Taxi, ~5 km in Tirana | $5–10 | |
| Intercity bus or furgon | $3–15 | |
| Hostel dorm bed | $12–22 | |
| Private double room, guesthouse | $30–60 | |
| Mid-range hotel, double | $60–120 | |
| Tourist SIM with data (Vodafone/One, 7–21 days) | $12–32 | |
| Castle entry (Berat, Gjirokastër) | $2.5–5 |
Cash or card?
Cash in lek still runs most of daily life: furgons, bakeries, small guesthouses, castle ticket booths and anything in the mountains. Cards are fine at hotels, supermarkets and many restaurants in Tirana and on the coast.
ATMs
Most bank ATMs now charge foreign cards roughly 500–800 ALL per withdrawal (no fee-free bank remained in 2025), so take out larger sums less often. Always choose to be charged in ALL to avoid 4–13% conversion markups, and skip standalone non-bank machines.
Tipping
Not mandatory. Round up for coffee and taxis, leave 5–10% at restaurants for good service, and about €10–20 a day for private guides or drivers.
Watch out for
Many Albanians still quote prices in old lek, which is ten times the real figure, so a 1,000-lek byrek is actually 100. If a number sounds absurd, ask whether it's new or old lek before you pay or argue.
Make your ALL go further
- ✓Visit the Riviera in June or September: Ksamil and Sarandë room rates can double in late July and August, while the sea is still warm either side.
- ✓Get around by furgon and intercity bus. Most hops cost $3–15, and in Tirana use Bolt, which runs roughly 30–40% below street taxis.
- ✓Eat lunch at a byrektore or a grill for qofte and sufllaqe, and save seafood dinners for one or two nights. Beachfront restaurants in Ksamil charge close to Greek prices.
- ✓Base yourself in Berat, Gjirokastër or Sarandë rather than Ksamil itself, where you can find a guesthouse double for $30–50 and day-trip to the beaches by furgon for about $1–2.
- ✓Buy a local tourist SIM in town rather than at the airport, and pay ATM fees as few times as possible by withdrawing near the limit.
When to go
May–June and September give you warm sea, open guesthouses and shoulder-season rates. July–August is hot and crowded with peak coastal prices, and winter is cheapest but much of the Riviera and Theth shuts down.
Where people are heading
Ksamil
Ionian coves and islets facing Corfu, at a fraction of Greek prices.
Gjirokastër
A UNESCO stone town under an Ottoman-era castle.
Theth
A remote mountain valley and the start of the Valbona pass hike.
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