What was our Cost of Living in Pogradec Albania? (2025)
One of our longest stays so far was a little over four months—140 nights—in Pogradec, Albania.
We’re sharing this cost of living in Pogradec Albania report as a real-world example of what long-term, slow travel in Albania can cost for a couple on a moderate budget who haven’t yet decided whether the country might eventually become home.
Our original plan was to stay one month and see how we liked it. That plan didn’t last long. Within a few days, we decided to stay for the rest of the summer.
Pogradec sits on the southern shore of Lake Ohrid, just a few miles from Albania’s border with North Macedonia. It turned out to be exactly the kind of place we like for slow travel: walkable, relaxed, scenic, and easy to settle into.
Our Budget Target (and What That Actually Means)
We’re American retirees living abroad full-time as senior nomads. In November of 2023, we left the U.S. to travel internationally as our retirement plan. As we move from place to place, we’re not just traveling – we’re also testing destinations that might someday become home.
Part of that process is tracking our real costs and daily life so we – and you – can see what this lifestyle actually looks like on a moderate budget.
Our target budget is US$2,700 per month for the two of us, covering all normal living expenses.
We use the word target deliberately.
It’s “the number we prefer not to exceed.”
We also budget $7,200 per year separately for relocation expenses, which covers moving between cities and countries. Those costs are tracked outside our regular cost-of-living numbers.
We track every dollar we spend and share that information with you.
Where We Stayed in Pogradec
Apartment #1: One Bedroom Near the Promenade
We arrived in early June, before the tourist season really ramped up, and spent our first 34 nights in a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment near the eastern end of the lakefront promenade.
We were a few blocks back from the lake in a residential neighborhood. The view wasn’t of the lake but had a gorgeous view of the mountains and more rural parts of Pogradec, once you got past the view of the vacant lot and a car wash. The apartment itself was beautifully appointed, comfortable, quiet, and an awesome apartment for getting settled in.
Cost for first 34 nights: $1,032.81
Like most of Albania, the per-night rate changed when it became “high” season, so our nightly rate was:
- 20 nights in June at $23.57 per night
- 14 nights in July at $40.10 per night
That worked out to an average of $30.38 per night, right on our $30/night accommodation target.
Apartment #2: Three Bedrooms, Lake View, Peak Season Pricing
For the remainder of our stay, we moved to a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment on the western end of the promenade – with an actual lake view.
Was it more space than we needed? Definitely.
Did we enjoy it anyway? Also yes.
Because we booked last-minute in the height of tourist season, we paid dearly for this one.
We initially booked two months, then extended the stay another six weeks at a slightly lower rate.
Cost for 107 nights: $4,165.45
Average: $38.93 per night
Our housing costs target for 140 nights is $4,200, so we went about $1,000 over for this period.
Short-term rentals are always more expensive than long-term leases, and staying in a popular tourist town during July and August is never a budget-friendly move. But we chose Pogradec specifically for the summer weather and wanted to experience both the busy season and the quieter shoulder period.
One small logistical note: we paid for 141 nights. We overlap reservations whenever we change apartment, if needed, so we don’t have to spend a day sitting around with luggage waiting for check-in. It also gave us time to do a full walkthrough of the second apartment and have the host provide some missing kitchen basics (spatula, knives, cooking spoons, etc) before we actually moved in.
Like most short-term rentals in tourist towns, pricing in Pogradec is highly seasonal. Rates climbed sharply in July and August and dropped again once summer vacationers left, which had a noticeable impact on our average nightly cost.
Housing Costs: The Summer Reality
Taken together, here’s what housing cost us over the full stay… between both apartments:
- Total nights: 140
- Total housing cost: $5,198.26
Peak season pricing pushed us over target, but it was a conscious choice. This kind of stay showed us exactly what Pogradec costs when it’s busy—and what it costs once the crowds thin out.
Food Costs: Eating Out vs. Cooking at Home
We track groceries separately from eating out, so let’s start with meals out.
Eating Out in Pogradec
We didn’t eat out as often in Pogradec as we did in Durrës, but still more than in many other places we’ve stayed.
If you’ve seen our food videos, you know we’re not into fine dining. We judge meals on value and prefer local places over tourist-focused restaurants. That said, much of Pogradec caters to summer visitors, and menus reflect that.
We also don’t drink much, which helps keep restaurant costs down. Jeff had maybe three beers during our entire stay.
Restaurant spending:
- 58 meals plus coffee shop stops
- Total: $1,129.06
- Cheapest meal: under $6
- Most expensive meal: $42
- Most meals: $12–$18 for both of us
Groceries and Home Cooking
Groceries were our biggest food expense – which shouldn’t be surprising.
If we ate out 58 times in 140 days, that means a lot of meals were cooked at home. We don’t always eat three meals a day, but we still prepared roughly 300 meals ourselves.
We include household basics like laundry detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper, and similar items in our grocery budget. Splitting them out into a separate category just isn’t worth the effort.
Grocery spending: $2,066.56
Total Food Costs
Total food spending: $3,195.62
That works out to $22.83 per day for the two of us.
Activities and Local Transportation
We budget $300 per month for activities and local transportation.
In 140 days, we spent just $120 total.
Almost all of that was a day trip to Korçë that turned into an overnight stay because we trusted bus schedules we found online.
Don’t do that in Albania.
Most days involved long walks along the lakefront promenade, which cost nothing. We rented bikes one day – bike rental here is extremely cheap – and visited the local museum for $1.20 each. Jeff also hiked up to Pogradec Castle, where the view is far more impressive than the castle itself.
We’re not on a permanent vacation. We’re retired people living normal, everyday lives.
Technology Costs
Some of these expenses are specific to sharing our experiences with you.
Our total technology cost for this period was $659.68,
which included:
- A full year of Jeff’s cell phone bill
- Web tools we use for the blog
- Recurring Google Workspace costs
Most people living abroad wouldn’t need all of these.
Health Care Costs
We spent $887.63 on health care during this period.
Of that:
- $802 was our international health insurance premiums
- The insurance is paid annually, but we budget it monthly
- No doctor visits this period, just a few over-the-counter items
Miscellaneous Expenses
This category includes everything that doesn’t fit neatly elsewhere – life insurance and other odds-and-ends expenses.
Total miscellaneous spending: $1,219.81
We budgeted $1,400 for this period, so we came in under target.
Our Total Cost of Living in Pogradec (140 Days)
Total spending: $11,281.39
That works out to:
- $80.58 per day for the two of us, or
- just over $2400 a month
Our target is $90 per day, so this kind of stay helped us make up ground after higher-cost stops earlier in the year – even though we paid peak-season prices in July and August.
Relocation Costs (Tracked Separately)
Moving from Durrës to Pogradec cost us $20.57:
- Bus tickets: 700 lek each (yep, just 700 lek for a 3 hr bus ride)
- Taxi from the bus station to our apartment: 400 lek
The taxi across town when we switched apartments cost another $4.70.
Out of our $7,200 annual relocation budget, this move barely registered.
This stay reinforced what we’ve learned about slow travel
When we started this adventure in 2023, we thought one month in each city would be enough.
We’ve learned that two months is the minimum for us to stop feeling like tourists and start settling into a real routine. Four months? Even better.
We’ve also come to enjoy frequent, small errands – going to the market multiple times a week to buy just what we need for a couple of meals. It’s practical, affordable, and surprisingly enjoyable.
That’s the point where a place stops feeling temporary and starts feeling like home.
Curious About Slow Travel or Living Abroad?
If you’re considering slow travel, testing countries before committing, or simply wondering what day-to-day life abroad really costs, you can read more of our cost of cost of living reports here.
If you have questions about Albania, budgeting as long-term travelers, or how we track our expenses, feel free to ask. We’re always happy to share what we’ve learned!