Note: Short term rentals are always more expensive than a long term leases – if we had signed a long-term lease, the same apartment would likely have been $450–$500 per month. Compared to our old 300-square-foot studio in Redmond, Oregon ($1200 a month), it felt like a deal.

Food Costs: Eating Like Locals

The biggest surprise? Dining out – in Durrës it was cheaper to dine is restaurants and cafes than it would have cost us to grocery shopping back home. And because our stove didn’t work for much of our stay, we doubled the number of meals we ate out. Thankfully, it was easy to find affordable and tasty food.

Local favorites like pizza, doners, shawarma, and sufllaqe (souvlaki) are everywhere, and meals at sit-down restaurants for both of us typically cost between $7 and $20 total.

Over 61 days, we had meals out about 60 times, spending $1,006 on restaurant and coffee shop meals. Groceries (including cleaning supplies and toiletries) came to $765.

That brings our total food cost to $1,772, or roughly $29 per day.

Activities and Local Transportation

Durrës isn’t packed with tourist attractions – which honestly suited us fine. We were there to live more like locals, not sightsee every day.

We took the bus downtown a couple of times (less than $2 round trip for both of us) and spent most days enjoying beach walks and the promenad

Our biggest expense in this category was $446 for 15 Albanian language classes at the local university – money well spent. Locals really appreciate it when you try even a little Albanian.

Total spent on activities and local transport: $489

Technology & Subscriptions

During our time in Albania, tech and subscription expenses totaled $404 That included our annual renewal for Canva, two months of Google Workspace, a social media experiment with Pinterest, our annual Norton renewal, and a couple of minor software tools. (These are just some of the expenses we have because we are sharing our travel adventures with you)

Health & Medical Costs

We spent $463 on healthcare during this period, including our international health insurance premiums ($401 of that total). We made a couple of pharmacy stops for allergy meds and essential oils but never needed a doctor.

In our expat community, there was plenty of discussion about healthcare access, and it was reassuring to know that private healthcare in Albania is both accessible and affordable.

Miscellaneous Expenses

Our miscellaneous category covered everything that didn’t fit elsewhere: life insurance, minor renewals, and the usual odds and ends. The total came to $480

Total Cost of Living in Durrës

For our 61 days in Durrës, Albania, we spent $5,065 total, or about $83 per day for both of us. That’s under our monthly target and helps balance the months when we go over our target.

Even with short-term rental pricing, we found Albania incredibly affordable for the quality of life we enjoyed.

Relocation Costs

We track relocation separately, with a target of $7,200 per year. Our first year we overspent (nearly $10,000), but this year we’re staying closer to goal.

Getting from Guanajuato, Mexico to Durrës, Albania cost just under $4,700:

• Mexico City to Fort Lauderdale: $1,033
• 15-night transatlantic cruise: $3,150 (more about why we chose a cruise coming soon!)
• Train from Rome to Bari: $100
• Ferry from Bari to Durrës: $200
• And a couple of taxi rides for the balance

That brings our year-to-date relocation total to $6,586, putting us on track to stay within budget – thanks to a slower pace of travel, lower cost of traveling within Albania and longer stays.