Short answer: On the ground in Albania, plan on roughly 2,500–4,000 lek (about $30–50) per person per day on a hostel budget, 7,600–9,800 lek (about $95–120) in a mid-range hotel shared by two, and 14,000–17,000 lek (about $170–210) in five-star comfort, using Tirana prices. A week therefore costs about 17,500–28,000 lek ($215–340) on a tight budget, 53,200–68,600 lek ($650–840) mid-range and 98,000–119,000 lek ($1,200–1,455) in comfort, before flights. On the Riviera in July and August, prices can double in places.
Albania is one of the best-value destinations in Europe: a Mediterranean coastline, UNESCO-listed towns and mountain hiking at prices well below its neighbors. It is no longer a secret, though, and the coast in high summer costs much more than Tirana or Berat in spring. The big variables are where and when you stay, and how you get around. This guide breaks down the costs with figures from official sources, so you can build a realistic budget for your trip to Albania. The currency is the lek; dollar figures use the Bank of Albania’s official rate of 81.80 lek to the US dollar (and 91.98 lek to the euro) on 2 October 2026, rounded. Use our Money exchange tool for today’s rate.
Albania daily costs at a glance
These example days are built from the sourced prices further down this page: one person, one sightseeing day in Tirana. They leave out flights, intercity buses, car rental, beach loungers, shopping and nightlife.
| Per person, per day | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Hostel dorm bed: about 800–1,300 lek | Half of a three-star room at about €70–80 (6,400–7,400 lek): 3,200–3,700 lek | Half of a five-star room at about €140 (13,000 lek): about 6,500 lek |
| Food | Two inexpensive meals at about 800 lek: 1,600 lek | Lunch, half of a 4,500-lek dinner for two, a coffee and a beer: about 3,500 lek | Lunch, half of a 6,000-lek dinner for two, drinks: 4,500–5,500 lek |
| Local transport | City buses at 40 lek a ride: 100–200 lek | Buses plus a short taxi ride: 500–1,300 lek | Taxis: 2,000–3,000 lek |
| Sights | Free squares, parks and viewpoints, or one museum: 0–900 lek | One or two sights: 400–1,300 lek | Sights and a cable car ride: 1,000–2,000 lek |
| Total | About 2,500–4,000 lek ($30–50) | About 7,600–9,800 lek ($95–120) | About 14,000–17,000 lek ($170–210) |
The dorm range is from the hostel averages of Budget Your Trip and Hostelgeeks for Tirana; the hotel figures are 2026 Tirana averages on the price site combien-coute.net (based on hotels.com data); meal, coffee, beer, bus and taxi prices are 2026 Tirana prices from the crowd-sourced Numbeo index; sight prices are from official and visitor sources listed below. Treat these as typical ranges, not quotes.
What visitors actually spend in Albania
Albania’s statistics institute, INSTAT, counted 12,466,038 arrivals of foreign citizens in 2025, 6.6% more than in 2024, based on border police data. Most come from elsewhere in southern Europe, 93% came for holidays, family visits and similar personal reasons, and 337,482 arrived from the Americas. Albania’s tourism ministry estimated that foreign visitors spent €4.9 billion in 2024, an average of about €427 (about 39,300 lek) per visitor, according to press reports of the ministry’s figures. That average includes many short trips from nearby countries, so a week-long holiday from further away costs more.
On our Travel costs by country scale, which compares hotel, restaurant and transport prices with the United States (US = 100), Albania scores 52, in our “inexpensive” band. That is about the same as Croatia (53) and North Macedonia (49), below Montenegro (66), and well below Greece (83) and Italy (100). Everyday living costs score even lower (43).
Accommodation costs
Rooms are the line that varies most. Budget Your Trip’s average dorm bed in Tirana is about $13 (about 1,060 lek), and Hostelgeeks puts dorms at €8–12 (about 740–1,100 lek) and private hostel rooms from €21 to €36. The price site combien-coute.net gives 2026 Tirana averages of about €81 a night for a three-star hotel, €100 for a four-star and €143 for a five-star, and about €68 for a three-star hotel across the whole country. Guesthouses and family-run rooms, common in Berat, Gjirokastër and the mountains, are often cheaper still.
The coast is a different market in high summer. On the Albanian Riviera, Ksamil in particular, July and August are packed and prices double in some places, while many Riviera hotels close from November to April. Tirana, Durrës, Berat and Gjirokastër stay open all year and are very cheap in winter, as our best time to visit Albania guide explains.
Albania has no national per-night tourist tax, but municipalities charge a local accommodation tax that hotels and guesthouses collect; it is usually small and often included in the room price, so check when you book.
Food and drink costs
Eating out is one of Albania’s great bargains. Numbeo’s 2026 figures for Tirana show a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 800 lek (range 500–1,420), a three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant, without drinks, at about 4,500 lek (range 3,300–6,000), a fast-food combo at about 950 lek, a half-liter of local draft beer at about 250 lek and a cappuccino at about 190 lek. Byrek (savory pastry) from a bakery, grilled meats and salads at a family-run restaurant, and fresh fish in the coastal towns are the classic cheap and good options. Beach bars and seafront restaurants on the Riviera charge more in summer.
Getting around Albania
- From the airport: Tirana International Airport is 17 km from the city. The airport bus runs every hour, around the clock, for 400 lek to the center; a bus to Durrës costs 600 lek, and the official taxi to Tirana about 2,200 lek.
- City buses: a ride on a Tirana city bus costs about 40 lek, paid on board.
- Intercity buses and minibuses (furgons): the cheapest way between towns, leaving from Tirana’s South and North bus terminals. Fares are paid in cash, usually on board, and timetables change with the season.
- Taxis: Numbeo’s figures suggest about 300 lek to start and 300 lek per kilometer in Tirana; agree the fare or check the meter first.
- Ferries from Corfu: Finikas Lines runs between Corfu and Sarandë on a summer timetable from 1 June to 15 October, taking about 30 minutes, with one-way fares of about €10–25.
Many visitors rent a car for the Riviera and the south, where buses are less frequent. Our Albania itinerary shows how to combine Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër and the Riviera by bus or car.
Sightseeing fees and free things to do
Entry fees are low, and several prices below come from visitor reports rather than official lists, so treat them as approximate and carry cash.
| Sight (adult) | Entry |
|---|---|
| Butrint National Park | About 1,000 lek; under 12 free |
| Bunk’Art 1 or 2, Tirana | About 900 lek each |
| Gjirokastër Castle | 400 lek |
| Berat Castle (daytime) | About 300 lek |
| Durrës Amphitheatre | About 300 lek |
| Blue Eye spring, near Sarandë | A small cash entrance and parking fee |
Much of Albania is free: Skanderbeg Square and the colorful streets of Tirana, the old quarters of Berat and Gjirokastër, the beaches (national rules keep part of each beach free of paid loungers), and hiking in the Albanian Alps. On busy beaches, a pair of loungers and an umbrella typically costs about €10–20 a day in summer. See our top places to visit in Albania and our beaches and hiking pages for ideas.
A sample mid-range week
Here is one person’s share of a June week in Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër and the Riviera, staying in mid-range rooms for two and using the example day above:
| Item (per person, 7 nights) | Cost |
|---|---|
| Half of a €70–80 room | 22,400–25,900 lek |
| Food, at about 3,500 lek a day | About 24,500 lek |
| Airport bus both ways | 800 lek |
| Berat and Gjirokastër castles, Butrint and Bunk’Art | About 2,600 lek |
| Total, before flights, intercity buses or car rental | About 50,300–53,800 lek ($615–660) |
The same week in July or August costs more, especially on the coast; in spring or autumn, rooms are cheaper and the coast quieter.
Tipping in Albania
Tipping is not obligatory, but rounding up or leaving about 10% for good service in restaurants is common and appreciated, as is a small tip for guides and drivers. Our tip calculator works out amounts on the spot.
Money-saving tips for Albania
- Go in June or September for the coast, and May or October for the cities: warm weather and far lower prices than July and August.
- Pay in lek. Euros are often accepted in tourist areas, but the change comes in lek, and prices in lek are usually better.
- Watch for “old lek”. Some people still quote prices in old lek, which are ten times the real amount; ask if a price sounds too high.
- Take the bus and furgons between towns, and the 400-lek airport bus into Tirana.
- Stay in guesthouses in Berat, Gjirokastër and the mountains, where breakfast is often included.
- Use the free part of the beach instead of renting loungers every day.
Plan your trip: our free trip planner can build a day-by-day plan for Albania from our guides, including Tirana, Berat, Durrës and the Albanian Riviera. Then use the Money exchange tool to turn lek into your own currency, and the Destination weather tool to pick your dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a week in Albania?
Using the Tirana example days above, seven days on the ground cost roughly 17,500–28,000 lek ($215–340) per person on a hostel budget, 53,200–68,600 lek ($650–840) mid-range and 98,000–119,000 lek ($1,200–1,455) in comfort, before flights, intercity transport and car rental. Add more for the Riviera in July and August.
Is Albania expensive?
No. Albania scores 52 on our travel cost scale (US = 100), below Montenegro, Greece and Italy. Meals, buses and entry fees are cheap. The exception is the Riviera in July and August, when prices double in some places.
Do I need cash in Albania?
Yes. Hotels and larger restaurants in Tirana and the resorts take cards, but buses, furgons, small restaurants, markets, many sights, beach loungers and parking are usually cash only. Carry lek from an ATM, and keep small notes.
Can I pay in euros in Albania?
Often, in tourist areas, but the change will be in lek and the rate is not always in your favor. Paying in lek is simpler; on 2 October 2026 the official rate was about 92 lek to the euro and 82 to the US dollar.
How much is the entrance fee to Butrint?
About 1,000 lek for adults, with free entry for children under 12, according to the Ministry of Culture’s tariff and recent visitor reports. Bring cash and check the current price on arrival.
What is the cheapest month to visit Albania?
November to April is cheapest; December is the cheapest month for city stays, but many Riviera hotels and beach bars close in winter. For the coast, June and September combine warm sea with lower prices. See our best time to visit Albania guide for the weather month by month.