I’ve been living in Tirana for 2 months and I absolutely love it here. Albania has something for everyone, mountains, beach, city, and beautiful landscapes. Great people, great food.
Guys, don't cause grandification here. It's affordable, not "cheap" and don't pay more than locals will, and keep out affordable. Buy from the local merchants not the chain stores, and expat presence will help the country's success, not produce the locals and cause Albania to create limits and stricter laws.
I spent a week in Tirana and was amazed by how affordable everything was, especially compared to other European cities! The local food was delicious and cheap too.
We have been looking into countries to move to. Retired couple in North Carolina. We plan on visiting with the possibility of moving there. Thank you so much for this video! I’ll be watching your other videos as well. At 68 years old maybe I should start smoking 😂
@@BlueRidgeRider lol. Tirana would be the best place to start, you'll fit right in! Thanks for the comment and for watching. Much appreciated. We truly did like Tirana. It's affordable and has great food, and the people were very pleasant. The smoking did bother us along with the garbage situation, but otherwise it's a nice city and is developing.
Albania seems to be a hot spot for slow travelers. We can’t wait to check it out. Thanks for breaking down the monthly cost. That’s very budget friendly. Are you planning to check out Saranda?
We might go in future trips, but to be totally honest, we didn't enjoy the beaches in Albania, at least in the northern part like Durres and Spille. Crowded, no place to put your own towel down, and quite a lot of trash 😔
@@fulltimeabroadoh yes, the government is trying to fight that. But the northern beaches aren’t the best, the south is where the beautiful beaches are.
I’d love to see a listing for the Airbnb where you stayed. Is it in the description? Also, with the gym, did they provide you with a “clean” pair of shoes for your workout or did you carry a second pair of you own and just change ?
Here is the link www.airbnb.com/rooms/638313141780804366?source_impression_id=p3_1726434833_P3Ifi12LyAq4GY32 The gym didn't provide anything for the shoes, you just have to bring another pair. I noticed in the lockers that some people just kept their "clean" shoes there. I appreciate how clean the gyms actually are now that we're looking back on it. Its a bit annoying having to carry another pair of shoes, but small inconvenience.
Most gyms require indoor gym shoes for hygienic reasons. Outdoor shoes track dirt etc. onto the gym floor. Some people stretch or lay out on the gym floors, depending what they are training.
Another great video! Does the AirBnB have a lift ? What floor is it on? I realise that many buildings in the Balkans do not have lifts. Btw, do you still have the link to the listing ?
Thank you! Their was no balcony. It on the 2nd floor of a 3 story, sort of triplex, if that makes sense. Here is the link.. www.airbnb.com/rooms/638313141780804366?source_impression_id=p3_1726434833_P3Ifi12LyAq4GY32
Great video! Did they have any live music ? Also how were the beaches? I live in Florida so I am kinda spoiled w the beaches and like to get a tan and go into the water
We went to the beaches in the north like Durres and Spille and we didn't like them. We couldn't find a place to just lay a towel down because it's all beach chairs and umbrellas. We found the beaches to be quite dirty too. Perhaps the south might be better. We didn't see much live music in Tirana. We weren't really looking for it, but we didn't wander around Blloku at night and it seemed to be just clubs and bars
@@fulltimeabroad There was a time when Mexican water was reputed to be dangerous. I notice in the US, Mexicans are loading up on bottled water. Habit? We have effective water treatment.
I guess they make u swap shoes due to the hygiene. Kinda makes sense as in a gym you might need to lie down for a set or a stretch. Why would you want to do that especially if people are wearing their dirty shoes off the street. I am surprised more gyms dont do this around the world. Great videos guys!!
Please So why is Albania so cheap? Maybe I would risk buying some smaller property here and sell it after a while, but I still don't understand. Many describe that real estate here is very cheap.
@@User12345fan Only place I've been that has made me change shoes. I get the concept, but do they actually think people only wear their gym shoes in the gym?
PLEASE start giving the NAMES of the gyms you pick in each market-you go out and research the gyms and ultimately find the best fit, but both here and & for Durres you never, evertell us WHICH gym you picked, so we have to start the whole gym search from scratch in each new locale without benefiting from your experience 😅
Lol. You're right. We'll start mentioning it. For Tirana we went to Matrix Fitness Center. Its a very modern and clean gym, the most expensive one we found in our search. But the price was worth it. Its cheaper if you take the morning pass. Bring shoes to change into because they don't allow outside shoes in. We found it to be quite empty until about 9am. Then it starts to get busy. We enjoyed it and will go back if we are in Tirana again.
You're absolutely right that the cost of living and salaries vary drastically from place to place. Our goal with these videos is to share our experiences as travelers, but I recognize that what may seem affordable to one person can be very different for someone else. Thanks for sharing your perspective-it's always good to hear different points of view!"
Seems like most budget videos I see on You Tube are relative to the people doing the video . After paying $130/month for a two bedroom in Bangkok ( in a very Thai neighborhood ) … this seems expensive . I do appreciate the effort though 👍. Albania is definitely a bucket list country for me .
Your experience of costs are interesting because they are so much lower than what I read on the numbeo website. Perhaps their information is not up to date.
I suppose its going to be different for everyone. We didn't eat out much so that probably saved us a bit. We also didn't take any cabs and took the bus maybe twice.
It was actually a joy to drive in Albania. We didn't find it too difficult and the thankfully, we didn't really run into any major traffic. But yes, Vietnam was another level. Thanks for watching and for your comment.
I think the smoking thing is so disgusting. Smoke a cigarette, lick an ashtray what's the difference? if they want to have cancer let them have it but don't share it with me. That's enough to make me not want to go there.
@@tanyaperrin8844 honestly, those issues really bothered us and took away from the otherwise great time we had in Tirana. We enjoyed our time there and we forced ourselves to look past them. It was just so shocking.
Thats. Insane. But brilliant. In pound stering £15. Per day. Wow!! We left the UK 22 YEARS AGO living in EUROPE by the mediteranean. LIVING MORTGAGE FREE 22 YEARS.. but. ALBANIA is not far so from us WE MIGHT VISIT SOMEDAY
Thank you for watching and your comment. We were very surprised by how affordable Albania was. We always heard, but until we actually came, we didnt believe
I’ve been living in Tirana for 2 months and I absolutely love it here. Albania has something for everyone, mountains, beach, city, and beautiful landscapes. Great people, great food.
Totally agree!
What's a reasonable budget for a single person?
Hey momma. Can you help me to secure a job in Tirana? I will like to relocate to Albania soon.
@@olatunjisheriff1806 I could try, 🤷🏻♀️what are you looking for? I will ask around.
Guys, don't cause grandification here. It's affordable, not "cheap" and don't pay more than locals will, and keep out affordable. Buy from the local merchants not the chain stores, and expat presence will help the country's success, not produce the locals and cause Albania to create limits and stricter laws.
I spent a week in Tirana and was amazed by how affordable everything was, especially compared to other European cities! The local food was delicious and cheap too.
it was more affordable than Bangkok for us!
You two are excellent in presenting Albania. I am so glad I found you. Thank you for the fantastic information. 🙏🏼
I love Albania and Tirana and my Albanian friends. ❤
We have been looking into countries to move to. Retired couple in North Carolina. We plan on visiting with the possibility of moving there. Thank you so much for this video! I’ll be watching your other videos as well. At 68 years old maybe I should start smoking 😂
@@BlueRidgeRider lol. Tirana would be the best place to start, you'll fit right in!
Thanks for the comment and for watching. Much appreciated.
We truly did like Tirana. It's affordable and has great food, and the people were very pleasant. The smoking did bother us along with the garbage situation, but otherwise it's a nice city and is developing.
Great video! We've been looking into going to Albania. That gym looks really nice! You guys are so close to 1000!
Thank you! We're counting down lol. We really had a great time and will definitely be back!
You two are a pleasure to listen to.
Thanks for the great information.
Take care.
@@kasondaleigh thank you for the kind words. And thanks for watching 😊
Albania seems to be a hot spot for slow travelers. We can’t wait to check it out. Thanks for breaking down the monthly cost. That’s very budget friendly. Are you planning to check out Saranda?
We might go in future trips, but to be totally honest, we didn't enjoy the beaches in Albania, at least in the northern part like Durres and Spille. Crowded, no place to put your own towel down, and quite a lot of trash 😔
how about friendy albania,what language can we talk?
@@fulltimeabroadoh yes, the government is trying to fight that. But the northern beaches aren’t the best, the south is where the beautiful beaches are.
@@BestPlaceTravelenglish, Italian
That is AlbMarket in Pazari i Ri ❤ my neighborhood ❤ Tirana is the best choice in the world ❤
Wow great job and thanks for the tips.
😊
I’d love to see a listing for the Airbnb where you stayed. Is it in the description? Also, with the gym, did they provide you with a “clean” pair of shoes for your workout or did you carry a second pair of you own and just change ?
Here is the link
www.airbnb.com/rooms/638313141780804366?source_impression_id=p3_1726434833_P3Ifi12LyAq4GY32
The gym didn't provide anything for the shoes, you just have to bring another pair. I noticed in the lockers that some people just kept their "clean" shoes there. I appreciate how clean the gyms actually are now that we're looking back on it. Its a bit annoying having to carry another pair of shoes, but small inconvenience.
Great content as usual :))
I appreciate that
Most gyms require indoor gym shoes for hygienic reasons. Outdoor shoes track dirt etc. onto the gym floor. Some people stretch or lay out on the gym floors, depending what they are training.
Thank you for watching and for your comment. We get the reasoning, just never experienced it before.
Another great video! Does the AirBnB have a lift ? What floor is it on? I realise that many buildings in the Balkans do not have lifts. Btw, do you still have the link to the listing ?
Thank you! Their was no balcony. It on the 2nd floor of a 3 story, sort of triplex, if that makes sense. Here is the link..
www.airbnb.com/rooms/638313141780804366?source_impression_id=p3_1726434833_P3Ifi12LyAq4GY32
Great video! Did they have any live music ? Also how were the beaches? I live in Florida so I am kinda spoiled w the beaches and like to get a tan and go into the water
We went to the beaches in the north like Durres and Spille and we didn't like them. We couldn't find a place to just lay a towel down because it's all beach chairs and umbrellas. We found the beaches to be quite dirty too. Perhaps the south might be better.
We didn't see much live music in Tirana. We weren't really looking for it, but we didn't wander around Blloku at night and it seemed to be just clubs and bars
@@fulltimeabroad thank you
Love it there
Albania, I think is a good place to visit 😮😮😮😮
What an exotic experience. I wondered about water if mineral water comes from Europe from a time when water treatment was still to come.
Thank you for watching. It's always a bit disappointing to know you can't drink tap water
@@fulltimeabroad There was a time when Mexican water was reputed to be dangerous. I notice in the US, Mexicans are loading up on bottled water. Habit? We have effective water treatment.
I guess they make u swap shoes due to the hygiene. Kinda makes sense as in a gym you might need to lie down for a set or a stretch. Why would you want to do that especially if people are wearing their dirty shoes off the street. I am surprised more gyms dont do this around the world. Great videos guys!!
You make a good point. I would have liked to see more towel use in the gym as well. Thank you!
What kind of savage would wear his street shoes in a gym? Were we raised by wolves?
@@kw6382everyone in America does, as an Albanian, I hate it when they make me wear different shoes in Albania.
Please So why is Albania so cheap? Maybe I would risk buying some smaller property here and sell it after a while, but I still don't understand. Many describe that real estate here is very cheap.
@@User12345fan Only place I've been that has made me change shoes. I get the concept, but do they actually think people only wear their gym shoes in the gym?
PLEASE start giving the NAMES of the gyms you pick in each market-you go out and research the gyms and ultimately find the best fit, but both here and & for Durres you never, evertell us WHICH gym you picked, so we have to start the whole gym search from scratch in each new locale without benefiting from your experience 😅
Lol. You're right. We'll start mentioning it. For Tirana we went to Matrix Fitness Center. Its a very modern and clean gym, the most expensive one we found in our search. But the price was worth it. Its cheaper if you take the morning pass. Bring shoes to change into because they don't allow outside shoes in. We found it to be quite empty until about 9am. Then it starts to get busy. We enjoyed it and will go back if we are in Tirana again.
I've been to Albania many times and didn't know it could be this cheap. You got a great deal on that airbnb, which area was it in?
It was near the Pazari i Ri area, the bazaar area. About 10 minute walk from Skanderbeg square. It was a great area
@@fulltimeabroad Yeah I stayed around there during my first visit, really good area.
Can you recommend some good gyms please? very interested 😊
we went to Matrix Fitness Center. It was nice and modern.
what about the Sea coast?
this is Lagos!
For Americans is cheap but ask for us Albanians with salary 400 us dollars for month is terrible😢😢 I am so sad hearing this vlog
You're absolutely right that the cost of living and salaries vary drastically from place to place. Our goal with these videos is to share our experiences as travelers, but I recognize that what may seem affordable to one person can be very different for someone else. Thanks for sharing your perspective-it's always good to hear different points of view!"
No salary is 400 USD anymore, minimal wage after tax is 500 USD.
Average wage after tax is 750 USD.
Seems like most budget videos I see on You Tube are relative to the people doing the video . After paying $130/month for a two bedroom in Bangkok ( in a very Thai neighborhood ) … this seems expensive . I do appreciate the effort though 👍. Albania is definitely a bucket list country for me .
We liked Tirana but the smoking was out of control
@@danawood8103 it really is. It's everywhere and you can't get away from it. Thanks for watching
The change of the shoes at the gym is important because of the hygiene. No one likes to see dirty floors and dirty equipments in the gym.
its a good point and you're right, just wished more people used towels :-)
Your experience of costs are interesting because they are so much lower than what I read on the numbeo website. Perhaps their information is not up to date.
I suppose its going to be different for everyone. We didn't eat out much so that probably saved us a bit. We also didn't take any cabs and took the bus maybe twice.
The best city in Europe beautiful Tirana
I see you have been to Vietnam so if you can handle that traffic you can handle it anywhere in the world.
It was actually a joy to drive in Albania. We didn't find it too difficult and the thankfully, we didn't really run into any major traffic. But yes, Vietnam was another level. Thanks for watching and for your comment.
Can you give me the Airbnb link plz.?
here you go!
www.airbnb.com/rooms/638313141780804366?source_impression_id=p3_1726434833_P3Ifi12LyAq4GY32
What is your accent? The girl sounds Italian/German.
How much English is spoken?
we were very impressed by the level of English, not only in Durres, but also in Tirana. Very high level.
Lol...duhhhh..change shoes to keep the floors clean😂..
I think the smoking thing is so disgusting. Smoke a cigarette, lick an ashtray what's the difference? if they want to have cancer let them have it but don't share it with me. That's enough to make me not want to go there.
it was hard to get away from it. It was literally everywhere.
Damn! What a deal breaker. I was already looking at flights but not anymore. No thank you😮
I was booking my ticket until you mentioned the disgusting smells, the rats, and the smoking! Yuck!
@@tanyaperrin8844 honestly, those issues really bothered us and took away from the otherwise great time we had in Tirana.
We enjoyed our time there and we forced ourselves to look past them. It was just so shocking.
$19 a day is close to ALL 2000 a day. That's ALL 56.000 in four weeks. Care to guess what the minimum wage is in Albania?
It's a river of sewage 😂
Please i need a apartment
It comes out to 38 dollars a day, not 19. 😂
$19 per person per day
Your content is good but it is obvious that you took on the look and style of another travel vlog couple.
Cheap? Maybe if you go to Somalia is even cheaper.
Thats. Insane. But brilliant. In pound stering £15. Per day. Wow!! We left the UK 22 YEARS AGO living in EUROPE by the mediteranean. LIVING MORTGAGE FREE 22 YEARS.. but. ALBANIA is not far so from us WE MIGHT VISIT SOMEDAY
Thank you for watching and your comment. We were very surprised by how affordable Albania was. We always heard, but until we actually came, we didnt believe