Albania 2024: One-Month Cost of Living in Durres, Surprises, and What We Discovered

[@kfirnagari301]

Definitely got a better understanding of the overall Durres experience. Thank you :)

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for watching

[@jaysmith5035]

Super detailed, so great. I was pondering splitting time between Tirana and Durres for the city/beach experience. I've heard many great things about Tirana - there's not much out there about Durres. I can't really say that after watching Durres is exciting me much, the part about the beach was quite disappointing. I may need to look for another beach city to combo with Tirana. Thanks again for this video.

[@fulltimeabroad]

we were also really disappointed with the beach. One of the main reasons we wanted to come. I hear a lot of good things about the beaches in the south of the country, but we only made it as far as Vlore for now. We tried going to Spille beach, but it wasn't that great either. Same situation with the sun beds.

[@PranveraXhelilaj-p7p]

You can go in Vlora is a beautiful beach city the water is Crystal clear. And if you’re looking for chip apartment I have one.

[@mendjelire8392]

Actually all the beach cities have a public beach and some of them even offer free umbrellas and chairs. In 2025 there will be changes in the policy about all the beaches. They are drafting up legislation right now and have taken examples of how they run these things in Spain, France, Italy and Greece. So one thing the prime minister already said is that all the first rows will be free for the public and the private sunbeds and umbrellas will be on the back. Private business are really needed as it is them who keep the beaches clean as trash is a really grave issue in Albania.

[@mendjelire8392]

@@fulltimeabroad Actually all the beach cities have a public beach and some of them even offer free umbrellas and chairs. You just didn't know to ask about them. In 2025 there will be changes in the policy about all the beaches. They are drafting up legislation right now and have taken examples of how they run these things in Spain, France, Italy and Greece. So one thing the prime minister already said is that all the first rows will be free for the public and the private sunbeds and umbrellas will be on the back. Private businesses are really needed as it is them who keep the beaches clean as trash is a really grave issue in Albania and government can't do much in that respect as it is a cultural issue. Albanians are very clean people inside their homes and businesses but they treat the common areas as places to be abused. Might be because of the communism era when everything was supper clean and if you littered or did not volunteer on Sundays to clean the surroundings of you building and workplace you would get punished and blacklisted. Know they think that part of the freedom they gained with the fall of the dictatorship is the right to trash what is common.

[@fulltimeabroad]

@@mendjelire8392 very interesting take on this. Thank you for the comment. I hope the beach umbrellas and sunbed policies change because, at least for us, we prefer to bring our own and have our own space. We don't like having beds 1 meter from us in every direction.

[@FundingGym]

Great video. Subscribed!

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the support

[@carolinacadabra8278]

I’d love to hear about your Wizzair experience!

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for watching! We'll consider making a video of it :-)

[@Page-c6q]

I appreciated the details you provided, particularly the information about gyms and the issues with smoking. Thanks.

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank for your comment. If the gym actually used the air conditioning, it would have been ok, but it was just so terribly hot inside. The smoking really bothered. We had to hold our breathe every time we passed a cafe lol.

[@Page-c6q]

@@fulltimeabroad Thanks again. I do not judge individual smokers, as I know cigarettes are extremely addictive. That said, I feel physically sick if I am around second hand smoke for any length of time. As I am planning to visit Europe next year, I genuinely appreciate the honest information!!

[@soundslight7754]

Nice couple, honest video, I appreciated your opinions 👍

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you. We appreciate the support!

[@Property2030sg]

Good honest review , keep it up! I am happy to discover ur channel :) Both of you really complement each other - it is nice to listen to both of you helping each other to describe your experience. Yes, i hv read previously that Durres is not so interesting- so i am not surprised by ur review. Would VLORE be more interesting? Look forward to ur Tirana video !

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the great feedback! We really appreciate it. Overall, Durres isn't a place that is worth coming back to. But we appreciate every new location and experience it brings.

[@Property2030sg]

​@@fulltimeabroad i think Tirana will be nice. i hope to visit one day :)

[@fulltimeabroad]

we'll let you know soon how it was :-)

[@Diana.K-rm4gm]

You look like a great couple, with a very positive attitude. I wish you success in your endeavors. The columns you mentioned are the Byzantine Forums, Unfortunately for us a lot of the ruins if are not lately piled with trash, are still uncovered, or covered on purpose (from previous mayor that allowed for stuff to be build over them, one is the bridge close to the Venetian Tower that covered a lot of ruins. Granted if you dig you with find ruins everywhere because a couple of thousands years ago was a very important port city in the whole Mediterranean region, and was always very important for the Ilyrian Peninsula (later called Balkan when invaded by Ottomans) The cafe "chain' you liked is "Mulliri i Vjeter" (which translates Old Mill / Grinder ), there is a chain of coffee places *not related to one another) one after the other closer to train/bus station that do a good job, in most cases and actually most of the good coffee places are not in the touristy areas, if you are a coffee lover you have to befriend a local that knows the good places. I think you should have visited the Amphitheater because there are a lot of hidden tunnels including an area where there are drawings/ paintings that depict stories from the Bible that are ancient and fascinating even though only a few are left but anyway :) You are right about the junk and dogs, they are an issue at this point that is very hard to solve while we don't want them to be killed we don't want to adopt them, and for most people that live in apartments is not practical they still feed them, honestly I find stray dogs more friendly that the domesticated ones but hopefully until chemical castration is done fully I hope shelters for the dogs will be built and some will be adopted by people I am sorry to hear about the gym experience, I guess it would have been worthy to buy some weightlifting gears (very simple ones and work from home) and walking does the rest of your workout, I walk almost always between 15000-25000 steps whenever I am there. Yes July is not the best month for hiking in Durres but it can be a great activity for areas closer to the mountains in North and East of the Country if you plan to go back of course, especially for the mornings and late afternoon/early evenings The beaches are overcrowded and because the beaches in Durres are sandy beaches, with dark sand, they do not look clean even when they are, but I am pretty sure that in the area you went are not that clean since their focus is the restaurants they run and the shezlong chairs are just a mean for extra money without to much effort for them, there are areas that are much better organized and clean but are in the opposite direction of where you where, or isolated places around Kepi i Rodonit but you have to be a good swimmer there. and it is not a short drive from the city. The bigger chain markets do have a meat section, but it is true that we want to keep things separate, farmers market for produce (fruit and veggies) a separate shop for fish and seafood and a butchers place for other meats

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you very much for the comment. It was a very interesting read and perspective. One of the reasons we went to Durres was because it was on the beach, but as you already know, we were so disappointed with the beaches there. We wanted to explore the hilly areas more, but the July heat made it impossible. We appreciate your input and thank you again!

[@pavoljanotik5276]

Please In which city is the best place to buy a property for rent, perhaps it is also a good idea to consider a property in the mountains

[@pavoljanotik5276]

Please In which city is the best place to buy a property for rent, perhaps it is also a good idea to consider a property in the mountains

[@nancymiller7984]

I'm heading to Albania next summer. Thanks so much for the great info. Also, yes, make a video about the air travel disaster!

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the feedback! We'll try to make the video!

[@MaryCA56]

This was interesting 🤔 A lot of good points to consider before booking. Thank you guys!

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for watching

[@denispotvin6396]

Very good video, very informative. and very well explained. Thanks. As for changing your shoes in the gym, I was surprised that you even asked the question. It certainly depends on how clean the streets are (all seasons). I certainly don't walk around with my muddy shoes in my house. Your shoes might be very clean, but the next customer might not. Don't you like their clean floors? Again, thanks for your videos.

[@jodiehebert8285]

Thanks for your honest evaluation. I looked for new builds to rent in that area/town and noted some very low prices like $350-400 per month. It makes more sense with the drawbacks of trash everywhere, overcrowding on beaches and no intelligible bus system signage.

[@fulltimeabroad]

Out of curiosity we also checked rental prices on numbeo and they were quite low. I didn't notice that many new builds to be honest. I kept looking for newer, modern buildings, but they were far and few between. I did notice they were building a new hotel on the beach at the end of the main street. Perhaps its a sign of things to come.

[@mendjelire8392]

@@fulltimeabroadthat's because you stayed in the proper city where it is older and no space for new builds. The new builds are along the beach toward the south. That is a problem on it's own because they build non stop and during the tourist season too with construction trash mounds everywhere. AIRBNB rentals are expensive. The way to go is to book with AIRBNB only for a few days and during that time find a local real estate business to find you a one month rental.

[@tonyrussell873]

Absolutely love your style of presenting 💯 I'm planning full ty from Ireland ☘️ and like many I'm sure a bit nervous but this always fear 🙏🌞

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the great feedback! Hopefully you'll start soon, and don't worry, you'll learn as you go :-)

[@D.H.Alb.24]

Hi! Nice video. I want to add that you missed some of the best beaches in Durrës like : plazhi i gjeneralit, Spille, gjiri i Lalzit, Kepi i Rodonit, etc. And some other tourist attractions like the archeological museum, The Venetian tower of Durrës, Byzantine Forum, the Royal villa, shëtitorja Vollga, Sfinksi or the lungomare, the great Mosque, etc. Durrës is an ancient beautiful city. There are buses or local furgons, if you don’t want to get a taxi. You can ask the locals, they would help you with information. There are luxury hotels and new buildings all around Albania, Durrës as well but mostly Tirana and the south. I would recommend you to move more because I noticed you didn’t walk around or move much. Or even better in a month you could visit most of other cities rather than just stay in one. Mon Cheri isn’t know for express coffe but for other drinks and sweets. There are some great coffe shops that make great coffee. You shouldn’t be shy to try the local coffee shops as they make some of the best coffee and people are nice and kind. For the issue of trash and stray dogs I agree but this is a long ongoing issue in Durrës which needs to be fixed. In Albania there isn’t yet a separation system of the trash for recycling that’s why it smells near the trash bins. The tap water is generally safe in Albania but the Albanian people prefer to drink bottled water for extra safety, they only use the tap water for washing dishes, brushing their teeth and for cooking. I suggest you to do more research before visiting a country so you would have the basic knowledge you need. Albania offers a lot and is affordable also suitable for all sorts of budgets, but in the end you get what you paid for 😉 There is street food, not only the grilled corn 🌽 that you‘ve seen but there are plenty of byrektore where they sell fresh pies called byrek, or qebatore or sufllaqe. Most of houses have AC you just happened to be in one without. You should have asked the owner in advance to make sure. Tirana is much more clean and is a modern city with stunning modern architecture and new buildings also if you would have moved in other cities it would have been great. Albania 🇦🇱 is worth visiting to explore the culture, the traditional food, the history, the archaeological sites, the museums, the streets, the people. I’ve seen some other tourists that like Durrës a lot and they have even compared it to Miami, because of the beaches, the sunsets 🌅 and the palm trees. But people have different preferences and that is normal. Nearby is a 9th-century church with mosaic-covered walls. Also, it’s very safe to visit wich is really important including for the solo travelers. But those who are more adventurous travelers and do even hiking in the mountains nearby, enjoy the vacations more. Maybe you prefer quieter days. There are some great restaurants where you can find amazing sea food, Italian food and Albanian traditional cuisine. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Albania 🇦🇱 😊

[@fulltimeabroad]

Hi and thank you for your comment. We visited all the sites in Durres that you mentioned, the Venetian Tower, the roman ruins, amphitheater and more. We also rented a car and drove to Vlore and Kruje. We went to Spille beach. We walked around the city every day and enjoyed more of the boardwalk rather than the center part. We are slow travelers, so we stay in one place for a month and take trips from there, so its like our base. Our Airbnb had AC, it was the GYM that didn't USE the AC and it was like a sauna inside and extremely uncomfortable. Everyone would go to the single large fan and stand around it in-between sets. It was a modern, new gym as well. The archeological museum in Durres was closed for renovations, which was a shame because we really wanted to see it. Hiking in July in Durres in 35-40C weather isn't really an option for us, but perhaps in the winter/fall it would be more reasonable. We ate byrek and it was nice. We enjoyed it. Thank you again for your comment and we are enjoying Albania very much! Friendly people and great food.

[@nickwilltravel]

❤this is very very beautiful.. omg you guys are awesome.. i am also a young travel blogger on KZbin... Watching from Jamaica 🇯🇲👋 i cant wait to start international travel...❤❤❤

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you so much for the kind words. Its much appreciated. Hopefully you'll start your travel soon :-)

[@nickwilltravel]

@@fulltimeabroad 🙏🙏🇯🇲🇯🇲❤️❤️

[@montedreams1]

Hello, My dad and I are flying into Tirana in March and plan on staying in Durres at least 2 weeks. I am looking into moving to Albania, probly Golem for 1 year. Then I am looking at maybe moving to Himare or Vlore? I have not been able to find long term rentals in Himare on the Internet yet...but they have some beautiful beaches in and around Himare! I am from the US so i WILL HAVE 1 YEAR VISA FREE. 54 and retired, so I will be working on getting residency there. I appreciate all the great info yall shared! Have a nice day!!

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the comment and support. Sounds like you have a great plan and we hope it works out for you both!

[@rolli69]

Sad to hear that your experience with the cafeterias was not so pleasant- Albania is known for they’re coffee culture and coffee shops! Just sit in one and order a coffee - Albanians are super welcoming and friendly!

[@fulltimeabroad]

we're in Tirana now and we find the coffee shops to be much better and we're really enjoying the coffee :-)

[@AlborginalTV]

Hello from albania turist channel

[@malcolmnicoll1165]

Thank you for this informative and inspiring video. Albania's economy is expected to grow 6-7% in the next couple years. Hopefully this gem won't become californicated (over priced, over populated) too soon.

[@fulltimeabroad]

There is a lot of potential in Durres. The proximity to the airport is a huge plus.

[@photopro100]

Same californication will probably happen like most other places that are highlighted. I just plan to keep moving to off-the-beaten path destinations.

[@deansawaf7056]

As couple, you could visit Albania 🇦🇱 just like the majority couples who came to visit. As a single old foreigner, forget it 😁

[@fulltimeabroad]

Don't let that stop you. Albania was wonderful and the people were super friendly!

[@user-roadwander]

The bad: can’t drink the water, barking dogs and poop everywhere, smokers everywhere puts a damper on moving around freely, can’t use beach, can’t use Gym, lot of trash and cigarette butts in most places, fireworks and barking dogs waking you up, The good: Albanian hospitality and culture, safety, eating in, unique sunsets and reasonable cost of living. Thank you for accurate review. A day or two is a great suggestion.

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thanks for the watching and the great comment. We really appreciate. Two days is more than enough, you aren't missing much.

[@photopro100]

Very good information. Where did you get the healthcare plan there for $75 even though you did not use it. Does it increase with age?

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the feedback. The insurance is a policy from Europe, its more travel for emergency and not for regular healthcare. It does increase with age. However we are moving over to another policy from Thailand that is much better and cheaper.

[@TheBeastTheBeast]

Thanks for the video guys hoped you had fun, there are a lot of people especially during summer time coming in and out of town so there is a bit issue for major of the city to handle all trash, and those trash on your video are on the outside of the city and I would say there is better area in Durres called Golem a bit more expensive but a lot more nicer, the beach looks like dirt but it's not, it's very clean and healthy, just the very thin sandy beaches,and that gypsy guy with that wheelbarrow, damnnn how lucky you could be to get that thing on your video, there are around 10-12K gypsy in Albania and i'm not proud of it but i have to say they are 24/7 discriminated and you using as an image to represent all Albanians which isn't true... anyway enjoy your time guys

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for your comment. We didn't know anything about the guy on the horse and we had no opinion of it. We thought it added a nice charm to the city and wanted to share it in the video. Our intention wasn't to use it to represent all Albanians. We thought its just something nice and unique to put in the video.

[@Zuchon18]

This a question for your airbnb video, I just saw that video, the place you showed with mold, was it a "Guest favorite"? how much this filter helps?

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the question. The place in question was in Bangkok and it was not a guest favorite. We got distracted from the fact that it had one of the best condo gyms we've ever seen. In the end, we were happy with the gym, but disappointed with the unit. Even though the location was on a busy, noisy street, it was a good location in terms of proximity to the Terminal 21 mall and the BTS/MRT and the river boats. We made a positive out of a negative situation

[@DritanVaka]

Chain restorants are just crap food 😂😂😂😂 I wish you like Albania 🇦🇱 thank you for your video about my country

[@fulltimeabroad]

we absolutely do love Albanian food! Tried a few restaurants in Tirana and they were great!

[@wonderofnature7817]

Hi guys. Why are you not among those who visit Albania, especially Durres, where people often express amazement? They consider Durres to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Instead of focusing on negative aspects like trash, which you seem to be doing, why not appreciate the beauty and the positive experiences? I've been to England, and I've seen streets there that are much worse, full of trash. The same goes for some areas in the USA. So, talking negatively about Albania's streets when other places have similar issues doesn't seem fair. You should feel blessed to be in Albania, a place that is significant as the cradle of human civilization. Appreciate the beauty and historical importance of Albania and enjoy the experience of being in such a remarkable location.

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! In this video, we're focusing specifically on Durres and our experiences here. While other places around the world may offer similar or different perspectives, this video is meant to give viewers a glimpse into Durres. We appreciate every new location we visit, whether it's nice or not, as it's all part of the experience. We're enjoying Albania so far!

[@wonderofnature7817]

I don't think your approach is correct. Even if you justify it by saying you are sharing your experience, your facial expression can also convey that you are speaking in a judgmental way. Stereotypes can be harmful because they oversimplify and often unfairly represent a place or its people. If you focus solely on negative aspects like trash, viewers might get a distorted view of Durres City as a whole. Even if there are issues, it’s important to avoid making sweeping generalizations that could mislead others.

[@Diana.K-rm4gm]

@@wonderofnature7817 Unfortunately it is something you notice and the local government in Durres should do something about it, as well as the local people, I for one have confronted quite a few locals and tourists that throw trash all over even when there is a trash can/bin right next to them because it made me mad. You are right there are places that have a lot of trash, or streets that are pretty rough in US and all over the first world countries , as well as extra clean modern and luxurious places in second and even third world countries. I walked in the streets that smelled terrible and I saw dog poop in Paris'. In Brussels's street 15 years ago , a very central neighborhood I saw a lot of trash in the streets and among all the good things I remember from these visits I remember trash as well and bad odor as well. Although it is not an Albanian-only phenomena the trash issue is still something that needs to be addressed and so does the stray/street dogs issue.

[@executiveinstitute]

How did you get the health insurance? Was it government health insurance?

[@fulltimeabroad]

It was private insurance

[@rickmc73]

It’s a variant of the 80/20 rule. You would gladly say we love 80% of the places and don’t love 20% of the places. Great overview. Great details. Great honesty. Loved the video. Keep them coming.

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for the feedback. I think 80/20 is accurate. You can't like every place you go to, especially if you've never been. Every trip is unique and a learning experience. We appreciate every location we go to.

[@luis-yg4pu]

You must vizited the zone called plazh, and golem

[@fulltimeabroad]

We looked at going there, but we couldn't find any buses that went there (lack of information on buses in Durres is a problem) and we didn't really feel like paying for a taxi to go there

[@sbkpilot1]

Was July too hot or humid?

[@fulltimeabroad]

It was quite hot and humid. Middle of the day was very uncomfortable to be outside. It would have been nice if the promenade next to the sea had some shade covers.

[@sbkpilot1]

@@fulltimeabroad thanks for that feedback. I am so done with hot and humid weather, I may hit Albania when it cools down perhaps the Fall is a better time :)

[@karolinawiktor4780]

name car rental please?

[@fulltimeabroad]

Ekorent maps.app.goo.gl/Dnw548CwwVwJ1NSw5 They were amazing.

[@HGills]

Albania seems to be the go to place for slow travellers these days as a very affordable place to spend extended periods of time BUT when I delve into places and really look at the detail in the photos/videos a lot of it is really run down, dirty , poorly maintained, trash and graffiti everywhere and frankly not particularly nice. It might be cheap but it looks pretty average to me, seems like a waste of time and money spent in a place that looks rather unenjoyable.

[@fulltimeabroad]

We had heard many good things about Durres, but our experience there was not at all like what we had heard. It does have its charm and a nice little center, but aside from that, there isn't really much going on there.

[@Warpcox]

I love to smoke - on my way lol

[@fulltimeabroad]

😁

[@soundslight7754]

Shoes meant for hygiene. You've seen the state of public pavements: wet and dirty. They hope people don't bring that inside

[@garyssimo]

CATS make anyplace better!

[@fulltimeabroad]

100% agree!

[@terrysmith-z4l]

Driving up the price of accomadation 60 dollars a day is not my idea of a deal,.

[@D.H.Alb.24]

The accomodation was about 28$ a day, 60 was including food, transport and all. That is a good deal.

[@fulltimeabroad]

Exactly! $60 a day for two people in the summer, in Europe. Thats not bad at all!

[@mgtowski395]

19:09 Murse

[@fulltimeabroad]

European carry all!

[@KB3TLE]

Not a place I want to even visit ! --- An uncomfortable - for the most part - place to live and really not all that desirable ? --- S E Asia is a much better '''value''' for your money. At least I prefer all those countries - perhaps the Philippines the most. They seem to offer a variety of areas that can accomodate any budget ? Albania is just not my kind of place. Don't understand the attraction - especially w/o AC !!! + The smoke - the trash - and lack of good coffee shops - is a deal breaker for me. Rent prices too need to be more favorable being I am retired frugal and a minimalist.

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you for your feedback. We also love S E Asia and most recently, before Albania, we spent two months in Thailand and are constantly going back. We've never been to the Philippines. What area would you recommend for first timers that like the beach, nice coffee shops and quiet.

[@KB3TLE]

@@fulltimeabroad El Nido is very nice and you can fly direct from Manila fairly cheap. Less easy to get to is Puerto Galera but a wonderful escape !

[@fulltimeabroad]

Thank you. We will look into those places!

[@Diana.K-rm4gm]

You can't judge a country based in one city and one city based on one review, because what one looks for in a place, another person doesn't. There are plenty of good cafes in Durres but you have to look for them not just go where all the tourists go. The smoke is something that has gone up with the growth of the tourists as well, and yes it is much more frequent that it used to be even 5 years ago but that doesn't mean you can't find places that smoking is not allowed . As for the trash there is no place (where I have visited) except Switzerland and Germany where I have not seen trash somewhere in one or two streets, that does not mean is a good thing, it just means that we tend to notice the negative things more in other countries than we do in ours. In most Mediterranean countries of Europe you will notice the same complaint from US citizens as well as northern (colder) countries when it comes to the AC, it does't mean we don't use them but we keep them very close to the outside temps. He said his gym didn't which I find very peculiar because they have to have it and also keep it a bit cooler then we do at the apartments. I never get sick from the hot weather in Mediterranean but i have quite a few times from the icy cold AC's in restaurants and airports in the USA during summer, I guess we are built different and that is OK. If Albania is not your gem it is fine as well. Albania is cheap compared to other countries Europe in general, but it is still Europe and you can't expect a huge difference from other European countries as you might in some other parts of the world

[@Fw.v1n1]

first hahaha

[@fulltimeabroad]

lol 😀

[@mgtowski395]

23:48 NATO bombing run . . . nightly

[@fulltimeabroad]

😮

[@D.H.Alb.24]

That's fireworks. They were most probably celebrating something like a birthday or a wedding 🎉

[@YdnAs02]

Totally Misleading video, i know you guys wants comments and views but this is wild