How Much To Budget For Life In Saranda, Albania As A Retired Expat | WarrenJulieTravel.com

[@Analog_nomad01]

Hello Albert and Gina! I miss those guys. Great couple great restaurant! I use a Schwab card that reimburses all ATM fees. Prices have def gone up in Saranda but still very affordable compared to big city life in USA. Sorry to hear about your car but like I experienced there are always people to help you!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

They are kind people. The food is fantastic.

[@joanfelt8069]

thank you Both so much for this blog .. we are looking forward to coming in 3 weeks to Tirana an Saranda… hopefully staying for a couple of months . ❤

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Have fun! We think you will enjoy it.

[@PapaBradAbides]

That was a real good video showing how. Dealing with a car issue is just like anywhere else in the world.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Not a situation we wanted, but we took it in stride. Things happen.

[@illeagleproducts4u]

I have lived in Sarande for 10 years. I bought 2 apartments here 20 years ago for peanuts. Albania is a definitely decent choice for living cheap.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We would love to do a video with you about your life in Sarande.

[@TheTravelPotato]

How hard is it to slow travel with a couple of dogs in tow? We are nearing retirement as well and just adopted a couple of shelter dogs. We fear we have tied ourselves to staying put in the States, but after watching your video, you have given us hope.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

I think it certainly is possible. We have done it for over three years in Europe and one in South America. I did write a few articles on how we got to Ecuador, how we traveled from Ecuador back to the states and then from the states to Europe. We now travel by car full time. These articles can be found on our website at www.warrenjulietravel.com. I wrote them for viewers just like you. As a pet parent, I do my very best to help others who want to travel with their pets. If you have additional questions, please feel free to email me.

[@lindadorman2869]

Albania looks so interesting! The prices seem reasonable, neither expensive nor cheap. The problem for me is, when I add international medical insurance, virtual mail service and other "travel" expenses, my cost of living exceeds what I pay in the US (Chicago). From a purely financial comparison, it's becoming harder to find other countries where I could live for the same or less than I do in America.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

how much you earn there

[@User12345fan]

That’s true, I am an Albanian that lives in the US and I am seeing my country rise up in costs. One thing that is significantly cheaper there is anything that requires labor, like a doctor,dentist, car mechanic etc. when one is older they need those services. But goods are generally more expensive than the US (except fresh fruits and vegetables). I personally as a young person spend less in the US in general because i own my own little townhome. Here there are options. You can live cheap or luxurious. The problem with Americans is that they are wanting luxury.

[@JayandSarah]

I find that a bit hard to believe. What is your monthly cost of living in Chicago? I am sure. you aren't paying $450 USD a month for rent. That's what we pay in Albania at the moment.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

@@JayandSarah maybe she live in tent at streets or someone else pay her expenses or she just bullshits propaganda usa tales

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

One can certainly exist on far less here than this budget. We tried to detail how much we received for these dollars.

[@rdderrick75]

Love the dogs! So good at the groomers

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks, they are good girls ❤️🐕🐕

[@jaymekeiffer5083]

Great video!!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@BasicAmericanDadAbroad]

Excellent & interesting breakdown (the finances, not the car...condolences on the latter!) & insight into your fun travels, thanks a bunch! Ironically, in our own preps, I had known about Sapphire & got that awhile back, but struggled to find a suitable multi-denominational solution & eventually stumbled upon Wise...been running it through all the pre-travel tests & like it, wish I had found y'all & the info/link on that months ago! Safe travels & keep up the outstanding videos 🌍

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Your appreciation means a lot! It's awesome to hear that my insights have been helpful in your own preparations.

[@Joseph-xt2qg]

Unfortunately it seems that Albania gives people less for more... The nature is beautiful and the people are great, but costs are extremely disproportionate to quality and variety of goods (overall -- there are definite exceptions to this)

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

I think it’s important to really to examine how much we experienced for this money. We could have easily lived on a fraction of this money, but we aren’t trying to see how we can live on the tiniest budget. We are showing a nice life and what it takes to live it.

[@leslieluzier922]

Thankyou for sharing your life with us 😊.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thank you for watching us! We are glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@realismatitsfinest1]

Thanks for this video. I'm thinking of settling in Albania (or at least living t here for a third of the year) so this video was insightful. There's a few differences with me and you both though. Firstly, I have no pets. Second, I'm a solo traveller (so would like a perspective on potential for dating there). And lastly, I'd probably live there in a camper van and explore the country that way. As long as I have internet for my businesses, I'm good to go. So thanks to StarLink for being able to hook up wherever I am in the world. Great video! Thanks again.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks for watching:)

[@rpell64]

Out of curiosity, how did you find the tow while stranded on the side of the road?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We actually called our Airbnb Host on WhatsApp and sent our live location. He then contacted today tow truck.

[@CraigRiley-tv6nt]

Crazy cheap for clutch taxi might b reasonable as gas prices are through the roof

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We were very pleased with the vehicle repair cost. The taxi was extremely overpriced compared to what our friends paid.

[@CandycaneBeyond]

Have you started to learn Albanian? Is this somewhere where you plan to stay often? I know you have mentioned before that it's part of the shuffle.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

I know how to say thank you, yes, and no, that’s about my knowledge at this point. We spend a lot of time in a lot of countries, it’s hard to decide where to focus our time in trying to learn a new language. Because we own a home in Montenegro, Montenegrin which is similar to Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian would probably be our best time spent on that endeavor. After this time spent here, I would actually consider coming back to spend more time.

[@ajrinahysaj]

If interested in learning Albanian, knowledge about culture and history you can check out my KZbin channel on . The playlist Albanian for English speakers could be of a great help. The channel is called Ajrina Hysaj. Enjoy your stay in Albania 🇦🇱

[@jamielivingston7765]

Snow and Curt, JP&A plus yall are ALL in Albania at the same time! Crazypants!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We have been doing the Balkans since 2016 😊

[@tonyrussell873]

Im driving froy lreland with my Jack Russell terrier now thinking is a 🐶 a problem when looking for long term accommodation .

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

I think you will find some pet friendly accommodations especially in the winter. Best of luck:)

[@HH-fo9sg]

The groceries don’t sound much less expensive than in the U.S. maybe it really does depend what markets you choose.

[@JayandSarah]

We are living in Albania at the moment. Anything imported into Albania can be expensive at the grocery store. Some meats can be more expensive. Fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs, all that stuff is a fraction of the cost of North America. And I mean, A FRACTION. If you buy prepackage stuff here it starts to be more costly, but we cook almost all of our own meals while living here, and compared to Vancouver, BC Canada - our grocery bill is like 40% of what it would be at home,.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Exactly what Jay and Sarah said.

[@yvanapantino273]

Excellent video. Lucky Abby didn't really die but still, not a pleasant experience.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

She’s family to us. 😁

[@kellyname5733]

So it looks like it was less overall to live in Italy, is that right?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

It’s a little complicated, going out and rent is cheaper in Albania. We went out to eat and visit much more in Albania. Fuel and groceries were lower in Italy in our experience. So lifestyle can impact the overall cost. If we went out in Italy like we did in Albania it would have been much more costly, probably 2 to 3 times as high for restaurants.

[@livingworkingoutsidebox]

Another very affordable month. 👍💪💰 Glad to hear the new clutch and repair was reasonable. Do you know or think Albania offers a similar way to register and operate a vehicle like you are doing in Bulgaria? Thanks for sharing as always 😊

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

It has been very affordable. We are very grateful it happened before our long trip. Albania allows vehicle registration if you have residency.

[@CandycaneBeyond]

Since you are familiar with insurance, would it be more affordable to have personal insurance through a company rather than Medicare at old age. The thought of having to go back to the United States just for a procedure or my basic wellness seems costly since there are so many quality healthcare options abroad.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Whether or not to maintain your Medicare is a personal decision, healthcare, in most parts of the world is very affordable in comparison to the United States. Health insurance abroad is a good idea to have for catastrophic situations to ensure you’re not having to come out of pocket too much for the unforeseen situation. Typical things in most countries are going to be less than your deductible and coinsurance, we typically pay for routine things out-of-pocket. We have our insurance in case of an emergency. It seems to us most people with Medicare do choose to maintain having it when they are older. Private insurance does get more expensive as you age, so having that as a fallback is not a bad idea.

[@jamielivingston7765]

You recommend cards that dont refund ATM fees?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We use capital one 360 where there are no conversion fees, Schwab refunds the bank fees also. We like 360 and have rarely been somewhere that we couldn’t find a free atm and had to pay a fee.

[@herrstrehlow]

We're looking for a location that hasn't been overrun by tourists. We want a community feel. Does Saranda fit this?

[@JayandSarah]

We are living in Saranda right now. It has that feeling at this time of the year. You would NOT, and I repeat NOT want to be here in the peak summer months if you are looking to avoid tourists. Many expats here leave during that time for other countries. All the people I know who live here describe it as complete hell.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Exactly my sentiments! I was about to say this.

[@herrstrehlow]

@@JayandSarah We are looking at February, March or April. The other options I am considering are Kas, Datca or Bodrum Turkey. Maybe somewhere in Sicily. Somewhere with decent public transportation.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We have been to most of those places. Kas is tiny and so is Bodrum. Consider Fethiye. We have several videos on it. Antalya is a favorite of ours We just spent 2.5 months in Sicily.

[@User12345fan]

Yeah you overpaid the taxi but Albania has expensive taxi prices, now they have started electric cars which has dropped the prices significantly, and they are online standard on a website, taxi lux.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Interesting information .

[@lingg284]

Did you rent the car?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

No, we own our car, if you’re new to the channel here is a video that goes over our purchase and how we have our car. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKGng4Bvpbh6gqcsi=FQnjFpNCaHVdp_BH

[@tony232cool]

you are using the new lek which is confusing for albanian audience. 100 new lek means 1000 old lek which is what everyone uses.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We have to use the currency conversion the majority of our audience understands.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

italians on private small gas stations put 5-10% of water per liter of fuel no matter diesel or petrol fuel

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

That’s interesting information.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

2206$ in Albania!?hm, isnt that too much!? Peoples live in western countries with less!!i have in germany so much salary in DHL

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

This is slow traveling so it’s not the typical resident budget, we went out a lot. It’s easy to live on less. We are showing the higher social budget. We don’t go places trying to see how low we can go on a budget, but what we pay for a comfortable lifestyle. Realize we went out over 30 times in the month. Our goal isn’t to show people how to live in poverty in different different countries but what it cost to be comfortable and have a decent retirement or life.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

your medical indurance are bloody high!?looks like sime american insurance not EU ones!!in Spain are 20-50$ monthly or Croatia around 15$

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Not sure those options are open to all or for international travel.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

prices seems a bit higher then in sanctioned Russia but Albania thinks they are tourism country so

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Some things are definitely a bit more expensive here, but a lot of them are much less expensive.