Moving to Albania from Bulgaria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Bulgaria to Albania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Bulgaria to Albania, you would find that Albania is 14.5% more expensive than Bulgaria overall. A BGN130,000 salary in Bulgaria would need to be roughly ALL6,970,000 in Albania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Albanian.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Bulgaria and Albania.
What does your salary buy?
BGN130,000 → ALL6,970,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Albania
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.3% less
Groceries
pay 3.4% more
Transportation
pay 23.8% more
Housing
pay 28.5% more
Childcare
pay 37.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Albania cost about 18% more than cities in Bulgaria.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Albania compared to Bulgaria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bulgaria performs better than Albania across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Albania performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Bulgaria generally does better on infrastructure, though Albania leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Bulgaria generally does better on employment & economy, though Albania leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Bulgaria generally does better on family life, though Albania leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria (2016), Albanian Taxation Office (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bulgaria and Albania. To live, work, or study long-term in Albania, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Albania's immigration authority.
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Albania
Visa Free
Albania passport holder visiting Bulgaria
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Albania than Bulgaria?
On average Albania is around 15% pricier than Bulgaria, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Albania?
Budget about ALL1,742,500 for 3 months in Albania (based on a BGN130,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Albania?
Connectivity is usually fine (Albania: 24.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Albania offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Albania safe for expats?
Bulgaria performs better than Albania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Albania is 1.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bulgaria.
How is healthcare in Albania compared to Bulgaria?
Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 18.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Albania, compared to 43.3 in Bulgaria. Albania scores 64 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bulgaria: 73).
What language do they speak in Albania?
The official language in Albania is Albanian. In Bulgaria, the official language is Bulgarian.
