Moving to Albania from Moldova

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Moldova to Albania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Moldova to Albania, you would find that Albania is 20.3% more expensive than Moldova overall. A MDL1,300,000 salary in Moldova would need to be roughly ALL7,070,000 in Albania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Albanian.

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Is Albania cheaper than Moldova?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 7.3% more

Groceries

pay 38.9% more

Transportation

pay 36.7% more

Housing

pay 7.5% more

Childcare

pay 10.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 42.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 MDL = 4.52 ALL (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Albania?

What does your salary buy?

MDL1,300,000 → ALL7,070,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Albania

Calculate with your salary →

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 17% more than cities in Moldova.

Moldova

Balti 34%

Albania

Sarande 47%
Shkoder 36%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Moldova to Albania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

MD
2.5
AL
1.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MD
9.1
AL
10.8

Moldova generally does better on safety, though Albania leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

MD
$1,181
AL
$1,465
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

MD
40.2
AL
18.8

Moldova generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in suicide rate.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

MD
58.0
AL
59.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MD
3.4t
AL
1.8t

Moldova generally does better on environment, though Albania leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

MD
29.6
AL
24.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MD
12.6%
AL
4.8%

Albania generally does better on infrastructure, though Moldova leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MD
1.5%
AL
10.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

MD
$8,622
AL
$12,998

Moldova generally does better on employment & economy, though Albania leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

MD
71.3 yrs
AL
79.8 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MD
15.1
AL
8.3

Moldova 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), State tax Service (2016), Albanian Taxation Office (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Can you move from Moldova to Albania?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Moldova 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.

Moldova passport

Moldova passport holder visiting Albania

Visa Free
Moldova passport holders can enter Albania without a visa.
Albania passport

Albania passport holder visiting Moldova

Visa Free
Albania passport holders can enter Moldova without a visa.

Data: 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 Moldova?

No — Albania is on average about 20% more expensive than Moldova. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Albania?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ALL1,767,500 in Albania on a MDL1,300,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Albania?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Albania has 24.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Albania safe for expats?

Moldova generally does better on safety, though Albania leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Albania is 1.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Moldova.

How is healthcare in Albania compared to Moldova?

Moldova generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in suicide rate. There are 18.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Albania, compared to 40.2 in Moldova. Albania scores 64 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Moldova: 71).

What language do they speak in Albania?

The official language in Albania is Albanian. In Moldova, the official language is Romanian.

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At a Glance

MD AL
Population 2,360,527 2,349,580
Currency Moldovan Leu (MDL) Albanian Lek (ALL)
Languages Romanian Albanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +373 +355
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112