Moving to Albania from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Albania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Albania, you would find that Albania is 3.9% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,300,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly ALL6,550,000 in Albania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Albanian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Albania cheaper than South Africa?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 15.0% more
Groceries
pay 8.8% more
Transportation
pay 3.8% less
Housing
pay 4.3% less
Childcare
pay 1.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.4% 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.
What salary do you need in Albania?
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,300,000 → ALL6,550,000
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 9% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Albania compared to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Albania performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Albania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa 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
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Albania leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Albania generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
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
Albania performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Albania generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), Albanian Taxation Office (2016). How we calculate this
Can you move from South Africa to Albania?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Albania
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Albania passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-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 South Africa?
On average Albania is around 4% pricier than South Africa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Albania?
Budget about ALL1,637,500 for 3 months in Albania (based on a ZAR1,300,000 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?
Albania performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Albania is 1.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Albania compared to South Africa?
Albania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 18.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Albania, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Albania scores 64 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What language do they speak in Albania?
The official language in Albania is Albanian. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Albania
At a Glance
ZA
|
AL
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 2,349,580 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Albanian Lek (ALL) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Albanian |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +355 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |