If you’ve read our shortlist of top potential destinations to kick off our expat journey, you’ll know we narrowed down the whole world to six countries: Uruguay, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Albania, and Greece.
But in the end, you can only live in one place at a time. After months of research, discussion, and more than a little daydreaming, we chose to focus our time, energy, and planning on one country in particular: Albania.
Surprised? We were too. But here’s how we got there and why this lesser-known destination is the perfect fit for us:
The Process of Narrowing It Down
Every country on our list had its own charm and unique character, but when we took a closer look, some tough decisions helped us zero in on what we really needed from our first home abroad.
We knew we wanted to stay in Europe for this chapter of our lives. Easy access to the rest of the continent meant we could check off a number of our bucket-list destinations with relative ease and this was just too appealing to pass up. That meant Uruguay, as lovely as it looks, was out (for now).
Portugal was an early favorite and we loved our time visiting in 2023, many of the popular visa options are currently geared more toward retirees and remote workers, which we’re not (yet!). We were looking for a new home, or at least a home-base while we continue our search so finding a location where we could have an extended stay was critical.
A Bit About Ancestry and Practicality
In the search for that long-term stay, we also considered ancestry-based visas in Ireland, Italy (Sarah), and Greece (Greg). One or the other of us might qualify for citizenship or residency through family ties in these countries, but we weren’t ready to dive into that paperwork-heavy and often complicated process.
The rules are often changing (especially in Italy right now), and from our initial research, it looks like our ancestors likely immigrated to the US too long ago to qualify without some serious document hunting. So we hit pause on that route, at least for now.
On top of that, we’re hoping to reboot our entire lives from this move, meaning leaving not just the US behind, but also reinventing our work-life with entirely new careers. From a financial perspective, starting from scratch in new careers in Ireland would be tough due to the higher cost of living, and with our retirement savings still behind administrative and tax restrictions, Italy and Greece weren’t looking much easier.
We Also Considered Student Visas
We gave some real thought to pursuing a student visa. Tuition prices in many countries are considerably lower than in the United States (in some countries its even free, even for international students!), and most major universities across Europe offer programs taught in English making student visas an excelent option for folks looking to move abroad but may be lacking the marketable skills to secure a job. We discussed this option between us and eventually decided a return to university may require too many moving pieces lining up (both of us getting accepted to the same school or landing a job in the same city, for example) so this wouldn’t be the best path for us at this time. It’s not unlikely that one or both of us will go back to school eventually, but adding the stress of school and uncertainty of our living situation to our already overflowing plates seemed like a bad idea.
Then Came Albania: The Wild Card That Stole Our Hearts
Albania wasn’t even on our radar at first. We had barely heard of it, let alone considered moving there. But in a twist of fate, Sarah came across some Albania expat and travel vlogs on YouTube, and things took off from there.
The more we looked into it, the more this “hidden gem” started to seem like a perfect match.
Geographically, it’s ideal: north of Greece, right across the Adriatic from Italy (A literal crossroads of our ancestors’ homelands. How romantic!), and within short reach of much of Europe. On top of that Albania boasts gorgeous beaches and dramatic mountains to scratch every itch, from relaxation to adventure.
And then there’s the cost of living.
We’d heard that Portugal offers good value, but Albania operates on a whole different level. While direct price and cost of living information can be tricky to find (Albanian businesses lack a lot of the internet presence we’re used to in the US), through our research in blogs and YouTube channels we found that its not uncommon to find safe, furnished apartments in convenient parts of town for just a few hundred euros per month. Additionally, quality in-season meats and produce can be found at fair prices and it’s not uncommon to find restaurants serving up home-style Albaninan meals for well under ten euros per person. (Stay tuned, in our upcoming scouting trip we plan to do some serious window-shopping to get detailed price comparisons on goods in Albania vs. the U.S.). The affordability would allow us to stretch our savings while we figure out our long-term economic path. It would also give us the flexibility to travel more without draining our resources maintaining an often-empty apartment.
Friendly People, Laid-Back Living, and Visa Perks
Albanian locals are known for being incredibly friendly and charmingly curious of visitors, and the easygoing pace of life is exactly what we’ve been craving.
Even better? The visa situation.
As Americans, we can stay in Albania for up to a full year without a visa and because Albania is not in the Schengen Area, we can also use it as a home base to reset our Schengen visa clock (more on the Schengen Area here!). The rule is simple: spend 90 days outside of Albania and your one-year timer resets, then spend 90 days inside Albania and your Schengen timer resets! It’s an ideal setup for slow travel through Europe.
And if we fall head over heels for Albania (which is looking more likely by the day), the country offers several visa options to extend your stay and even work toward permanent residency.
Why Albania Is Still Affordable
Albania’s affordability is closely tied to its history, and it’s one that many people outside the region aren’t familiar with.
From 1946 to 1991, Albania was an isolationist communist state, governed under the strict dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. During this time, the country became one of the poorest and most closed-off in the world. People weren’t allowed in or out, and the regime is often compared to modern-day North Korea in terms of poverty, control, and repression.
After communism collapsed, the country faced a rocky transition, especially through the economic collapse of the 1990s. That extended period of isolation and hardship put Albania decades behind the rest of Europe and negatively impacted its global image.
But things are changing.
The country is modernizing rapidly, has aspirations to join the EU, and is slowly gaining recognition as a budget-friendly travel and expat destination. Because it’s not yet on most people’s radar, it has avoided the rapid gentrification and housing inflation seen elsewhere.
What’s the Catch?
Of course, moving to a developing country comes with trade-offs. There may be occasional hiccups with infrastructure, amenities, or services compared to what we’re used to in the U.S.
Public and mass transit isn’t to the standard you’d expect from most modern European nations, many large retailers have not yet set up shop in the country making familiar American goods difficult to find and often expensive, and the cash-based economy may feel cumbersome to those accustomed to using their credit card or tap-to-pay everywhere they go.
But for us, the upside far outweighs the compromises.
Albania offers:
- A super affordable cost of living
- A prime launchpad for European travel
- Friendly locals and laid-back lifestyle
- Flexible visa rules
- A chance to explore while keeping our options open
That combination made Albania the clear winner for our next adventure and our current research focus.
What’s Next?
We’ve been diving deep into everything from daily life in Albania, to whether we’ll need to learn the language, to how welcoming the locals are to foreigners. We also have a scouting trip planned for later in the year to get a taste first-hand of what life might be like for us in Albania (Follow our YouTube channel to stay up to date with our adventures and trip planning!).
Stay tuned for our upcoming articles in this series where we’ll share what we’ve learned so far, what we’re still unsure about, and what you should know if you’re also considering making the leap to Albania.
