Skip to content
BalkanHome

Country guide

Real estate in Albania

Your starting point for property in Albania: apartments, houses, land and commercial premises for sale and for rent in Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, Sarandë and twelve more locations, live prices by city, the rules for foreign buyers and guides to every step of a purchase.

Updated September 2026Prices are medians of live asking prices on BalkanHome, updated every hour.

  • €1,584/m²Median asking price, apartments
  • €125,000Median apartment price
  • €51,400Apartments from
  • €1,756/m²Tirana, median per m²
  • €1,919/m²Ionian coast, median per m²
  • Browse listings

Where to buy property in Albania: the four regions

Albania is small, but its property markets behave like four different countries. Prices, tenants, seasons and the checks that matter change from one region to the next, so start by choosing the region that fits your goal, then the town.

Property markets of AlbaniaHimarëHimarëAlbanian RivieraDhërmiOrikumVlorëVlorëSarandëSarandëKsamilKsamilTiranaTiranaDurrësDurrësShëngjinShëngjinGolemGolemKavajëKavajëQerretShkodërShkodërPogradecPogradecKorçëKorçë
  • Tirana and the capital region
  • The Adriatic coast
  • The Ionian coast and the Albanian Riviera
  • Lakes and mountains

Sixteen locations with their own market page. Tap a city on the map or in the list to open its guide.

Tirana and the capital region

Tirana and the capital region

The only market with tenant demand in every month of the year. Buyers here want rental income and long-term growth rather than a summer home. New towers in Blloku, the centre and along the ring road set the top of the price range; older blocks in Kombinat, Laprakë and Fresku sit well below it.

Apartments for sale in Tirana
The Ionian coast and the Albanian Riviera

The Ionian coast and the Albanian Riviera

Vlorë, Orikum, Dhërmi, Himarë, the Riviera villages, Sarandë and Ksamil. The clearest water, the highest prices and the strongest short-let season in Albania. Supply is tighter than on the Adriatic, plots are steep and views decide the price, so location within a town matters more than anywhere else.

Apartments for sale in Vlorë

Property prices in Albania by city

Median asking prices per square metre for apartments and houses in every location with its own market page, and the lowest apartment price currently listed. Each city link opens the live listings for that category.

LocationApartments, median €/m²Houses, median €/m²Apartments from
Himarë€3,046€4,142€125,800
Albanian Riviera€3,046€4,142€125,800
Dhërmi€2,996€3,994€81,000
Orikum€2,656€2,896€81,600
Vlorë€2,310€1,121€75,000
Sarandë€1,919€1,339€85,000
Ksamil€1,919€1,098€77,000
Tirana€1,756€1,712€59,000
Durrës€1,567€977€55,000
Shëngjin€1,550€1,675€57,000
Golem€1,415€1,274€45,400
Kavajë€1,400€1,475€45,000
Qerret€1,397€1,408€45,400
Shkodër€1,306€840€60,000
Pogradec€1,141€987€55,000
Korçë€743€531€30,000

Medians are calculated from current asking prices, not from completed sales, and move with the listings. Use them to compare places, not as a valuation.

Property for sale and rent in Albania

From the listings

Selected property for sale in Albania

A cross-section of what is on the market now: apartments and houses on both coasts and in Tirana, with prices, sizes and locations as listed by the advertisers.

How to buy property in Albania as a foreigner

The purchase itself is straightforward: a preliminary contract, checks, a notary and registration. What separates a safe purchase from a risky one is the order of those steps and who checks what. This is the sequence we recommend.

  1. 01

    Choose the market before the property

    Decide what the property is for: year-round rent (Tirana), a holiday home with the lowest entry price (Durrës coast), the best water and summer rents (Ionian coast) or a low-cost home (inland). Each region has a different price level and a different set of risks.

  2. 02

    Check the seller and the title

    Ask for the ownership certificate from the State Cadastre (ASHK), the building permit and, for older buildings, the legalisation status. The seller on the certificate must be the person signing. A lawyer does this in a few days and it is the single most important step.

  3. 03

    Preliminary contract and deposit

    The preliminary contract fixes the price, the payment schedule and the completion date, and is usually signed with a deposit of around 10 percent. For off-plan purchases, tie the payments to construction stages and write the delivery date and penalties into the contract.

  4. 04

    Due diligence

    Your lawyer confirms there are no mortgages, liens or restitution claims on the property, that the building matches its permit and that any land beneath it can be transferred to a foreigner. Bare and agricultural land near the coast cannot be held directly by a foreign individual.

  5. 05

    Notary and final contract

    The sale contract is signed before a notary, who verifies identities and the title and handles the tax withholding. Budget about 4 to 7 percent of the price for notary, registration and legal fees. Payments go by bank transfer; there is no strong escrow tradition, so the schedule in the contract matters.

  6. 06

    Registration and ownership

    The contract is registered at ASHK, which issues the new ownership certificate. With complete documents this takes about three weeks; complex cases can take one to three months. After that you pay the annual property tax of 0.05 percent of the value and, if you rent the property out, register the income.

Find your property in Albania

Apartments, houses and land on both coasts and in Tirana, in English, priced in euros and placed on the map.

Where the Albanian property market is

Albania has three property markets, not one. Tirana is the only city with tenant demand in every month of the year, so it takes the buyers who want rental income and long-term growth rather than a summer home. The central Adriatic coast between Durrës, Golem, Qerret and Kavajë is where most holiday apartments are sold, almost entirely in new complexes bought off-plan. The Ionian south, from Vlorë through the Albanian Riviera to Sarandë and Ksamil, has the clearest water, the highest prices and the strongest short-let season, and the inland cities of Korçë, Pogradec and Shkodër are where a house or an apartment costs least.

The tables above are the live picture of that market: every category of property for sale and for rent in Albania with its current prices, and every location with its own page. Each city page explains the districts, the price tiers and the checks that matter there.

What property costs in Albania

Across the country the median asking price of an apartment is €1,584 per square metre and €125,000 per apartment, but the spread between regions is wide. Inland cities and the Golem and Kavajë strip sit at the bottom, Durrës and Shëngjin in the middle, Tirana's centre and Vlorë's seafront above them, and Dhërmi, Himarë and front-line Ksamil at the top, at roughly twice the Durrës coast. Houses and villas are a smaller and more expensive market than apartments; land is priced by zoning and view rather than by area. Because most new coastal apartments are sold off-plan, the developer's permit and the payment schedule matter as much as the price.

Can foreigners buy property in Albania?

Yes. Foreign buyers own apartments, houses and commercial premises in Albania outright, registered in their own name at the State Cadastre (ASHK), on the same terms as Albanian citizens and with no visa or residency requirement. The restrictions apply to land: agricultural land and bare plots near the coast cannot be held directly by a foreign individual and are bought through an Albanian company or leased long term. Closing costs are roughly 4 to 7 percent of the price, the annual property tax is 0.05 percent of the property's value, rental income is taxed at a flat 15 percent, and a habitable property of at least 20 m² per person in the buyer's name supports a renewable one-year residence permit; there is no golden visa. The steps, costs and checks are set out in how to buy property in Albania, the cost of buying and buying as a foreigner.

Buying property in Albania: the questions buyers ask

Short, checked answers to what foreign buyers ask before, during and after a purchase in Albania. Figures are current at the date shown at the top of the page; laws change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with a lawyer before you sign.

Browse listings
Can a foreigner buy property in Albania?
Yes. Foreign individuals and companies buy apartments, houses, villas and commercial premises with full ownership, registered in their own name at the State Cadastre (ASHK), on the same terms as Albanian citizens. No visa, residence permit or local partner is needed; you can sign during an ordinary tourist stay. The only restrictions concern land: agricultural land and bare plots near the coast are bought through an Albanian company or held on a long lease.
How much does an apartment cost in Albania?
The median asking price of an apartment in Albania is €1,584 per square metre and €125,000 per apartment, with listings from around €51,400. The spread is wide: inland cities and the Golem and Kavajë strip are the cheapest, Durrës and Shëngjin sit in the middle, central Tirana and the Vlorë seafront above them, and Dhërmi, Himarë and front-line Ksamil at the top. The table above shows the current median for every city.
Where is the best place to buy property in Albania?
It depends on what the property is for. For rental income in every month of the year, Tirana. For a holiday apartment at the lowest entry price with easy access from the airport, the Durrës coast: Golem, Qerret and Kavajë. For the clearest sea and the highest summer rents, Sarandë, Ksamil and the Albanian Riviera. For a low-cost home with four seasons, Korçë, Pogradec or Shkodër.
Is property in Albania a good investment?
It can be, if the numbers are read honestly. Short-term rentals on the coast can gross 8 to 12 percent in peak season, and long-term rentals in Tirana around 5 to 7 percent, but a realistic net return over a full year is closer to 4 to 6 percent after management, vacancy and tax. Prices have risen strongly since 2022 and most coastal supply is sold off-plan, so the developer, the permit and the payment schedule matter as much as the yield.
What are the costs of buying property in Albania?
Budget about 4 to 7 percent of the price on top of the purchase for the notary, registration at the Cadastre and legal fees. Agency fees vary and are agreed in writing, so ask who pays them before you view. There is no separate transfer tax paid by the buyer. Bank transfer costs and, for off-plan purchases, any currency conversion should be added to the plan.
What taxes do property owners pay in Albania?
The annual property tax is 0.05 percent of the property value, which for most apartments means a few dozen to a couple of hundred euros a year, among the lowest in Europe. Rental income is taxed at a flat 15 percent: on the gross amount for short-term lets registered through the DIVA platform and on net income for long-term contracts. A reform of the property tax base has been discussed; check the current rate before you budget.
Does buying property in Albania give residency or a golden visa?
Not automatically, and there is no golden visa. A habitable property of at least 20 square metres per person, at least half owned in the buyer's name, supports an application for a renewable one-year residence permit under Law 79/2021. It is a temporary permit, not permanent residency and not citizenship, and it has to be renewed each year.
How does the buying process work and how long does it take?
In practice: a preliminary contract with a deposit of around 10 percent, due diligence by your lawyer, the final contract signed before a notary, and registration at the State Cadastre, which issues the ownership certificate. From an accepted offer to registration usually takes two to eight weeks. With complete documents the Cadastre now registers within about three weeks; cases involving foreign buyers, inheritance or legalisation can take one to three months.
Is it safe to buy off-plan property in Albania?
Most new apartments on the coast are sold before completion, so the question is not whether but how. Check the building permit and the developer's completed projects, make sure the land is registered in the developer's name, pay in stages tied to construction progress rather than dates, and write the delivery date and penalties for delay into the contract. Independent legal review of the contract before the first payment is the rule, not the exception.
Can a foreigner get a mortgage in Albania?
Rarely. Albanian banks lend mainly to residents with local income and require a large deposit, so most foreign buyers pay from their own funds, finance the purchase at home or use a developer's instalment plan for an off-plan apartment. Instalment plans are common and should be written into the preliminary contract with the same care as the price.
Can foreigners buy land in Albania?
Apartments, houses and villas on the coast are freely bought by foreigners; the restrictions concern land itself. Agricultural land and bare plots within 200 metres of the shoreline cannot be held directly by a foreign individual and are bought through an Albanian company or held on a 99-year lease. Construction land bought directly requires an investment of three times the land value. A local company takes about two weeks to set up.
How do I check that a property has a clean title?
Ask for the current ownership certificate from the State Cadastre and compare it with the seller's identity document. Check that the building has a permit and, for older buildings, that it has been legalised. Your lawyer then confirms there are no mortgages, liens, court disputes or restitution claims against the property. A property that is not registered cannot be validly sold, whatever the seller says.
In which currency are prices and payments?
Listings are priced in euros and most transactions are agreed in euros, although the official currency is the lek and contracts may show both. Payments are made by bank transfer, either to the seller's account or through the notary. Cash payments above the legal limits are not accepted, and a documented transfer is also what you will need for tax and registration purposes.
Can I rent out my property, and how are short-term rentals regulated?
Yes. Long-term rentals are contracts between owner and tenant, with the income declared at 15 percent on the net amount. Short-term rentals are registered through the DIVA platform and taxed at 15 percent on gross income. On the coast most owners use a local management company for check-ins, cleaning and pricing, which is the practical way to rent from abroad.
What are the main risks of buying property in Albania?
The ones that actually cause losses are known and avoidable: unregistered or unlegalised buildings, land under a building that cannot be transferred to a foreigner, restitution claims from before 1991, off-plan projects that stall, and payments made without a contract that ties them to progress. Each is caught by a title check, a permit check and a properly drafted preliminary contract before money changes hands.
Do I need to be in Albania to complete a purchase?
Not for every step. You can give a lawyer a power of attorney, signed before a notary in Albania or at an Albanian consulate abroad, to sign the contracts and register the property on your behalf. Many buyers view and sign the preliminary contract in person during a visit and complete the purchase remotely.
How does EU accession affect property in Albania?
Albania is a candidate country in accession negotiations, with a declared aim of joining around 2030. Accession is not guaranteed and the timetable can slip, but the process has already brought infrastructure spending, rising foreign demand and stricter registration rules. Buy on today's numbers and treat accession as upside, not as the case for the purchase.

Albania blog

Living, investing and buying in Albania

Notes from the market: neighbourhoods, seasons, prices and the practical side of owning a home in Albania.

All articles

Ready to look at property in Albania?

Every listing on BalkanHome is in English, priced in euros and placed on the map, so you can compare regions before you travel.