8 Reasons Why Albania is Ideal for Digital Nomads
Many digital nomads agree that Albania is one of the best places to settle for a temporary stay. Read the article to find out why!
The digital nomad lifestyle is, quite literally, taking over the world. With more and more people smartly opting to have a digital workplace while changing their physical location to their heart’s desire, the world is becoming the new office. The challenge becomes which parts of the world make the best offices? Where are the best views, food, and Internet, the comfort and the atmosphere to feel both at home and constantly inspired? It turns out that Albania may have the right ingredients to become the digital nomad mecca. Read on to find the exact technical and not-so-technical reasons why that is.
Let’s start with one simple technical fact! Albania has fast, cheap, and reliable internet. You will find very economical internet packages for your residence, great mobile data plans, and fast internet in most cafés around the country. This part is both affordable and convenient so you don’t miss a beat!
Skanderbeg Square in Tirana. Photo courtesy of Egzon Bytyqi (instagram.com/egzonbytyqiphoto/)
One thing that every digital nomad will quickly find out is that the coffee in Albania is both great and cheap, usually about 1 Euro for espresso. Most importantly, you can find it anywhere, on every corner of any major city in the country.
Café-Museum Komiteti, Tirana. Photo by IntoAlbania.
If you’re more of an urban digital nomad who is working for co-working spaces, there are plenty in the capital of Albania, Tirana. InnoSpace offers high-speed internet, printing and scanning, as well as great classes in graphic design. Destil is a cultural hub and cozy working space near the center while Dutch Hub is the largest co-working space in Tirana.
The veranda at Inno Space Tirana. Photo from www.innospacetirana.com.
For most Europeans, Albania is, hands down, one of the most affordable places to live. Rent can start at 200 Euros (around 300 Euros in the capital) and that is for fairly nice apartments. Utilities and bills do not normally exceed 50-100 Euros a month. There are also plenty of affordable delicious food options and, good news for beer and wine lovers, cheap options for those, as well.
Fresh vegetables at Tirana New Bazaar. Photo courtesy of Matthew J Zumwalt (instagram.com/matthewjzumwalt)
It bears repeating! Food in Albania is so good and so cheap, especially for its consistent high quality at all preferred levels of dinging. Albania food offers a mix of Mediterranean cuisines such as Italian, Greek, and Turkish, and traditional Balkan fare. Yet, is has very much its own unique flavor. There is absolutely no one that does not fall in love with the food here!
Traditional Fresh dishes at Ceren Ismet Shehu, Tirana, Source: facebook.com
With its entire western side being a coast, Albania offers remote yet fully-equipped destinations to live in as a digital nomad. Whether you would like to sit by the Adriatic coast in the ancient city of Durrës or the breathtaking spectacular coast of the Ionian, in the large cities of Vlora or Saranda, you will find yourself inspired to begin each day blissfully.
Saranda by night. Photo by Egzon Bytyqi (instagram.com/egzonbytyqiphoto/)
You will have plenty to do on your time off! Albania is so packed with fascinating destinations that you may actually find yourself distracted from work. But, as a digital nomad, we trust you know how to manage your time. Countless museums, city squares, medieval architecture, cobble-stoned alleys, and a considerable number of ancient cities, will be waiting on your time off.
Butrint National Park near Saranda. Photo by Matthew J Zumwalt (instagram.com/matthewjzumwalt)
In Albania, you’ll find a large population of people who have either worked, studied or lived abroad or has at least a family member that has done so. This is to say, that you could not find a more digital-nomad friendly atmosphere that still reserves much of its authenticity. The languages are always a plus, with English and Italian being the most common.
People strolling around Skanderbeg Square in Tirana. Photo by IntoAlbania.