Are you looking for the perfect place to live as a digital nomad in Europe?
Look no further than Tirana, Albania! This super cool, underrated capital city is the ideal European base for digital nomads and remote workers.
Here’s why Tirana is set to become one of the top digital nomad hotspots in Europe:
It’s Extremely Affordable
First things first, let’s talk about price.
I was shocked by just how affordable Tirana was. The super fancy, huge, centrally located Airbnb I stayed at worked out to be less than $900 per month, and you can even find nice apartments for much cheaper than that!
Going out to eat and transportation are also extremely inexpensive in Albania.
Albania is one of the best digital nomad destinations for affordability and culture, offering a great quality of life at a low cost.
Albania Is Not Part Of The Schengen Zone
Albania is one of the few countries in Europe that is not part of the Schengen Zone, which means that it’s easier to stay there long-term without needing a visa.
Americans and many other nationalities can only stay in the Schengen Zone, which is made up of 25+ countries, for 90 out of every 180 days.
Croatia joined the Schengen Zone in January 2023, followed by Bulgaria and Romania as of March 2024. These countries were previously good options for digital nomads in Europe, but now that they’re part of the Schengen Zone, they aren’t as ideal.
You Can Stay For Up To 365 Days
So not only is Albania not part of the Schengen Zone in Europe, Americans (and many other nationalities) can stay in Albania for up to 365 days without a visa.
This is amazing for digital nomads because it’s one of the best countries in the world where you can stay long-term without needing a visa.
With many other countries in Europe, you are limited to staying for 90 days (and that’s your allotment for the entire Schengen Zone) unless you apply for a digital nomad visa or other long-stay visa.
But with Albania, it’s easy and hassle-free to move there for up to a year.
It’s A Year-Round Destination
Tirana is a great city for digital nomads because it’s a year-round destination.
Some of Albania’s beach towns are popular with digital nomads during the summer, like Sarande and Vlore, but they get really quiet during the off-season and there’s not much to do.
Meanwhile, Tirana, which is the capital city of Albania and has a population of over half a million people, is lively year-round.
Tirana Is Growing As A Digital Nomad Hotspot
Albania as a whole is exploding in popularity right now when it comes to tourism, and that carries over to digital nomads as well.
Tirana, in particular, has been growing in popularity recently with digital nomads and remote workers, so you can easily find a community of like-minded people here.
The city has a huge cafe culture, so you will never struggle to find a cafe with WiFi to work from for an afternoon.
There are also many coworking spaces popping up across the city.
Good Base For Exploring
Finally, Tirana is well-connected and makes a good base for exploring Albania and nearby countries.
Although Albania is certainly home to some great beaches (Durres is the closest beach town that’s just 45 minutes from Tirana), there’s so much more to the country than just beaches.
One of my favorite day trips from Tirana is Berat, a stunning ancient town 1.5 hours away that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and known as the “Town of One Thousand Windows.”
And from Tirana, you can fly to tons of destinations in Greece and Italy for super cheap on budget airlines, with most flight times under 1.5 hours.
Credit: Source link
