Prices in Albania
Next time you go to Tirana, you’ll do your grocery shopping at one of the chain supermarkets, like Conad or Spar, and you’ll get an idea.
Uh, no—in Tirana, I don’t need to do groceries; I go to the hotel and eat at restaurants😏. Same in all the big cities.
There are definitely discount places in Albania too, but you have to buy in larger quantities, not just portions for two...
I must’ve been really lucky because, without even looking, in every small village and bigger town, I only shopped at discount supermarkets!😏. What luck—I should play the lottery! We bought several times: various cold cuts, cheeses, yogurts, pastries, seasonal fruits, and even cans of tuna and mackerel—all at very low prices! The only place we didn’t shop was in big cities like Tirana because you don’t go hiking in the city! I wonder where you went in Albania?! Do you actually explore when you travel? Did you just do Airport/Tirana city center? Where did you buy groceries besides Conad in Tirana? At the airport? PS: One thing’s for sure—the price difference (for basic food items) compared to France doesn’t justify the hassle of grocery shopping; it’s definitely better to eat at restaurants. When we did shop, it wasn’t to save money but so we could picnic in nature. However, for students or young people on a tight budget, the best option isn’t hotels or restaurants but renting an equipped apartment to cook in—and thus doing your own grocery shopping. I didn’t pay much attention in Albania, but in Romania, local tourists stay in "hostels" where they can prepare their own meals. We took half-board while the Romanians were grilling outside... They almost always invited us for drinks! It’s actually really interesting to find these kinds of places that don’t show up on booking sites like Booking.com. They’re often a little less "modern," but so much warmer and always way cheaper!
Uh, no—in Tirana, I don’t need to do groceries; I go to the hotel and eat at restaurants😏. Same in all the big cities.
There are definitely discount places in Albania too, but you have to buy in larger quantities, not just portions for two...
I must’ve been really lucky because, without even looking, in every small village and bigger town, I only shopped at discount supermarkets!😏. What luck—I should play the lottery! We bought several times: various cold cuts, cheeses, yogurts, pastries, seasonal fruits, and even cans of tuna and mackerel—all at very low prices! The only place we didn’t shop was in big cities like Tirana because you don’t go hiking in the city! I wonder where you went in Albania?! Do you actually explore when you travel? Did you just do Airport/Tirana city center? Where did you buy groceries besides Conad in Tirana? At the airport? PS: One thing’s for sure—the price difference (for basic food items) compared to France doesn’t justify the hassle of grocery shopping; it’s definitely better to eat at restaurants. When we did shop, it wasn’t to save money but so we could picnic in nature. However, for students or young people on a tight budget, the best option isn’t hotels or restaurants but renting an equipped apartment to cook in—and thus doing your own grocery shopping. I didn’t pay much attention in Albania, but in Romania, local tourists stay in "hostels" where they can prepare their own meals. We took half-board while the Romanians were grilling outside... They almost always invited us for drinks! It’s actually really interesting to find these kinds of places that don’t show up on booking sites like Booking.com. They’re often a little less "modern," but so much warmer and always way cheaper!