Tirana has entered a phase where prices are rising much faster than the incomes of most of its residents, turning life into a challenge for a large part of them.
Data from the Numbeo platform, a digital barometer that collects real-time information on living costs around the world, shows that rent prices and some basket items have increased by about 60 percent in the last five years.
Rents increased by 59% in 5 years
In the last five years, the rental sector in Tirana has seen rapid price increases, becoming the main financial burden for families and young professionals.
According to Numbeo statistics, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment (1+1) in the city center has jumped from 41,835 lek in 2021 to an average of 66,656 lek in 2026 with an increase of 59%, many times higher than the real change in wages for the same period.
This increase is partly explained by high demand from foreigners and tourists, as well as the increase in property values in the real estate market, making living in the heart of Tirana increasingly difficult to afford.
Basket Price Increase
In addition to housing, citizens are facing a sharp increase in basket items, where basic products have experienced rapid growth. Numbeo data shows that basic foods such as eggs and rice have become very expensive. Specifically, 12 eggs from 204 Lekë five years ago are now traded for 318 Lekë, an increase of 56%, while a kilogram of white rice has gone from 129 to 199 Lekë, an increase of 54%.
This price crisis also extends to restaurant services, where the cost of a meal in an economical restaurant has increased by 31%, from 611 in 2021 to 800 Lekë in 2026. While the daily ritual, coffee or cappuccino, costs 28% more today.
This combined increase in the cost of basic products and services shows that inflation has penetrated deeply into the entire consumption structure in the capital, from basket goods, and other products, from entertainment to household appliances and housing itself. /Monitor.al/
