Tirana is the country's gateway and the first stop for almost every visitor. Durrës, just a few minutes away from the capital, lures tourists with its sea, restaurants and summer atmosphere.
Vlora and, above all, Saranda with Ksamil, often called the "Maldives of Europe", have long since disappeared from the local map and have become well-known names in foreign media.
Gjirokastra and Berat attract with their stone, history and rare architecture, Korça with its nature and peaceful rhythm of life, while Shkodra is recently emerging as a new trend for travelers seeking different experiences.
In this mosaic of destinations, the "competition" between cities for tourists' attention has become stronger, simultaneously opening up more space for business.
Many residents have vacated their apartments to turn them into a source of rental income, while others have invested by renting out premises and converting them into accommodation structures, in an attempt to benefit from the tourist wave.
According to data from AirDNA, the analytical unit of the Airbnb rental platform, made available to "Monitor", of the 26.3 thousand residential units that were listed for rent, the majority of them, about 39%, were in the Vlora-Saranda segment, with 10.2 thousand units.
In second place is Tirana, with 20%, or 5.2 thousand apartments. Third place is occupied by Durrës, together with Golem, with about 19% (3.8 thousand units in Durrës and 1.3 thousand in Golem).
In fourth place is Shkodra, which is becoming an ever-growing destination, with 1.2 thousand apartments being rented out daily on average in 2025, or 4.7% of the total.
The capital manages to compete on tourist numbers, but not on daily rental prices. AirDNA data shows that daily revenue is the lowest among other popular destinations.
In the capital, the average price per night is 42.4 euros, while the net profit is 25 euros. The highest is in the Vlora - Saranda area, reaching up to 66 euros, with a net profit of 37.5 euros.
Golem and Durrës have also become competitive with 68.1 euros (net 34.2 euros) and 62.4 euros (net 33.6 euros), respectively.
Vlora (including Saranda) leads the way for the high number of overnight stays, which reached 1.5 million in 2025. In second place is the capital, which is the main station for anyone who decides to visit the country, especially outside the seasonal period.
A total of 1.25 million overnight stays were booked in Tirana through the Airbnb platform. In third place is Durrës and the coast (Golem) with around 770 thousand overnight stays.
Shkodra is also becoming a strong competitor, with around 200,000 overnight stays booked in 2025, according to data from AirDNA.
Owners of rental units in Vlora and Saranda manage to guarantee the highest total income, as a result of higher prices and more overnight stays.
Tirana, average income, around 750 euros/month
In Tirana, those who rent out their homes through the Airbnb platform generated 31.2 million euros in revenue in 2025.
The average occupancy rate was 59%, meaning that only 16 – 17 days per month the apartment is occupied, peaking at 65 – 67% in the summer months.
Net stays have been increasing, peaking at 76 thousand in August 2025, but the increase in stock has meant that there is more and more supply in Tirana, preventing prices from rising.
The highest nightly price level in the capital was reached in August, at 45 euros/month, but then prices dropped to 40 euros in December.
As only 50-60% of the time these accommodation units are not occupied, the net profit is generally half of the daily price.
For example, in January 2024, the average price was around 40.8 euros and the apartment was booked for 39% of the month (15-16 days), which makes the net profit around 20 euros.
The highest monthly net profit is in August and September, at around 30 euros.
The average profit for Tirana for 2025 is 24.93 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 750 euros.
Kashari is another favorite area of Tirana for renting, due to its structure with private villa buildings. In addition to foreigners, their daily rental users are young people for various organizations, parties or birthdays.
The total rental income generated in Kashar was 1 million euros in 2025. In August, the rent reaches up to 100 euros per day and the lowest is in February at 30 euros. The highest occupancy rate is also in August, at 60%, while the rest of the year it fluctuates at 40 – 50%.
The average profit for Kashari for 2025 is 32.7 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 982 euros.
Vlora and Saranda, record revenue of 57 million euros
Unlike Tirana, in Vlora and Saranda, landlords have managed to get better prices during the summer months, taking advantage of the high interest in these coastal areas.
AirDNA reports Vlora and Saranda together.
Revenues in these two cities reached a record of 57 million euros in 2025. This amount from the two most popular coastal cities is almost 43% of the total revenue that renters earned through Airbnb across the country.
In August, a residential unit was rented through Airbnb for an average of 86 euros/day in Vlora or Saranda, the highest in the entire country, and in July, 82 euros. During other months, the rent fluctuated between 40 – 60 euros/day.
The apartments were occupied 60-70% of the time in the summer. Net profits are also higher, reaching around 55-60 euros in July and August. In the off-season, the return is low, at 20-25 euros.
The average profit for Vlora and Saranda for 2025 is 37.5 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 1125 euros.
Durrës and Golem, a good business
The hotel industry is most developed in the Durrës and Golem areas, attracting organized tourism, mainly from Poland, the Czech Republic, but also other European countries.
Due to the high number of apartments on the coast, renting has also become a good business. Total income from renting through Airbnb reached 20.7 million euros in Durrës and 5.1 million euros in Golem in 2025.
Daily prices have increased significantly, especially during peak season. In August 2025, a daily rental unit cost 80 euros in Durrës and 76 euros in Golem, being the second most expensive after Vlora and Saranda, among the cities reported by AirDNA.
In summer, about 60 – 70% of the month is occupied by vacationers.
The average profit for Durrës for 2025 was 33.6 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 1007 euros.
For Golem, the figures were 34.2 and 1026 euros respectively.
Shkodra, the new rising star
Shkodra, a city that has it all – sea, mountains, river, lake, history, culture, tradition and food – has recently been "discovered" not only by foreign tourists, but also by locals.
Shkodra ranks as the fourth most popular city for tourists in the country, based on overnight stays and daily rental income, after Vlora (+ Saranda), Tirana and Durrës (+ Golem). Property owners in Shkodra have collected 5.2 million euros in 2025 from renting out units for daily rent through the Airbnb platform.
The number of units for rent has almost doubled from 790 in January 2024, to over 1,500 in December 2025.
In July and August, a residential unit was rented through Airbnb for an average of 65 euros/day. During other months, the rent fluctuated between 40 – 50 euros/day.
The apartments were occupied 60% of the time in the summer. Net profits are also higher, reaching around 40 euros in July and August. In the off-season, the return is low, at 15 – 25 euros.
The average profit for Shkodra for 2025 is 25.8 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 773 euros, higher than the capital.
Shëngjini, with high monthly returns
Shëngjin is a coastal area that has experienced rapid development in construction, driven by the high interest of Kosovo citizens due to its geographical proximity.
On average, there are about 750 units that are rented out for short-term use through the Airbnb platform, which generated a total revenue of 1.5 million euros in 2025.
The maximum price of a night's rental is in July and August, at 63 - 65 euros, a period when over 60% of nights are occupied.
The average profit for Shëngjin for 2025 is 26.8 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 805 euros, higher than the capital, but behind Vlora and Durrës.
Other cities
AirDNA also has detailed data for Korca and Berat, and for the first time has included Elbasan in the list.
December is the busiest month for Korça, when Christmas and the end-of-year holidays attract many domestic and foreign tourists. The net profit reaches 20 euros per day, while in July and August, it is over 20 euros.
For the other months, the return is an average of 8 – 10 euros. Daily rental prices in Korça range from 40 euros to 50 euros per day. The total revenue generated for Korça was almost 1.5 million euros.
The average profit for Korça for 2025 is 16.7 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 507 euros.
Less profitable is renting in Berat, where although the price per night is around 40 euros, the net daily profit is the lowest of all the cities reported, with only 7 - 20 euros.
In total, Berat residents have collected 1.4 million euros from short-term rentals for 2025.
The average profit for Berat for 2025 is 16.9 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 446 euros.
Elbasan is another city that has begun to attract the attention of tourists, but total receipts remain low, at 350 thousand euros. The average rental price ranges from 40-50 euros/night and the real income 11-20 euros.
The average profit for Elbasan for 2025 is 15.88 euros/day, with a monthly return of around 477 euros. /Monitor.al/
