Tirana or Durrës: where to live and buy an apartment

Tirana or Durrës? If your job and your children's schools are in Tirana, the capital remains the safer choice for buying an apartment in Albania, even though it is more expensive: the average was 2,116 €/m² in the second quarter of 2026 (Keydata), while in Durrës reported prices are about 1,000 €/m² outside the centre and about 1,600 €/m² in the centre (Numbeo, October 2026). Durrës is worth it when you want the sea, a smaller budget or a property that earns rent in summer. For daily commuters, the widened motorway and the train expected at the end of 2027 narrow the gap, but do not close it yet.

Main photo: John Netrebchuk / Pexels

Average apartment price in Tirana, Q2 2026 (Keydata)

2,116 €/m²

Durrës, outside the centre and in the centre (Numbeo, October 2026)

1,000 to 1,600 €/m²

Share of the population in Tirana County and Durrës County, 1 January 2026 (INSTAT)

32.8% vs 9.4%

Unoccupied homes in Durrës and in Tirana, 2023 Census

44% vs 22%

How much does an apartment cost in Tirana and in Durrës?

In Tirana a 70 m² apartment at the average price costs about 148,000 €; in Durrës, the same floor area costs roughly 71,000 € outside the centre and 112,000 € in the centre. The difference depends heavily on the neighbourhood, in both cities.

For Tirana we have the Keydata index by cadastral zone: from 1,530 €/m² in Unit 11 (Zogu i Zi, Laprakë) to 2,962 €/m² in ish-Blloku (the former Block). You will find the full table in apartment prices in Tirana by zone. There is no similar index for Durrës: we use Numbeo's figures (170 data points in 12 months, from 16 contributors) and the prices agents have given to the media. Vizion Plus reported 1,200 to 2,500 €/m² in May 2026 in the most sought-after areas, from the Vollga promenade to Shkëmbi i Kavajës.

Numbeo collects prices entered by users themselves, so the figures are indicative; for Tirana there is far more data (1,148 in 12 months) than for Durrës. The reference price is a tax value, not a market price: 67,500 lek (ALL) is about 736 € at the official rate of 1 € = 91.65 lek (Bank of Albania, 9 October 2026). We publish the averages of hyrja.al listings in apartment prices in Durrës, and for Tirana as soon as there are at least 5 listings behind each figure.

How we read the figures

The 70 m² comparison multiplies the price per m² by the floor area: 2,116 € for Tirana, 1,016 € and 1,594 € for Durrës (Numbeo, outside the centre and in the centre). These are indicative values, not sale prices. Always ask whether the floor area in a listing is gross or net.

What is the mortgage payment for the same apartment?

With a 20% down payment, 25 years and the average rate of 5.2% on new euro mortgages (Bank of Albania, second quarter of 2026), the monthly payment for 70 m² comes to about 706 € in Tirana, 534 € in central Durrës and 339 € outside the centre.

Try the figures yourself. The calculator starts with Tirana's average apartment; change the price to 112,000 € or 71,000 € for Durrës:

How much income the bank requires for each city is covered in the article how many salaries you need for an apartment, while the costs of the notary and of ASHK (the State Cadastre Agency, Agjencia Shtetërore e Kadastrës) are worked out by the buying costs calculator.

How long is the commute between Durrës and Tirana?

The motorway, about 30 km, is the main link, but with 90,000 to 120,000 vehicles a day and works still under way, the travel time varies a lot depending on the hour. The new train is only expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.

The motorway widening has three phases: each direction will have three 3.75 m lanes and an emergency lane, with speeds up to 130 km/h once it is finished (Citizens.al, April 2026). The deadlines have slipped several times, and in June 2026 IKMT, the National Territory Protection Inspectorate, demolished a petrol station at Kashar to make room for the site of the new overpass. Summer is the weak point: the Albanian Tourism Union told Monitor that transfers from the airport to Golem took up to four and a half hours (19 September 2026).

The railway line is 37.9 km long, with 22 round trips planned on working days (Monitor, 9 June 2026). The Durrës station is in the centre, so from the Plazhi beach area you will still need a bus or a car. Details and stations are in the article on the Tirana-Durrës-Rinas railway. Buy for the value the property has on the day you buy it: the train is a possible bonus, not a guarantee.

Where are there more jobs, schools and services?

In Tirana, and this is the main reason prices are higher there. Tirana County had about 32.8% of the country's population on 1 January 2026 and was the only county that grew, by 0.7% in one year, while Durrës County had 9.4% (INSTAT).

Photo: Seval Torun / Unsplash

For families, this means more choice: the main universities, the university hospital centre and most central institutions are in the capital. Durrës has its own public university, "Aleksandër Moisiu", the port and a city that lives all year round around the centre and the Vollga. How to choose a neighbourhood based on the school is explained in the article on schools and kindergartens when choosing a neighbourhood.

Sea or capital: how does life change through the year?

Durrës has two faces: a quiet town from October to May and a crowded one from June to September. Tirana has the same pace all year, with traffic and noise, but without the seasonal swing.

According to the 2023 Census, cited by Monitor, about 44% of homes in Durrës were unoccupied, compared with 22% in Tirana. Many apartments near the sea are holiday homes, so in winter some buildings stay half empty. Before you buy, ask the building manager how many families live in the building all year round and how the maintenance fee is collected. The coastal areas are described in the guide to Durrës Beach.

In summer, having the sea nearby is an advantage for families with children, but queues, parking and traffic come with the package. The right question is where you will live from November to March, not only in August.

As an investment: where do rent and resale pay more?

Tirana gives steadier rent throughout the year; Durrës earns more in summer and less in winter. For resale, Tirana has more buyers, but even in the capital selling is taking longer.

In Tirana, a two-bedroom (2+1) rented for an average of 954 € a month in the first half of 2026, according to Century 21 transactions published by Monitor; the neighbourhoods are compared in rent in Tirana by neighbourhood. In Durrës, according to AirDNA data published by Monitor, from January to June 2026 there were about 4,500 short-term rental units, at 49.4 € a night and about 800 € of income a month; in June the nightly rate reached 76 €. These averages do not deduct expenses and tax.

The Bank of Albania describes a market that is slowing: in the first half of 2026, home prices in Tirana were 9% higher than a year earlier, but the average time to sell rose to 9.7 months, while in coastal areas it was 8.2 months (Financial Stability Report). If you see the purchase as an investment, also compare it with other towns in where to buy a holiday apartment.