Tirana’s real estate market continues to rank among the most unaffordable in Europe, according to the latest data from the international platform Numbeo.
The report shows that an average Albanian household needs approximately 18.1 years of income to purchase a home in the capital. This places Tirana fifth in Europe in terms of the highest price-to-income ratio for housing affordability.
The figure means that buying a property in Tirana has become more difficult than in several major European cities, including Vienna, where the ratio stands at around 17.4 years, Paris at 17 years, and London at 16 years of income.
The ranking is led by Lisbon and the Croatian city of Split, both requiring 18.7 years of income to afford a home. They are followed by Prague, Milan, and Tirana, while other cities in the top ten include Belgrade, Paris, London, and Brno.
The price-to-income ratio is widely used as a key indicator of housing affordability. It measures how many years of average household income are needed to purchase a standard property. According to ABN AMRO economist Mike Langen, any ratio above 10 is considered problematic, as it exceeds typical banking credit thresholds and household repayment capacity.
Tirana’s position in this ranking highlights a growing imbalance between housing prices and income levels in Albania. While wages have increased in recent years, property prices—especially in the capital—have risen at a significantly faster pace, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for a large portion of residents.