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Currency in Albania is pretty straightforward to get your head around. The thing is, though, you’ll need to get your head around it pretty quickly because cash is king in Albania!
Yup – Albania is probably one of the last countries in Europe that barely accepts card payments, so on arrival in Albania you’ll come face to face with its currency almost immediately.
I knew almost nothing about the Albanian currency before I arrived, but, having now spent almost three weeks in the country, I’ve learnt a thing or two.
In this post you’ll learn everything you need to know about what currency you need to use in Albania. You’ll also learn how to withdraw Albanian currency without paying a hefty withdrawal fee!
What Currency Does Albania Use?
The local currency in Albania is the Albanian Lek (ALL). This can come as a surprise to unprepared travellers who expect that since Albania is a European country it would use the Euro.
Worry not, though. You’ll soon learn to love the Albanian Lek because it offers great value to tourists! Compared to prices in the UK, US and Western Europe, and, heck, even Eastern Europe, Albania is incredibly cheap to travel to. If you don’t believe me, check out my full guide to the cost of travel in Albania!
There isn’t a sign for Albanian Lek. Instead, they just use ALL, so all over Albania you’ll see the prices listed as, for example, 600 ALL, which means 600 Lek. More commonly, though, you’ll just see prices listed by the number, so, for example, 600. I guess Albanians think that adding the extra “ALL” is redundant.
A single lek is the smallest denomination of Albanian currency. 1 lek is a tiny amount, and apparently comes in coin form, but in my almost three weeks in Albania I don’t think I’ve seen this coin – the lowest denomination I’ve come across is 5 Lek.
Can You Use Euros in Albania?
You can pay for most things in Albania with Euros at a push. Some places, such as hostels, tour companies and touristy restaurants, actually advertise their prices in Euros since it’s easier for travellers to understand.
In my experience, Albanians were actually quite eager for you to pay in Euros – even if the price was listed in Lek. You’ll almost definitely end up paying more if you do this rather than paying in Lek, but it’s good to know that it does work in a pinch if you’re out of Albanian cash.
Can I Get Albanian Currency in the UK/US/Etc?
Albanian Lek is a closed currency. This means that you can’t get your hands on it outside of Albania, nor can you exchange your leftover Lek for another currency outside of Albania.
This can make preparing for your trip slightly annoying, as it’s always good to have some backup cash on arrival in the country.
It also means any leftover cash you have at the end of your trip will be useless outside of Albania, so you have to try to withdraw the right amount of cash for your trip and spend it up before you leave.
How To Withdraw Cash in Albania Without a Withdrawal Fee
Normally, my favourite method for getting a local currency is to use a travel credit or debit card (I use a debit card with Starling Bank) to withdraw the local currency on arrival at an ATM at the airport.
That way, I always get a good conversion rate, and with a travel card you won’t get charged any conversion fees.
However, Albania is a different matter. For some reason that I still can’t get my head around, every ATM will charge you a hefty withdrawal fee in Albania except for Credins Bank.
The withdrawal fee is generally anywhere between 500-900 Lek (€4.30 – €7.75) per withdrawal, which is pretty bonkers!
Since you’ll be arriving into the country with no cash, though, and pretty much can’t do anything until you get your hands on some, you’ll just need to cough up and pay this fee on your first cash withdrawal.
You may as well withdraw a decent amount to make the fee feel somewhat worth it!
Once you have some cash on you, it’s time to head into the city and try to find a Credins Bank. Credins Bank is the only ATM that doesn’t charge you ANY withdrawal fee – it’s wonderful!
Most cities in Albania have at least one Credins Bank, but some less populated places, such as the coastal town of Himare, do not have one. Make sure you have enough cash to last until you get to one!
What is the Albania Exchange Rate for Euros/British Pounds/US Dollars?
At the time of writing, 100 Lek is €0.86, £0.75, or $0.84 – so trying to work out the cost of things in your currency compared to Lek isn’t super straightforward!
For this reason, the XE Currency app has been a real lifesaver during my time in Albania. You can download the Albanian currency calculator, and then you can simply enter the amount of lek or your own currency and it will convert the amount automatically.
Cash in Albania
When it comes to using cash in Albania you’ll come across both notes and coins. Notes come in denominations of 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000, although I never actually came across a 10,000 note during my time in Albania.
Coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lek but, as I mentioned earlier, I didn’t come across any 1 lek coins during my trip.
Outside of Tirana it can be tricky to break your larger bills as there seems to be a culture of people wanting you to pay as close to the exact amount as you can.
I don’t know whether this was due to a reluctance of the business owners to give away all of their change or what, but it’s important to try to break up your notes at every opportunity.
Can You Pay With Card in Albania?
This was the biggest shock to me when travelling through Albania – you can’t really pay for things with card. Especially not outside of Tirana.
Even in supermarkets, hostels and at tourist restaurants it’s cash-only. In fact, it’s so rare to find anywhere that accepts card payments that after just one day I stopped asking.
Albania is still very much a cash-based society.
How Much Money Will I Need to Budget for Albania?
Albania is not expensive to visit and offers great value to tourists from Western countries such as the UK and USA. You could easily get by on a very low budget in Albania, but it’s tempting to travel more luxuriously since prices are so affordable!
Tirana is the capital city of Tirana, but I didn’t actually find it to be any more expensive than other areas of Albania. In my experience, the Albanian Riviera (Sarande, Himare, Vlore, etc.) was the most expensive area, since it’s so popular with tourists.
In most touristy places in Albania, you’ll be able to get a large beer at a bar for around 250 lek (€2.14/$2.10) or a traditional main course dish for around 600 lek (€5.14/$5). You can easily travel in Albania on a mid-range budget of €40/$40 per day!
To get a better idea of how much money to take to Tirana, Budget Your Trip is a really great website. It shows the average price of things like groceries, taxis and accommodation so you can work out how much you should budget for your trip to Albania!
I hope this post helped you feel more confident about what currency is used in Albania! In summary – the Albanian lek is the currency to use in Albania, but you can use Euros in a pinch. You need to pay in cash for almost everything in Albania.
Enjoy your trip!
