Best Nomad-Friendly Cafés in Tirana, Albania
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Albania SIM Price Comparison: How to Choose the Best Option
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If you buy a SIM card at Tirana International Airport, foreign travelers without a local phone number can only choose a special tourist plan, which is more expensive.
At the airport, SIM card prices are usually around $30 to $35, and the validity period is 21 days.
However, if you go into the city of Tirana, you can buy a SIM card for a much lower price, starting from $7.3.
Or, if you want a cheaper and easier way to use WiFi in Albania, an eSIM called ESIM4TRAVEL is a good option.
*You can start from a plan of 1GB/$1.6.
You can chose 3 options
- Buy a SIM card at Tirana Airport
→ Staff will set it up for you, but the price is high - Buy a SIM card in the city
→ Cheaper, but you cannot use the internet until you reach the city - Buy an eSIM online
→ Easy and low cost, but you need to set it up by yourself
Personally, I strongly recommend using an eSIM.
If you plan to visit other European countries as well, the eSIM4Travel Europe 35-country plan is very convenient.
You can use it across borders without changing your SIM.
» ESIM4TRAVEL Review and Pricing Comparison with Airalo
SIM Card Plans Available at Tirana Airport
If you enter Albania by plane, you will find SIM card booths directly in front of you after exiting the baggage claim area.
In Albania, the main mobile carriers are Vodafone and ONE. At Tirana Airport, you can buy the following SIM card plans.
| Carrier | Data | International Calls | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | 100GB | Unlimited | 2,900 ALL (~$35) |
| ONE | 40GB | 1,000 minutes | 2,500 ALL (~$25) |
| 100GB | Unlimited | 2,900 ALL (~$35) |
*SIM cards sold at Tirana Airport are only 21-day plans. For short trips, they are relatively expensive, so please be careful.
You can reach the city center from Tirana Airport by a direct bus. WiFi on the bus is weak, but free WiFi is available.
Once you arrive in Tirana city, you can also use WiFi at cafés.
» Best Nomad-Friendly Cafés in Tirana, Albania
For this reason, there is no real advantage to buying an expensive SIM card at the airport.
Vodafone SIM Card Plans in Tirana City
Here, we introduce the SIM card plans available at Vodafone shops in Tirana city.
Please refer to the table below for the main plan details.
| Plan | Data | Domestic Calls | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BASIC | 300MB | 100 minutes | 600 ALL (~ $7.3) |
| START | 1GB | 400 minutes | 1,000 ALL (~ 12.2) |
| STANDARD | 8GB | 2,500 minutes | 1,300 ALL (~ $15.8) |
| SMART | 22GB | 3,500 minutes | 1,600 ALL (~ $19.5) |
| PREMIUM | 34GB | 3,500 minutes | 2,100 ALL (~ $25.5) |
All plans are valid for 30 days.
The advantage of buying a SIM card at a Vodafone shop is that the staff will help you set up the SIM, and you can get a local Albanian phone number.
However, if you do not need a phone number and can set up the SIM by yourself, using an eSIM is the most cost-effective and convenient option.
ESIM4TRAVEL: Best option for you!
ESIM4TRAVEL is a popular eSIM among digital nomads and backpackers.
Airalo is also a popular eSIM, but eSIM4Travel offers much better value for money.
For example, let’s compare the Albania prices of the popular eSIMs often introduced by influencers: Airalo and eSIM4Travel.
| Date Plan | Airalo | ESIM4TRAVEL |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | $5 (7 days) | $0.8 (1 day) $1.6 (7 days) |
| 2GB | $9.5 (15 days) | – |
| 3GB | $13 (30 days) | $5.77 (30 days) |
| 5GB | $20 (30 days) | $8.93 (30 days) |
| 10GB | $37 (30 days) | $16.83 (30 days) |
| 20GB | $49 (30 days) | $32.63 (30 days) |
| 50GB | $100 (30 days) | $68.98 (30 days) |
| 100GB | $185 (30 days) | – |
You can clearly see that eSIM4Travel is much cheaper.
However, there is even better news.
ESIM4TRAVEL offers a plan that can be used in 35 European countries, including Albania.
With this plan, once you activate the eSIM, it automatically connects to WiFi across all 35 countries.
You don’t need to change your SIM settings when crossing borders in the countries included in your plan:
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom
The Europe 35-country plan starts from $0.8 per 1GB .
For more details, please check the official eSIM4Travel website.
ABOUT ME
I've been a nomad abroad for five years, traveling through 10+ cities across Europe. Right now I’m spending time in places like Paris, Venice, and Barcelona. I’ll be sharing simple, useful tips for living abroad.