Menu
Vlorë hosts earn the most in Albania, about €1,163 a month on average. Durrës Plazh earns the most predictably, with documented gross yields of 7-11%. Ksamil earns less per listing than Sarandë next door (about $5,495 a year against $6,960) even though it costs more per square metre. The figures come from AirDNA, AirROI and Airbtics. We didn't use agency pages.
| City | Avg. income | Occupancy | ADR | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vlorë | €1,163/month (highest in the country) | 46.6% (Aug: 70%) | ~€98 (Aug peak) | 🟢 |
| Durrës, Plazh | est. €4,000-9,000/year, top 10% €15,000+ | 33-56% | $56-82 | 🟡 |
| Sarandë | ~$6,960/year | 40.9% | $94 | 🟡 |
| Ksamil | ~$5,495/year | 38.3% | lower despite higher entry price | 🟡 |
| Tirana | ~€700/month | 40-62% (providers disagree) | $49-56 | 🟡 |
Vlorë's figure is the cleanest data point in the country. It comes from an AirDNA dataset covering all of 2023 rather than a marketing-page snapshot, and it matches the same source's August peak (ADR ~€98, 70% occupancy). Three providers measure Durrës, and they disagree: their annual income estimates for the same market run from €4,000 to roughly €9,000. So Durrës appears as a range. A wide range is more honest than an average with false precision.
Vlorë keeps its lead after summer ends. The city has a working port and a large student population, roughly 84,000 according to the 2023 census (DomLivo hasn't yet checked that figure against INSTAT's own release). Those students keep long-term rental demand going through the months when Airbnb goes quiet elsewhere on the coast, and winter LTR rents there run €250-800 depending on the unit. Sarandë and Ksamil have no such cushion. Both empty out from November to March, with only Airbnb bookings to fall back on. That partly explains why Vlorë's average income holds up better than a resort town's, where the "annual" average is really the August number.
Ksamil costs more per square metre to buy into than Sarandë, its neighbour six kilometres up the coast. It also earns less on Airbnb, $5,495 a year against Sarandë's $6,960, and its listing supply grew 86% in a single year. The entry price is higher and the return lower. On top of that, competing listings are piling up faster there than anywhere else on the southern coast. If an "investment case" for Ksamil rests on Airbnb income, the numbers don't support the asking price.
Since 1 January 2026, every short-term rental host declares income through the DIVA system by 31 March and pays a flat 15% on the amount after the platform's commission. Cleaning, management and furnishing costs can't be deducted. The mechanics match the wider property-tax picture: you don't need a NIPT business registration, residents and non-residents follow the same rule, and the tax authority gets booking data directly from Airbnb and Booking.com. Informal declarations are no longer a realistic option. A non-resident needs an Albanian tax ID to file, which in practice means hiring a local representative or accountant.
That 15% comes off every figure in the table above. Tax alone takes Vlorë's €1,163 gross down to roughly €990 net, before any management fees.
Durrës Plazh's 7-11% gross yield estimate is the most useful number on this page because it measures yield rather than headline income. It already reflects the lower entry price that makes Durrës the most affordable coastal city to buy into. Vlorë wins on euros per month. Durrës Plazh makes the more defensible case on return against what you paid, and more independent data sits behind it than behind any single provider's estimate.
None of these numbers shows the winter. Sarandë and Ksamil both report occupancy in the high 30s to low 40s, but that is an annual average. In August occupancy is close to 100%, and from November to March the units sit close to empty. Budget for that swing, not for the average.
The table shows what a listing earns before anyone gets paid to run it. A local property manager typically takes 20-25% of that for cleaning, guest communication and turnover, and that comes on top of the 15% DIVA tax above. Once both come off, Vlorë's €1,163 gross drops to about €740-790. That is still the strongest number on the coast, just lower than the headline figure everyone quotes.
The top of the market looks nothing like the average. In Ksamil, villas with a pool earn $35,000-66,000 a year against the zone's $5,495 median. A 6-12× spread like that says more about the property than the location. The guests paying for that top tier are mostly French and German (a combined third of Ksamil's bookings). If you're deciding how to furnish and market a unit, keep that in mind: this audience differs from Tirana's business-travel Airbnb market, and the unit needs different pricing and different photos.
On absolute income, Vlorë leads with about €1,163 a month, the highest in the country. On yield against purchase price, Durrës Plazh makes the stronger case with its 7-11% gross estimate, because Durrës costs less to buy into.
The data says no. Ksamil sells for more per square metre than Sarandë next door, earns less per year on Airbnb, and added 86% more competing listings in a single year. All three point the same way.
A flat 15% on income after the platform's commission, declared through DIVA by 31 March. You can't deduct expenses, and residents and non-residents follow the same rule.
The DIVA declaration route, in force since 1 January 2026, needs no NIPT registration. If you're a non-resident, you will need an Albanian tax ID to file.
