Why We Chose Albania Over Other Countries for Our Move Abroad at 40

This blog tells the story in writing. The full video is here.

What We Were Looking for in a Country

When we first started planning our move abroad, Albania wasn’t even on our radar.

Like most people, we started with the usual list: Portugal, Costa Rica, Panama — places that show up over and over again when Americans start researching life overseas.

But once we got serious, the question changed.

It stopped being:
“Where would be fun to live?”

And became:
“Where can we actually make this work?”

For us, that meant:

  • a lower cost of living than the U.S.

  • a timeline we could control

  • warm weather

  • access to Europe

  • less red tape

  • a slower, more livable pace of life

That filter eliminated more places than we expected.

Why Portugal Stopped Making Sense for Us

Portugal was our original plan.

We did all the research — YouTube, forums, AI tools, everything we could find. It looked like the perfect mix of affordability, lifestyle, and location.

But the deeper we got, the more the logistics became a problem.

The biggest issue was uncertainty.

From what we found:

  • visa timelines weren’t clear

  • approvals could take an unknown amount of time

  • you may need to rent housing before even living there

  • money needed to sit in an account while you waited

  • there was no clear “move date” you could plan around

And that created a bigger issue:

How do you time your entire life around something with no timeline?

When do you:

  • sell your stuff

  • rent your home

  • quit your job

  • book your flight

That was the breaking point for us.

Portugal still looked great.
It just stopped looking realistic for our timeline.

Why We Ruled Out Other Popular Expat Destinations

Once Portugal started falling apart, we expanded our search.

We looked at places like:

  • Panama

  • Costa Rica

  • other warm, expat-friendly countries

On paper, they made sense.

But once we compared them to what we actually wanted, they didn’t fit.

Here’s what pushed them lower on our list:

1. Climate
We realized quickly that extreme heat, humidity, and tropical environments weren’t what we wanted long-term. (Also… yes, the lizards didn’t help.)

2. Location
We didn’t just want to live abroad — we wanted to travel around Europe easily.
Being outside of Europe made that harder and more expensive.

3. Cost creep
Some of these destinations are becoming more expensive as expat demand increases.

4. Overall fit
Some places just didn’t feel like somewhere we wanted to build daily life — even if they were great to visit.

This is where we realized:

Just because a place is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Why Albania Kept Checking the Right Boxes

Albania wasn’t the obvious choice.

But once we looked at it seriously, it kept rising to the top.

Location

Albania gave us a European base with access to:

  • Greece (right next door)

  • Italy (ferry access)

  • the rest of Europe

That matched exactly how we want to travel.

Cost of living

Compared to other options, Albania felt:

  • more affordable

  • more sustainable long-term

  • less inflated by expat demand

That mattered because we are trying to reduce stress, not recreate it somewhere else.

Simplicity

This was huge.

After Portugal, we needed something that felt:

  • more straightforward

  • more predictable

  • more actionable

Albania gave us a path we could actually follow.

Lifestyle fit

We wanted:

  • slower pace

  • warmer weather

  • less pressure

  • more freedom

Albania felt closer to that reality than the other countries we were comparing.

The Logistics That Made Albania Feel Doable

This is where Albania really won.

Once we made the decision, we were able to move forward quickly:

  • we restarted our research

  • found an apartment

  • worked with a realtor via WhatsApp

  • verified everything before sending money

  • booked flights

  • started selling everything we own

  • set a real departure date

That shift from:
“we’re thinking about it” → “we’re doing this”

happened fast.

And that only happens when the logistics actually support the decision.

Why Albania Won

At the end of the day, the decision came down to this:

Other countries were appealing.
Albania felt doable.

That’s what mattered.

We needed:

  • a country that fit our timeline

  • a budget that made sense

  • a process we could manage

  • and a lifestyle we actually wanted

Albania checked the most boxes at the same time.

Not because it’s perfect.

But because it fits our reality right now.

If You’re Trying to Choose a Country Too

This is the question that helped us most:

Does this country fit your real life — or just the idea of your life?

Look at:

  • timeline

  • money

  • logistics

  • travel goals

  • climate

  • stress level

That filter will eliminate a lot of options quickly.

And when you do that, the right place tends to become obvious.

Watch the Full Video

If you want to see how this decision actually unfolded in real time:

👉 https://youtu.be/h7_Ha1BkOGY?si=1nY60a-mzszDnsz4

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