Not just food; Albanians also pay 7.6% more for communication than the EU average

In addition to food, household appliances, oil, and more, Albanian consumers also pay more than the European Union for communication and information.

According to Eurostat data, processed by Monitor, the purchasing power price index for information and communication for Albania for 2025 was 107.6% of the European Union average.

This means that to communicate via mobile phone, landline, or to use the internet, local consumers pay 7.6% more than a European citizen, measured according to purchasing power parity.

Communication prices have been rising steadily in recent years, as the market has returned to a duopoly with only two companies. In 2022, prices were 9% cheaper than the EU average. In 2023, the EU average was easily exceeded for the first time (100.5%) to continue rising and in 2024 (103.1), to reach a record in 2025.

The entire region is generally expensive in terms of communication, but Albania holds the record. The cheapest is North Macedonia (84.9%), the only one in the EU average. Then come Bosnia and Herzegovina (99.9), Serbia (102.7), Montenegro (106.1). There is no data for Kosovo.

The most expensive countries in Europe for communication are Switzerland (167.0%), Norway (164.1), Iceland (151.6), Belgium (146.3), Sweden (137.5). The cheapest are North Macedonia (84.9), Turkey (70.2), Poland (67.6), Romania (56.1).

The Internet costs us more

The Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) in its 2025 annual report has assessed the affordability of electronic communications services in Albania, in accordance with the International Telecommunication Union methodology, which measures the cost of standard ICT baskets in relation to gross national income per capita (GNI/inhabitants).

The threshold of 2% of GNI/capita serves as a reference limit for determining the affordability of basic services.

The data shows that the most expensive is the internet, which has been increasingly used in recent years. Albania has the highest cost of mobile internet, relative to income, in the Western Balkans region.

According to data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the average cost of the monthly broadband internet basket for 2025 in Albania was 1.69% of monthly gross national income (GNI).

With such a level, Albania ranks significantly above other countries in the region and the world average. After Albania, North Macedonia ranks, with 1.31% of GNI, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 1.17%, Montenegro with 1.01% and Serbia, with 0.96%. ITU does not publish data for Kosovo.

Albania also has costs significantly higher than the world average, at 1.38% of GNI.

Albania is positioned near the highest levels in the region and above the world average even in the high-use communication basket (140 minutes, 20 SMS and 5 GB), with 1.95% of GNI.

At this level, Albania is the second country with the highest costs of the package in question in the region, after North Macedonia, with 2.1% of GNI. Albania is followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 1.86%, Serbia, with 1.49% and Montenegro, with 1.01%.

The world average cost for this basket is 1.54%./ Monitor