Albania is about to face a serious jolt to its beloved café culture as the price of coffee skyrockets. Official trade data reveals that, in January 2025, the cost of imported coffee jumped by 30% compared to the same month in 2024.
In January 2024, 486,619 kilograms of coffee were imported, valued at 216 million lek, or 462 lek per kilogram. Fast forward to January 2025, and 787,834 kilograms arrived, priced at 471.6 million lek, or 598 lek per kilogram. This sharp increase in costs is set to hit consumers soon.
Enri Jahaj, head of the Albanian Bar-Restaurant Association, warned that local cafés have struggled with rising costs for essential goods like coffee and cocoa. He predicted that by March-April 2025, coffee prices at local cafés will likely increase by 10-30 lek per cup.
Despite fierce competition among cafés, not all of the import price hike has been passed on to consumers. However, mounting costs such as wages and the surge in import prices are forcing coffee prices to rise, with typical cups now averaging between 70-150 lek, depending on the area.
Coffee isn’t just a drink in Albania; it’s an essential part of the daily routine. The country boasts one of the highest densities of cafés and restaurants in Europe, where social life thrives over a cup of coffee. Yet, as international analysts warn, the climate crisis is wreaking havoc on agricultural prices, with coffee and cocoa seeing massive price jumps in the last two years.
Extreme weather events are expected to continue influencing crop yields, driving prices higher for both cocoa and coffee in 2025. Climate change has already caused coffee prices to soar by 103%, with the combined effect of excessive rainfall and extreme heat in coffee-producing regions leading to these record increases.
