Citizens express concern about the high cost of housing.
The price of housing in Pristina continues to be high and unsustainable for many citizens.
In addition, low incomes, high prices of products and services, and high interest rates on loans are some of the main factors that are making the daily lives of citizens more difficult.
For Pristina, the price per square meter for apartments according to recent offers fluctuates between 1.200 euros and 2.500 euros per square meter. These prices have increased significantly compared to previous years, when the average price was around 1,000-1,200 euros.
Citizen Osman Vitija expresses his concern regarding the high housing prices that, according to him, have reached astronomical levels in Pristina. He sees this situation as a serious problem for the poorest segments of society, who, according to him, cannot afford these high prices.
"Yes, I am speaking as a pensioner who cannot do it at all, the prices are astronomical for a class that is inaccessible to the vast majority of citizens, they are very high. ... It is true that because the prices are very high, the salaries are very low, it is an economy that is almost for the land, we are barely surviving, so it is a very low standard," he emphasized.
Another citizen highlighted that one of the biggest concerns for those who are retired – the difficulties in meeting the costs of necessary medicines and drugs. For many retirees, their pension is not enough to cover even basic health needs.
"You can never buy a house with a pension, these young people work, but we, who are pensioners, cannot buy a house. ... We can't afford medicine, let alone buy a house," he said.
Another citizen, Fadil Mengjiqi, makes the price difference between Pristina and Vienna, and reflects this with a comparison that highlights the economic insecurity for citizens in Kosovo.
"It's not affordable at all because it's more expensive in Pristina than in Vienna, but it's normal because the average pension is 230 euros, I don't know how to afford the prices, they're expensive. I've been in Austria for 32 years, it's cheaper there with all the things, including food, and everything is cheaper than here, which is more expensive," he stressed.
According to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the overall Construction Cost Index in Kosovo (KCI) increased by 0.5 percent in Q3 2025, compared to Q2 2025. Meanwhile, comparing Q3 2025 to the same period of the previous year (Q3 2024), the Construction Cost Index increased by 3.6 percent.
Meanwhile, new data from the 2024 population census, published by the Statistics Agency, shows that there are 182,849 uninhabited homes throughout Kosovo. This figure is over 83,000 higher than in the previous population census, which was conducted in 2011.
Based on this data, the municipality of Pristina has the largest number of uninhabited homes, a total of 25, followed by Prizren with 195 and Ferizaj, with 16.
Housing prices rose to record levels in major cities around the world as the post-pandemic remote working habit reshaped rental demand, with New York recording the highest rents worldwide, according to a report from Deutsche Bank.
New York City's average monthly rent reached $4.143, a 22% increase over the past five years, according to a report outlining the top 20 cities with the highest rents.
Source of information @Telegrafi: Read more at:the world today www.botasot.al
