Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Montenegro Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Montenegro

Name: Montenegro
Address: ME

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Italy versus $1,322 in Montenegro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $2,056 in Montenegro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $2,789 in Montenegro.

Living in Italy is roughly 36% more expensive than in Montenegro on average.

Italy (30% above) and Montenegro (4% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $1,034–$1,728 in Montenegro. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.26

$11.76 €10.11

80.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.5

$52.2 €44.86

54.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.81

$10.99 €9.45

3.82%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$2.58 €2.22

-19.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.62

$2.42 €2.08

26.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.59 €1.36

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.98

$3.23 €2.78

79.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$3.46 €2.98

66.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.33 €1.14

27.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.01 €0.87

138.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.16 €1.86

39.35%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.71

$3.29 €2.83

31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.42

$8.98 €7.72

99.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.89

$7.78 €6.69

62.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.69

$12.38 €10.64

66.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.25

$1.42 €1.22

84.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$1.82 €1.56

18.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.72 €1.48

62.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.86

$2.68 €2.30

23.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.01 €0.87

107.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.15 €0.99

64.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.57 €1.35

-1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.85 €0.73

-34.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.16

$4.38 €3.77

63.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.32

$5.85 €5.03

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.19 €1.02

51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.75 €1.51

37.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.77 €1.52

9.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €38.90

$35.25 €30.31

28.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.93

$1.13 €0.98

407.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.17 €1.01

45.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.30

$12.71 €10.93

177.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.82 €1.56

12.09%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.5K €32.3K

$31.9K €27.4K

17.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.1K €31.9K

$27.5K €23.6K

34.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$231 €199

$126 €108

83.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.34 €10.61

$17.24 €14.82

-28.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.80

$33.62 €28.91

-7.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.50

$45.23 €38.89

22.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.42

$14.09 €12.12

76.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.57

$5.78 €4.97

92.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$568 €489

$360 €309

57.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$9,138 €7,857

37.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €79.9

$84.5 €72.7

9.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.23

$41.68 €35.84

-4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.6

$99.9 €85.9

4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$120 €103

12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €732

$660 €567

29.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €554

$495 €426

30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,246

$1,230 €1,057

17.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €932

$952 €819

13.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,278

$3,351 €2,881

13.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,027

$2,379 €2,045

-0.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,662

$1,039 €893

86.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.44

-34.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Montenegro: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $651 in Montenegro. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $665 in Podgorica.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $934 in Montenegro. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 81% more in Italy.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 110% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Italy vs Montenegro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,889 per month in Italy and $1,381 in Montenegro, there's a 37% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Montenegro: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Montenegro across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Montenegro, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Montenegro wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.