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: $1,718 in Italy versus $1,392 in Montenegro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,623 in Italy versus $2,126 in Montenegro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,528 in Italy versus $2,859 in Montenegro.

Living in Italy is roughly 23% more expensive than in Montenegro on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 29% above, Montenegro 4% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,180 to $2,494, compared to $948–$1,756 in Montenegro. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 €15.13

$11.66 €10.25

47.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €70.4

$45.37 €39.88

76.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.37

$9.05 €7.95

30.28%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.74

$2.39 €2.10

-17.15%

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

$2.88 €2.53

$2.31 €2.03

24.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.44 €1.26

-4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 €5.12

$2.94 €2.59

98.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 €4.51

$3.46 €3.04

48.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.48

$1.31 €1.15

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €2.04

$0.98 €0.86

136.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.55

$2.28 €2.00

27.63%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.57

$3.09 €2.72

31.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 €14.46

$8.74 €7.68

88.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 €11.04

$7.66 €6.73

63.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €17.74

$11.41 €10.03

76.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$1.35 €1.19

84.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.89

$1.77 €1.56

21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.31

$1.56 €1.37

68.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 €2.84

$2.66 €2.33

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.79

$1.06 €0.93

92.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.59

$1.19 €1.04

52.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.34

$1.62 €1.42

-6.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$0.84 €0.74

-36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.13

$4.28 €3.77

62.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 €6.39

$5.65 €4.97

28.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.59

$1.18 €1.04

53.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.80 €1.58

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.14 €1.00

69.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.56 €37.42

$35.28 €31.02

20.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €5.05

$1.15 €1.01

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.39

$1.07 €0.94

47.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.03 €30.79

$13.92 €12.24

151.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.78

$1.76 €1.54

14.77%

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

$32.3K €28.4K

$32.0K €28.1K

1.01%

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

$33.3K €29.3K

$30.3K €26.7K

9.70%

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

$219 €193

$128 €113

70.76%

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

$13.33 €11.72

$18.63 €16.37

-28.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.02 €27.27

$30.91 €27.18

0.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 €50.1

$45.69 €40.17

24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.78 €22.66

$13.50 €11.86

90.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €9.01

$5.71 €5.02

79.51%

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

$566 €498

$321 €282

76.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,095

$8,706 €7,653

18.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €80.7

$83.3 €73.2

10.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 €35.97

$40.53 €35.63

0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €87.4

$98.2 €86.4

1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$121 €106

9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 €753

$685 €602

25.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 €590

$515 €453

30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 €1,296

$1,211 €1,064

21.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €957

$907 €797

20.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,667 €3,224

$3,246 €2,854

12.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 €2,065

$2,267 €1,993

3.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,961 €1,723

$1,051 €924

86.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

5.66

-22.08%

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

Last update for Italy: July 21, 2026

Last update for Montenegro: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $690 in Montenegro. Capital cities: $1,354 in Rome vs $638 in Podgorica.

National salary averages: $1,917 in Italy, $920 in Montenegro. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 54% more in Italy.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 108% 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 $1,837 per month in Italy and $1,352 in Montenegro, there's a 36% 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.