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 $1,396 in Montenegro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,623 in Italy versus $2,130 in Montenegro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,527 in Italy versus $2,864 in Montenegro.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 28% above, Montenegro 4% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,195 to $2,531, compared to $957–$1,705 in Montenegro. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 €14.69

$11.36 €9.70

51.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 €69.4

$47.20 €40.31

72.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €9.74

$9.38 €8.01

21.54%

Cappuccino

$1.91 €1.63

$2.40 €2.05

-20.42%

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

$2.86 €2.44

$2.33 €1.99

22.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.50 €1.28

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.03

$2.86 €2.44

105.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.37

$3.49 €2.98

46.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.36 €1.16

20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €1.96

$0.99 €0.84

132.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.23 €1.90

35.87%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.49

$3.14 €2.68

30.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 €13.88

$8.74 €7.46

86.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.45

$7.97 €6.81

53.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.45 €17.46

$11.64 €9.94

75.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.39 €1.18

83.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.74 €1.48

21.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.29

$1.57 €1.34

70.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €2.89

$2.67 €2.28

26.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.00 €0.86

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.60

$1.14 €0.97

64.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.62 €1.39

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.89 €0.76

-39.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 €5.76

$4.08 €3.48

65.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.13

$5.76 €4.92

24.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.12 €0.96

60.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.09

$1.78 €1.52

37.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.14 €0.97

77.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.49 €35.43

$35.06 €29.94

18.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €4.93

$1.19 €1.02

384.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.03 €0.88

48.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.33 €30.18

$13.71 €11.71

157.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.76 €1.50

20.45%

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

$32.3K €27.6K

$30.8K €26.3K

4.68%

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

$33.4K €28.5K

$31.0K €26.5K

7.66%

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

$224 €191

$129 €111

72.78%

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

$13.24 €11.30

$18.15 €15.50

-27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.96 €26.44

$31.53 €26.92

-1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €48.36

$44.67 €38.15

26.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 €21.44

$13.57 €11.59

85.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 €8.81

$5.82 €4.97

77.32%

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

$563 €481

$324 €277

73.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,073

$8,966 €7,657

18.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.0

$83.3 €71.1

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.60 €34.67

$39.98 €34.14

1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €85.5

$99.4 €84.9

0.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €113

$117 €99.5

13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 €738

$698 €596

23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 €571

$515 €440

29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,258

$1,193 €1,019

23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 €929

$915 €781

18.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,808 €3,252

$3,055 €2,609

24.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,454 €2,096

$2,346 €2,004

4.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,935 €1,653

$1,058 €903

82.97%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Montenegro: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $686 in Montenegro. Capital cities: $1,366 in Rome vs $630 in Podgorica.

National salary averages: $1,935 in Italy, $944 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 105% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,863 per month in Italy and $1,331 in Montenegro, there's a 40% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Montenegro is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.