Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montenegro and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Montenegro: $1,309 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Montenegro
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Montenegro Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,309

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montenegro and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montenegro and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,309 per month in Montenegro vs $2,727 in the United States, rent included.

Montenegro $1,309
United States $2,727

A couple spends around $2,062 per month in Montenegro vs $4,009 in the United States, rent included.

Montenegro $2,062
United States $4,009

A family of three spends $2,816 per month in Montenegro vs $5,291 in the United States, rent included.

Montenegro $2,816
United States $5,291

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in Montenegro ($986–$1,651), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Montenegro is roughly 52% lower than in the United States on average.

Montenegro sits 3% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 €10.15

$19.73 $19.73

-42.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 €44.56

$81.0 $81.0

-38.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 €9.98

$11.98 $11.98

-6.34%

Cappuccino

$2.57 €2.28

$5.59 $5.59

-54.03%

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

$2.44 €2.17

$2.78 $2.78

-12.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.38

$2.10 $2.10

-25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 €2.76

$5.98 $5.98

-48.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$7.92 $7.92

-56.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.03 $1.03

19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 €0.91

$3.75 $3.75

-72.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$4.46 $4.46

-52.69%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.86

$4.34 $4.34

-25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$12.75 $12.75

-32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 €6.68

$12.27 $12.27

-38.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.79 €10.49

$17.29 $17.29

-31.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$5.31 $5.31

-74.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.67 $1.67

5.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 €1.42

$4.32 $4.32

-62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$5.03 $5.03

-50.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.89

$2.81 $2.81

-64.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.98

$3.05 $3.05

-63.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.38

$2.22 $2.22

-30.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$2.35 $2.35

-64.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 €3.68

$10.92 $10.92

-62.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 €5.01

$14.87 $14.87

-62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.10 $2.10

-48.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$3.62 $3.62

-55.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.46 $2.46

-44.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.17 €29.50

$65.7 $65.7

-49.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.58 $3.58

-69.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.90 $1.90

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.25 €10.89

$29.51 $29.51

-58.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.02 $1.02

76.47%

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

$30.4K €27.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

7.34%

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

$24.6K €21.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-5.15%

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

$128 €114

$221 $221

-41.81%

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

$16.73 €14.88

$61.3 $61.3

-72.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.82 €28.30

$73.3 $73.3

-56.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 €39.65

$44.89 $44.89

-0.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 €12.02

$22.65 $22.65

-40.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 €5.03

$15.16 $15.16

-62.73%

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

$345 €307

$1,471 $1,471

-76.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,572 €7,625

$25.0K $25.0K

-65.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 €70.9

$53.5 $53.5

48.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.96 €34.65

$43.76 $43.76

-10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 €83.9

$92.0 $92.0

2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$114 $114

-0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 €564

$1,654 $1,654

-61.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 €418

$1,332 $1,332

-64.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 €1,052

$2,669 $2,669

-55.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 €821

$2,207 $2,207

-58.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,204 €2,850

$3,054 $3,054

4.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 €2,060

$2,522 $2,522

-8.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,043 €928

$4,391 $4,391

-76.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

6.55

-17.86%

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

Last update for Montenegro: October 20, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montenegro

$470 35.9%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 184% $862

Groceries & Markets

Montenegro

$220 16.8%

United States

$413 15.1% 87.4% $192

Eating Out

Montenegro

$194 14.8%

United States

$326 12% 68.1% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montenegro

$177 13.5%

United States

$355 13% 101% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Montenegro

$147 11.2%

United States

$137 5% 7.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Montenegro

$56 4.3%

United States

$75 2.8% 34.6% $19

Getting Around

Montenegro

$45 3.5%

United States

$89 3.3% 95.9% $43

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $626 in Montenegro vs $1,612 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $638 in Podgorica and $2,743 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $910 in Montenegro vs $4,548 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 158% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 88% more in the United States.

Public transport is 41% more expensive in Montenegro.

Salaries are 400% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Montenegro

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

22:27 10:27 PM

5 h behind Montenegro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,213

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Montenegro United States 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montenegro
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Montenegro vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montenegro is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 108% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $626 in Montenegro.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Montenegro, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Montenegro is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.