Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Montenegro

Name: Montenegro
Address: ME

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.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Montenegro
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Montenegro Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,309

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

United States $2,727
Montenegro $1,309

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

United States $4,009
Montenegro $2,062

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

United States $5,291
Montenegro $2,816

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 the United States is about 108% higher than in Montenegro on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$11.41 €10.15

72.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$50.1 €44.56

61.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$11.22 €9.98

6.77%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.57 €2.28

117.51%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.44 €2.17

13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.56 €1.38

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.10 €2.76

92.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$3.43 €3.05

130.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.23 €1.10

-16.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.03 €0.91

264.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.11 €1.88

111.37%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$3.22 €2.86

34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.58 €7.63

48.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$7.52 €6.68

63.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$11.79 €10.49

46.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.36 €1.21

290.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.76 €1.56

-5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.60 €1.42

170.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.48 €2.20

102.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.00 €0.89

181.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.11 €0.98

174.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.55 €1.38

43.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.84 €0.75

179.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$4.14 €3.68

163.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$5.63 €5.01

164.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.09 €0.97

92.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.62 €1.44

123.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.37 €1.22

79.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$33.17 €29.50

98.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.09 €0.97

228.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.10 €0.98

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$12.25 €10.89

140.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.80 €1.60

-43.33%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$30.4K €27.0K

-6.84%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.6K €21.9K

5.42%

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

$221 $221

$128 €114

71.86%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$16.73 €14.88

266.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$31.82 €28.30

130.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$44.57 €39.65

0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$13.52 €12.02

67.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$5.65 €5.03

168.32%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$345 €307

327.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$8,572 €7,625

191.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$79.7 €70.9

-32.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$38.96 €34.65

12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$94.3 €83.9

-2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$114 €101

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$634 €564

161.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$470 €418

183.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$1,183 €1,052

125.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$923 €821

139.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$3,204 €2,850

-4.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$2,316 €2,060

8.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$1,043 €928

320.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.38

21.75%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montenegro: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Montenegro

$470 35.9% 64.7% $862

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Montenegro

$220 16.8% 46.6% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Montenegro

$177 13.5% 50.2% $178

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Montenegro

$194 14.8% 40.5% $132

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Montenegro

$147 11.2% 7.7% $11

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Montenegro

$45 3.5% 48.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Montenegro

$56 4.3% 25.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,548 in the United States vs $910 in Montenegro. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇲🇪 Montenegro

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

04:16 4:16 AM

5 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

617,213

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Montenegro: 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.