Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Montenegro Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Montenegro

Name: Montenegro
Address: ME

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,645 per month in United States vs $1,396 in Montenegro, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,858 per month in United States vs $2,130 in Montenegro, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,071 per month in United States vs $2,864 in Montenegro, rent included.

United States costs about 89% more than Montenegro on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both United States and Montenegro are pricier than the global median – United States by 97%, Montenegro by 4%.

United States has a wider regional cost range ($1,335–$5,185) than Montenegro ($957–$1,705), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 $20.28

$11.36 €9.70

78.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$47.20 €40.31

56.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$9.38 €8.01

23.35%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$2.40 €2.05

122.50%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$2.33 €1.99

7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.50 €1.28

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.86 €2.44

108.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.49 €2.98

101.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.36 €1.16

-19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$0.99 €0.84

259.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.23 €1.90

113.00%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$3.14 €2.68

35.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$8.74 €7.46

49.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.97 €6.81

54.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 $16.03

$11.64 €9.94

37.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.39 €1.18

284.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.74 €1.48

-1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.57 €1.34

189.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.67 €2.28

85.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.00 €0.86

192.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.14 €0.97

165.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.62 €1.39

37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.89 €0.76

153.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$4.08 €3.48

148.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$5.76 €4.92

159.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.12 €0.96

73.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.78 €1.52

97.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.14 €0.97

123.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 $65.8

$35.06 €29.94

87.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.19 €1.02

221.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.03 €0.88

64.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.65 $29.65

$13.71 €11.71

116.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.76 €1.50

-48.86%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$30.8K €26.3K

-1.13%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$31.0K €26.5K

-15.05%

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

$205 $205

$129 €111

58.07%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$18.15 €15.50

214.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$31.53 €26.92

126.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.76 $45.76

$44.67 €38.15

2.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.31 $22.31

$13.57 €11.59

64.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 $13.89

$5.82 €4.97

138.66%

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

$1,380 $1,380

$324 €277

325.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K $22.5K

$8,966 €7,657

150.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$83.3 €71.1

-36.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 $42.81

$39.98 €34.14

7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$99.4 €84.9

-10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$117 €99.5

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 $1,742

$698 €596

149.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 $1,431

$515 €440

177.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 $2,864

$1,193 €1,019

140.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 $2,422

$915 €781

164.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,466 $3,466

$3,055 €2,609

13.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,346 €2,004

12.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,320 $4,320

$1,058 €903

308.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.66

15.02%

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

Last update for United States: April 19, 2026

Last update for Montenegro: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,634 in United States vs $686 in Montenegro. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,570 in Washington, DC and $630 in Podgorica.

Average salary: $4,489 in United States vs $944 in Montenegro. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 138% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 52% more in United States.

Public transport is 52% more expensive in Montenegro.

Salaries are 376% higher in United States, giving United States 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

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

Montenegro is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 145% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United States, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United States consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Montenegro, contributing to the overall 145% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Montenegro, but in 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.