How does a programmer live in Montenegro with a salary of 1,500 euros. Reality and challenges

In this article you will find out whether you can live on 1500 € and how much you really need to have a living wage in Montenegro. And also about work, adaptation to a new country, finding housing, expenses, and opportunities for saving. Developer Middle Software Development from Chelyabinsk will share his experience of moving and his advice on how to survive in a new place.

Renting real estate in Montenegro on the coast

It is difficult to find good housing for long-term rent here. Since now demand exceeds supply, and prices have increased by 20% compared to 2023 and vary depending on the location and condition of the apartment. On forums and specialized websites you can find offers from owners, but almost no one wants to enter into a notarized agreement and at the same time demand payment for 4 months in advance. Therefore, I turned to the GoMonte real estate agency, where I easily found an inexpensive apartment in Budva and we made a deal with a notary. My studio rent costs 400€/month. Utilities and internet cost me another 100€/month.

I work two jobs. The first main job in a company in Cyprus and the second part-time job as a freelancer, since my salary of 1500 € is only enough for me to cover basic needs: food, housing, health.

For entertainment, travel, training, clothing, this is from another source, on third-party projects, approximately 1000 € -3000 € / month, always different.

Difficulties in adaptation

Moving to another country is always accompanied by difficulties. It is necessary to get used to a new culture, language, customs. Integration into the local community may take time and effort.

Residence permit in Montenegro, how much does it cost?

In 2024, the cost of a residence permit in Montenegro based on opening a company is 1000 €; last year it could have been cheaper. But this includes the cost of the services of a notary, translator and accountant; you don’t have to go to the municipal unitary enterprise and stand in line.

To apply for a residence permit, you need the following documents: a diploma or school certificate, a police clearance certificate, a notarized rental agreement, tourist registration for 30 days, medical insurance, payment of state fees. All this is included in the price of 1000 €. You can read more about this on this website here: gomonte.me/services/residence-permit

I was also assisted in obtaining a residence permit by specialists from the GoMonte company and I have never regretted turning to them, given that I do not know the local language, I avoided unnecessary stress, which I sometimes have enough of here. I wanted to travel, and Borawak gives me the opportunity to get a visa to EU countries here. So I was recently in Croatia. But there are many visa-free countries nearby for Russians: Serbia, Bosnia, Türkiye.

Living expenses in Montenegro for one day

I try to eat at home, it’s cheaper, and besides, I work remotely and have the opportunity to cook myself. Sometimes I order delivery. Pizza or burger with beef cutlet from 10€. Once a month I go to a restaurant or cafe; there are several favorite places in Budva where the cuisine is good. The average bill at this establishment is hot, salad + glass of beer or wine 35 €.

  Nutrition:

• takeaway coffee and bun - 8€
• frozen tuna - 5.95€/0.6 kg
• herbs: rosemary - 1.42€/0.09 kg, bay leaf 0.68€/0.036 kg
• cabbage - 1.8 €/ 1.2 kg
• potatoes - 0.8€/kg
• water - 0.75€/1.5l
• apples - 3€/1.5 kg

Transport: From Sveti Stefan to Budva and back - 5€

Cellular - 5€

Internet - 21€

Delivery from a computer store of a new keyboard - 25 €

Drink beer in a craft bar with friends - 2 mugs 0.3 for 4.5 €

Klrm for cats in the yard - 3€

Total per day: 80.5€

How much money per month do you need to live in Montenegro?

Expenses in Montenegro on average per month range from 1400€-2000€ per person. In winter, they may increase due to the lack of central heating and high electricity prices.  

• Rent - 400€
• Utilities and internet - 100€
• Meals - 500€
• Transport - 15€
• Leisure and entertainment - 150€
• Computer components - 100€
• Health - 150€
• Cosmetics, household chemicals - 50€

 Thus, in 2024 the cost of living in Montenegro is: 1450 €. I don’t know if this is a lot or a little, but I would like it to be less.

The products here are of good quality, a lot of vegetables and fruits from Italy, Turkey, and Asia.

  The most expensive item of expenditure here is equipment, computers, phones and components. It's better to bring everything of your own. The choice is small, and you can wait a long time for delivery; besides, at customs you will have to pay tax if the cost is over 70 €. You can, of course, buy used ones through Facebook, but the choice is also not great. Also, the keyboards here are all in Serbian and for many this is a pain.

Read more about prices for goods and services in 2024 in our article here: gomonte.me/blog/post/23

Computer repair in Montenegro

Repairing phones or computers is also difficult with this, but the IT chat can give advice. On average, computer repair can cost from 100 €, of course it depends on the type of service. Replacement or installation of components from 100€, processor from 250€, cleaning of the cooling system 200€. For urgency, they may ask for an additional payment of 30%.

How and what you can save on in Montenegro

You can save on everyday expenses by turning to alternative shopping options, such as Chinese stores, stocks, second-hand stores, and buying used items on social networks. I also save on going to the gym and swimming pool, train in the fresh air and swim in the sea when the water is warm.   A gym membership costs 40€, one-time training costs 8€. Swimming pool in Budva 1 visit 5€, SPA (sauna and pool) 30€/1 day. Sports massage at the hotel 40€, at home 30€. Totally impressive savings per month if you exercise outdoors.     You can also save on long-term car rental in Montenegro. That is, rent for a month or more at once. So the average cost of renting a car will cost you 300 €/month. 

Work in IT in Montenegro and the IT community

Search for work and communicate with fellow programmers here through IT communities and events. There are various chats on Telegram and Facebook. There is also an IT coworking space in Budva, where various meetings, lectures and parties are held. The bar has drinks, food, and is always fun and interesting. We also gather in pubs to talk, share moving experiences and professional life hacks.

  Salaries for programmers in Montenegro depend on the field. In the gaming industry from 3000 €, in a regular outsourcing company from 2500 €. These are Russian-speaking, the locals, of course, have lower standards. Everything can be found on job sites or in telegram chats.

Where to go in Montenegro and what to see

Of course, the first thing worth noting is where to drink craft beer. In every city there are pubs where you can enjoy a variety of craft beers, local, which is brewed at a factory in the country, as well as Belgian and Czech. Filtered, unfiltered, dark, stout, everything can be found. In the capital, of course, there is more choice.

On weekends, many go to picnics with live music, you can read about them in an article on this site here: blog/post/30

I like to eat pizza and drink craft beer with friends or go for a walk along the embankment in Budva.     Depending on the city where you live, there are many Russian-language events: lectures, theme parties, quizzes, exhibitions, swaps, master classes. The most eventful cities are: Bar, Budva, Herceg Novi, Podgorica.

Digital nomad visa in Montenegro in 2024

Programmers have the opportunity to obtain a special visa that allows them to work remotely in the country and not pay taxes. I don’t yet know a single person who has been legalized here through this visa, but I know the conditions that need to be met.

The most important thing is to show an official contract with an employer with a monthly salary of at least 3,600 €, a police clearance certificate, and health insurance. You can apply online, the waiting period seems to be a couple of weeks.

Medicine in Montenegro

I consider the cost of medications and, for example, dental services affordable. Not all medicines can be found, but the most popular ones are those for colds, allergies, digestive problems, vitamins, nootropics, sedatives - all at reasonable prices.     Dentistry: remove a tooth or put a filling from 30 €.

An appointment with a therapist costs 30-40 €, but if you already have Borawak, you can also see a dentist for free.

Laboratory tests: blood kit 5€, hormones from 10€, biochemistry from 20€.

If you have pets, a veterinarian appointment can cost 10€, without medications. Complex operations from 100€. Vaccinations 5€-50€.

Tourist season

High season can affect prices and the abundance of tourists, which can be both a plus and a minus. One of the advantages for me is the opportunity to meet new people from different countries. The downside is that everything is becoming more expensive: groceries in stores and food in cafes/restaurants, taxi rides and even housing rent can go up.

Expectations and reality

Moving to another country does not always coincide with our expectations. For example, it was strange for me to see here how people walk their dogs and don’t clean up after them. There are a lot of homeless animals, considering how small the country is, it’s amazing why no one here cares about this problem.    

I didn’t have any special expectations, but for me there are still more pros than cons, but that’s it for now. They say that the first stage of emigration is called “euphoria” by psychologists, when we see everything in the best light and have not yet encountered everyday problems and difficulties in understanding the mentality of local residents. I haven’t had any difficulties like this yet, I hope that I won’t.

Financial stability

To survive in a foreign country, you need to have a reserve of funds in case of unforeseen circumstances. And the more, the better.

Private clinics for foreigners are very expensive if you do not have a residence permit and a green book, which provides the basis for free medicine and going to public hospitals.

We add here expensive repairs of equipment and components, which are also unforeseen expenses, because it is impossible to predict when your iron friend or telephone will tire of serving you faithfully.

Well, I would also add dates, which can really cost you from 100 € to infinity, since everyone’s needs are different and ordinary unremarkable cafes here are expensive. And if you want to surprise a girl and take her to a romantic place, you will have to rent a car or hire a private driver, which also starts from 90 € per trip. Flowers from 20€, champagne from 12€, trip to a cafe: dessert + coffee 13€ per person.

Advice for those who want to move to Montenegro

• Take care of your savings in advance, start saving for rent and opening a company to legalize, take into account the taxes that you must pay monthly
• Learn the language. Serbian is better, but if you know English, that’s not bad either. Level B1-B2 is suitable for communicating in private clinics and banks.
• Study reviews, public pages and videos about moving to the country, each opinion is subjective, but in general it gives you an understanding of what to be prepared for and how to avoid mistakes
• Don’t be afraid to communicate and get to know each other when you arrive; it’s easy to make friends here with similar interests: you can go hiking together in the mountains, go to bars, travel to neighboring countries.

    The life of a programmer on the Adriatic coast with a salary of 1500 euros is a balance between work, adaptation, expenses and development opportunities. Everyone can find their own way to a comfortable life in this amazing country, but it is better to have passive income or the opportunity to work on some other projects.

Read also on this topic: How to buy real estate in Montenegro cheap, Top cities for moving, How to get a residence permit in 2024.