Hi, today I am talking about another European budget destination, which is Montenegro. In this blog, I will answer the question: How expensive is traveling in Montenegro? I am going to be sharing our complete Montenegro travel costs for a 9-day trip, including accommodation, food, transport, activities, and the total cost, as well as the cost per day. One thing to note is that I was traveling there with my girlfriend, so all costs are for two people. So, let’s get started…
Why visit Montenegro
So firstly, Montenegro is a very affordable European holiday destination and it’s much cheaper than its more popular neighbor, Croatia. It has very spectacular scenery and it’s a really easy country to travel in because most of the major tourist destinations are within a short drive of each other, and the public transport makes it really easy to get around. One of the most popular destinations in Montenegro is Kotor, so as you drive in, you see these big mountains overlooking a beautiful bay; it’s just really spectacular. In addition to that, there’s a really charming Old Town to lose yourself in as well, and the beaches around Montenegro are really beautiful, particularly around the city of Budva. We really enjoyed going and exploring around that; it was really nice.
Currency
The official currency of Montenegro is the Euro, so we used that throughout our trip. It’s also handy to know that in addition to Euros, US Dollars are commonly accepted.
Accommodation
Our accommodation cost per day per person was a bit under €14. We stayed in a combination of Airbnbs and locally run family hotels. So, in Kotor, we paid €30 per night, in Budva we paid €29, and then overall, we paid €20 per night. Montenegro does have a range of accommodation to suit all types of budgets. If you want budget accommodation, expect to pay €10 to €30 per person per night for dorm accommodation, and expect to pay around €25 all the way up to €150 per night for mid-range accommodation or a room for a couple. For luxury accommodation in Montenegro, expect to pay around €100 to €400 per night for a room.
Best time to visit & Few tips for accommodation
A few Montenegro accommodation tips for you: Prices will vary depending on the time of the year, so the peak season, with prices at their highest, is between June and August. We went in May and found that was a really good time period to visit. The tourist season had already started in Kotor, and it does get busy when a cruise ship comes into town. Generally, in Kotor and Budva, it wasn’t too crowded at all, so you get nice weather but not too many people, which is a great combination. The water was warm enough to swim in, so we made full use of that.
Foods: Best for seafood
If you like seafood, you’re going to be in for a treat in Montenegro because all along the coast there’s just really fresh, delicious seafood. Along the mountains, it’s more about hearty meat dishes. We stayed along the coast and we really loved all the mussels and the calamari; they were so beautiful. Another common dish that you’ll find, especially in Kotor, is the Njeguški steak, so that’s really yummy too. And you can find a lot of cheeses and olives throughout the country as well.
Our food expenses worked out to be a bit under €12 per person per day. We did our own shopping and made our own breakfast, which kept costs down. For lunch and dinner, our shopping bill was around €1 to €5, so it really wasn’t that much. A great tip for traveling to Montenegro on a budget is to go to local bakeries, also known as pekara. You can get some bakery items for generally around €1 to €1.50 per item, and for local dishes, expect to pay around €5 to €10. For meals at restaurants, expect to pay around €10 to €25 for a main. Now, we did splash out for our seafood hot pot in Budva one day, and that was really beautiful. It cost €55 for the both of us.
Transport: Bus is very budget-friendly
Montenegro’s transportation was exclusively buses, so it was really easy to get around. The bus system is well connected, and you can even buy your tickets online if you want to. However, the bus stops do charge a gate fee on top of what you pay for the online ticket if you do buy it online, so just keep in mind you may have to pay more for that. Buses are pretty cheap and very efficient, and since the country is quite small, it’s easy to get around, which we quite appreciated.
To give you some indication of costs, we traveled from Dubrovnik, Croatia, took a bus using FlixBus, and found that the service was really good. That was €18 per person, and you can buy the tickets online, which is very handy as well. Then, from Kotor to Budva, that was €4.50 and it was only about an hour’s drive. There’s also a local bus route, and each bus ride was around €1.50. From Budva to Podgorica was €7, and there was a 2-hour bus ride.
Activities
Activities in Montenegro were plentiful, and we still managed to do a lot of them. There are many free things to do in Montenegro, from hiking around and enjoying the beautiful beaches to exploring the old towns. You can definitely keep yourself busy without paying a cent, which is very handy if you’re on a budget in Montenegro.
Others Cost
We did a little bit of shopping while there. I needed some new board shorts, some swimming costumes, and Jay also needed some sunglasses, so that only cost €10 altogether. That was pretty cheap. Yes, shopping in Montenegro is quite affordable and a lot cheaper than in many places in Europe.
In terms of other costs to be mindful of, there are no border costs. Also, in terms of COVID-related costs, you don’t need to get a COVID test to enter Montenegro, nor do you need it for any of the surrounding countries. So, that’s also zero.
Total cost
Our total Montenegro trip cost ended up being around €30 per person per day. Over the total 9 days, that was around €550 in total.
Total cost Breakdown here:
- Accommodation:
Kotor: €30 per night
Budva: €29 per night
Overall: €15 per night per person
- Foods:
approximately €12 per person/day
- Transportation:
Local bus rides within Montenegro: around €1.50 per ride
Longer bus rides within Montenegro: varying costs, e.g., Budva to Podgorica: €7
- Shopping expenses:
Shopping expenses: €10 for items like clothing and sunglasses.
We hope you enjoyed this travel blog about Montenegro on a budget. If you did, please leave us a comment. This is our first Montenegro travel blog, so we’ll be exploring Montenegro in more detail in the next couple of weeks. If you want more content like this, make sure you subscribe, then you will don’t miss important content and tips from budgetventurehub.com
