5 Best Places to live in Montenegro; 4 to avoid (Guide for 2023)

More and more people are interested in traveling to, but also in setting up shop and settling in Montenegro – a place that is incredibly rich in culture and history. Do you want to know what the best places to live are in Montenegro? 

While many seem to expect a singular answer to that question, I can assure you that it is not that easy. Montenegro is tiny but pretty diverse as a country.

As a newcomer, you want to be able to make an informed decision; this is where this guide comes in.

In this guide, I will look at the best places to live in Montenegro, helping you to determine which place is best for your individual needs.

What is the best place to live in Montenegro?

Here are the best places in Montenegro for you to consider:

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Tivat

Best Overall (with an international airport)

Tivat is located in the Bay of Kotor which is Europe’s largest and southernmost Fjord. Tivat boasts the only other international airport in the country – besides Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital city.

Two international schools

Choose to live here if you are looking for a Mediterranean luxury lifestyle – in an up-and-coming coastal town with many international restaurants and one of Montenegro’s international schools.

Tivat is not a historic town, like Kotor, but has started to become more popular in recent years due to the construction of Porto Montenegro – a one-of-a-kind luxury deepwater seaport and Luxury Marina.

Key Statistics:

• Tivat has roughly 15,000 inhabitants throughout the year, with the number significantly increasing during the summer months
• Tivat gets the most sun of all coastal towns located in the Bay of Kotor with 2450 hours of sunshine per year
• Tivat is Montenegro’s most developed municipality
• Hosts one of Montenegro’s international airports
• Hosts the Knightsbridge Schools International
• Many expats that live in Montenegro are based in Tivat

Kotor

Best for Culture Enthusiasts

Kotor is an ancient city within the Bay of Kotor and surrounded by a dramatic mountain range rapidly rising to 1450 meters. Of all the coastal towns and cities in Montenegro, the Venetian-built historical and cultural region of Kotor is the only one that is recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The old town of Kotor will instantly remind you of Venice’s or Dubrovnik’s, built by the Venetians many centuries back. Kotor receives around 400 cruise ships per year; this might be a downside for some since it is a touristy place, especially during the peak season in summer. It is unique in its natural setting, with the old town wedged between the Dinaric Alps Mountain Tops.

Unesco World Heritage Site

Choose to live in Kotor if you are energized by beautiful architecture surrounded by green mountains in a place that is like Venice but still authentic. Avoid if you are appalled by cruise ship passengers and traffic jams.

Key Statistics:

• Kotor is a Unesco World Heritage Site with a population of 15,000 people
• It gets busy during summer because Kotor is a popular tourist and cruise destination
• Boasts a one-of-a-kind old town with dozens of local restaurants
• Is only a 15-minute drive from Tivat Airport
• Receives significantly less sunshine than Tivat due to its location at the other end of Kotor Bay
• Two international schools can be reached within 20-30 minutes
• Hosts many cultural events
• One of the best cities on the Adriatic coast
• Cable Car starts here and goes all the way to Lovcen National Park

Budva

Best for young people and hedonists

The municipality of Budva is known for its sandy beaches whereas Budva itself is a pretty dynamic city with a lovely old town known for its nightlife and open-air music venues. In the Winter, Budva is a quiet place. This changes during tourist season when many foreigners, mainly from the Balkans but also from other countries head for Budva’s beaches to enjoy the Adriatic coastline while swimming, scuba diving, or sunbathing under its countless palm trees.

Beautiful Old Town

There is a sizable number of expats calling this lovely town called Budva home. Most expats who live in Montenegro, choose Budva because it is well connected to the Tivat Airport and the Kotor Bay (30 Minutes each), offers clean air, and a reasonable cost of living.

Expats living in Budva cherish the local feel and the possibility to live year-round. Ample foreign investment is coming to Budva and is slowly transforming this coastal town into one of the most interesting places on the Adriatic Sea with a distinctly international vibe. Budva is nominated for the European capital of culture in 2028.

Key Statistics:

• Budva’s population is growing fast with a current population of around 20,000 people
• The city of Budva is one of the more popular cities on the Balkan peninsula during summer, receives up to 60,000 tourists per month
• Budva is trying to pivot into a luxury destination from being a mass tourist destination
• There is a lot of luxury real estate development going on including the Porto Budva luxury resort complex
• Many expats are attracted to this ‘crown jewel’ of Montenegrin tourism due to the affordable cost, up-and-coming areas, and low street crime
• Has no hospital yet, but many private medical options
• Home to the Adriatic College International School 

Radovici (Lustica Peninsula)

Best for Rural Lifestyle

Radovici falls into the municipality of Tivat and is only a 15-minute drive from the airport. It is a very small town with a tiny population of just 500 people but features its elementary school, two supermarkets, and a couple of restaurants.

This might not sound all too thrilling at first, but Radovici has a lot going for it: drive 3 minutes south and you arrive at the Lustica Bay Marina and coastal village.

This full-scale luxury development has dozens of shops offering international brands and restaurants for all tastes. A golf course and private school will be included sometime shortly. The landscape around Radovici has a feel of Tuscany with old stone cottages rising above green hills, only being surpassed in height by one of the ancient churches.

This area does not yet receive too much attention and might be of interest to anyone looking to quaintly live in Montenegro in a rural setting yet not too far from the action. A couple of beaches are near as well as an international airport and two newly-built marinas.

Key Statistics:

• Radovici is a village or town in the coastal countryside close to platinum certified marina Porto Montenegro as well as Lustica Bay
• The area is known for its cultural heritage with twenty churches
• The Lustica peninsula has many small-scale farms and local producers of wine, olive oil, ham, and cheese produce
• Might require learning the local language since there are not many foreigners
• Close to the Unesco World Heritage Site of Kotor
• For everyone who wants to live in Montenegro authentically at a cheaper cost in a sunny region surrounded by green mountains, ideal for mountain biking

Herceg Novi

Best value for money

Herceg Novi (“New Castle”) finds itself in Kotor Bay. It is very close to the Croatian border and Dubrovnik airport which can be reached within half an hour of driving. If you want to live in one of the more popular cities with foreigners that has a lower cost of living and a more local feel with not too many Westerners, this place might be a good fit for you. As a plus, housing prices are a bit on the lower side.

Whereas many Brits prefer to live nearby Kotor, Herceg Novi is more popular with Germans and Russians. Be aware that Herceg Novi is a city with uncountable stairs – its setting will remind you of Dubrovnik where you also need to take hundreds of stairs each day.

If you are in a wheelchair or have a hard time walking, consider another place to live in Montenegro.

Key Statistics:

• Herceg Novi is one of the cities to live in if you are serious about moving to Montenegro
• The population is roughly 30,000
• This city is only 15 minutes away from the Portonovi Marina which hosts the Boka School International, one of the most prestigious academies in the country with definitely no lack of expat children of parents that reside in and around Herceg Novi
• There is an enchanting coastal promenade that stretches along the coast of Herceg Novi and nearby Igalo where you can enjoy pleasant strolls by the sea
• The horticulture is rich with many exotic plants throughout the city brought in by sailors and seafarers centuries back
• You need to take the ferry to Tivat or drive around Kotor Bay to reach Kotor

Now, let’s check out some places where it might not be too easy to move to as a foreigner.

• Perast: this lovely quaint town is located between Kotor and Herceg Novi and is home to one of the most picturesque Venetian stone architecture you will find anywhere on the Mediterranean. This is also a downside because Perast receives many tourists in the summer and it might be too overwhelming for daily living. Furthermore, there are not many amenities close by. There is no supermarket, no school, just many Hotels, and Restaurants.
• Petrovac: Petrovac is a small beautiful coastal town between the cities of Budva and Bar with a population of 1000. It belongs to the municipality of Budva. It is a great place to visit when the weather is warm, but this place dies out during the colder months of the year with many shops closing and very few people on the streets, making it a little bit depressing. It has two supermarkets and an elementary school, but not much more besides Hotels and Restaurants.
• Ulcinj: this place is Montenegro’s southernmost city and the dominant ethnicity is Albanian giving Ulcinj a different atmosphere compared to all the other coastal towns and cities in Montenegro. Its remote location and lack of development disqualify it as one of the cities to live in. It features a beautiful old town, but the sheer amount of illegal building activity has made the city less attractive over time.
• Podgorica: Montenegro’s capital is pretty low-cost and considered by many locals as one of the best cities to live in, but I am not sure if it would be the right place for a non-local to settle down. With roughly 250,000 people calling Podgorica their home, it is small for a country’s capital. Many visitors have criticized Podgorica as unattractive, even going so far as to call it Europe’s most boring capital. It has some things going for it like its location; you can reach the beach within one hour and also go to a ski resort in less than an hour – pretty convenient. The climate is pleasant and makes it possible to grow figs, olives, and grapes. It also has not one, not two, but six rivers flowing through it. But overall, Montenegro’s coastline will be able to offer more value to more people.