QSI International School of Montenegro
AmericanInternational
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inPodgorica, Montenegro
Podgorica, Montenegro237KCapitalUpper middle incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: Bjoertvedt
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 2.86x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Montenegro: $28,895/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 59% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Overall
2.4x further
Prices are 59% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
6.5x further
Prices are 85% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
2.6x further
Prices are 61% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
2.3x further
Prices are 56% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
Upper Middle
World Bank GNI
GDP per Capita
$28,895
PPP, International $
City Population
237K
Monthly Costs
Rent
1BR City Center$672/mo
1BR Outside Center$497/mo
3BR City Center$1,212/mo
3BR Outside Center$892/mo
Food
Cheap Meal$12
Milk (1L)$1.34
Eggs (12)$3.31
Transport
Gasoline (1L)$1.69
Utilities
Basic (85m² apt)$119/mo
Internet (60+ Mbps)$34/mo
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
This describes Montenegro as a whole. Enrollment rules and school quality can vary within the country, so check with schools in Podgorica.
Quality
Mixed quality
Assessment snapshot: 2022
Expat access
Resident families can use it
conditionalInstruction
Montenegrin
Local-language fluency usually matters.
PISA / outcomes
407
Well below OECD avg
PISA 2022 · OECD avg ~480
Why this quality rating
Montenegro is a small Balkan country with below-average PISA outcomes. Public school quality is improving but still lags behind EU peers.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Resident expat families can enroll in public schools. The system is Montenegrin-medium and international schooling options are very limited outside Podgorica and coastal towns.
❓ Homeschooling
Not specifically addressedMinimal requirements
Montenegro requires compulsory education but does not specifically address homeschooling. Enforcement is limited. Some expat families homeschool.
Homeschool legality in Montenegro — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
1 confirmed school
2 more suggested by AI, not verified
- American1
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Podgorica, Montenegro.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$550-$750
monthly · confidence 0.65
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$1,000-$1,400
monthly · confidence 0.65
Source: curated family relocation research
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Podgorica: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 32/100 (very walkable). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
32/100
mobility profile walkable core
Airport
International airport
Podgorica Airport gives Montenegro’s capital practical European coverage, with many longer-haul itineraries still connecting through larger hubs.
Urban transit
Bus-first urban transit
bus
Podgorica is compact enough for some car-light routines, but daily mobility is still mostly bus-, taxi-, and car-led rather than rail-based.
Rideshare
Taxi-first, limited app coverage
Taxis and app-booking options are the practical fallback for airport runs and lower-frequency trips across the city.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Montenegro.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
97 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
Healthcare system
StrongSolid hospital-bed capacity, maternal mortality is low, and newborn outcomes are strong support this rating.
Public care
MixedThis is an inferred read based on coverage, public spending, cost-sharing, and the public facility footprint we can see.
Private care
LimitedSelf-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
70/100
2023
Physicians
2.78/1k
2023
Hospital beds
3.82/1k
2022
Out of pocket
26%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
77.9 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
6/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
0.8/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedThere is visible specialty depth help, but price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Pharmacy: 41Clinic: 20Hospital: 18Doctor: 9Dentist: 5Laboratory: 3Physiotherapy: 1
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Montenegro yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
CODRA
Hospital · Emergency
Hitna pomoć
Hospital · Emergency
Dom zdravlja Konik
Hospital · Emergency
Dom zdravlja Blok 5
Hospital · Emergency
Institut za onkologiju i radioterapiju
Hospital · Emergency
Institut za javno zdravlje CG
Hospital · Emergency
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Safety Index58/100
Crime Index42/100
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
Political Stability+0.04
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2022 annual wages in Podgorica, Montenegro · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
budget hotel
$107.06Survey-verified195% more
childcare preschool
$383.18Estimated75% cheaper
eggs dozen
$3.31Estimated31% cheaper
gasoline liter
$23.15Survey-verified2148% more
inexpensive meal
$9.77Survey-verified54% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$33.82Estimated50% cheaper
luxury hotel
$107.06Survey-verified78% cheaper
milk liter
$1.34Estimated10% more
monthly pass
$23.15Survey-verified67% cheaper
rent 1br
$345.49Survey-verified81% cheaper
rent 3br
$1212.43Estimated62% cheaper
utilities basic
$118.61Estimated45% cheaper
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
visa freeUp to 90 days
US passport holders can stay up to 90 days without a visa.
Long-Term Visa Programs
digital nomad
Digital Nomad Residence Permit
24 monthsMin. $2,000/mo income
Migrated from legacy digital_nomad_visas row 14
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Podgorica compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.9x further in Podgorica than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate.
Is Podgorica cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Podgorica is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 59% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Podgorica.
How does rent in Podgorica compare with New York City?
Rent in Podgorica is about 85% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City).
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Podgorica?
Groceries in Podgorica are about 61% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 56% cheaper than the same benchmark.
About Podgorica
Podgorica is the capital and largest city of Montenegro, sitting in the Zeta plain at the confluence of the Moraca and Ribnica rivers about 50 kilometers inland from the Adriatic coast. The city of around 237,000 functions as the country's administrative, financial, and educational center, hosting the Montenegrin parliament, the Central Bank, and the University of Montenegro. Montenegrin is the official language, with Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian mutually intelligible; English is functional in business and tourism. The climate is humid subtropical, with notably hot summers (Podgorica is one of the hottest capitals in Europe) and mild wet winters. Podgorica International Airport, the E80 highway, and rail links to Bar on the coast and Belgrade provide connectivity. Relocation interest centers on EU-candidate-country positioning, euro currency, and low cost of living within Europe.
Hot summers (35°C+), mild wintersGood internet for remote work (fiber available)Small but growing expat/nomad communityCompact center walkable; outer areas need transportStrong seafood and local Balkan cuisineActive nightlife and bar sceneEmerging coworking infrastructureSafe city with low crime rates
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