Trip planning

Money in MontenegroEuro, cards, ATMs and tips

How to pay, where cash is needed, how much ATMs charge foreign cards, how much to tip, where to exchange money and how to get a VAT refund

highlights: 6
POS terminals: 27,177
ATMs: 726

Overview

Montenegro uses the euro, even though the country is not in the EU or the eurozone. Visa and Mastercard are accepted at more than 27,000 terminals, but carry cash for markets, small konobas and parking. There are 726 ATMs; they charge foreign cards, most often around €5 per withdrawal. Tipping is not obligatory, and around 10% is customary. State as of November 2026.

Did You Know?

Montenegro has used the euro since 2002, even though it is not a member of the eurozone: it introduced it unilaterally, before the European Union banned such a move.

Payment

How to pay in Montenegro

Currency, cards, cash, ATMs, tips and VAT refund.

The currency is the euro

The official means of payment is the euro, with the same banknotes and coins as in the eurozone. Montenegro is not a member of the EU or the eurozone: it uses the euro unilaterally, without an agreement with the EU, and does not issue its own money.

History: the German mark was introduced alongside the dinar on 2 November 1999, from January 2001 it was the only means of payment, and in 2002 it was replaced by the euro.

Other currencies: exchange dollars, pounds, francs or dinars at a bank or authorised exchange office; bills are paid in euros.

Cards

Visa and Mastercard are accepted in the vast majority of hotels, restaurants, bars, supermarkets and petrol stations.

In numbers: at the end of June 2026 there were 27,177 POS terminals in Montenegro, almost all contactless, according to Central Bank data.

By phone: Apple Pay and Google Pay are available in Montenegro and work on contactless terminals.

American Express: accepted at fewer sales points than Visa and Mastercard.

Currency conversion: when a terminal offers to charge in your currency, choose euros.

Where cash is needed

Carry cash for markets, small konobas, parking, taxis and rural households.

In the north: in villages around Durmitor, Kolašin and Piva many konobas and households accept only cash, and there are few ATMs: at the end of June 2026 the municipality of Žabljak had 9, Kolašin 5, Plužine 3, and Šavnik one.

Small bills: carry denominations of 5, 10 and 20 euros, because at a market or in a taxi it is hard to break a €50.

At the border: you must declare €10,000 or more in cash to customs when entering and leaving.

ATMs and fees

There are ATMs in all cities: at the end of June 2026 there were 726, of which 157 in Podgorica, 153 in Budva and 61 in Kotor.

Fee for foreign cards: depends on the bank and is displayed on the screen before confirmation. Only Prva banka officially publishes it: €5.99 per withdrawal. For other banks, 2026 travel guides report from €2 to €7, most often around €5.

Currency conversion: refuse the ATM's offer to charge you in your currency and choose euros; Prva banka charges 13% for that conversion.

Limit: according to traveller reports, most often €500 per withdrawal.

How to pay less: the fee is fixed, so withdraw less often and larger amounts.

Tips

Tipping is not obligatory, and the National Tourism Organisation does not even mention it in its advice.

Restaurants: 2026 guides state around 10% or rounding up the bill, if you are satisfied with the service.

Cafés and bars: leave small change.

Taxi: the amount is rounded up.

In cash: card terminals rarely have a tip option, so leave it in cash.

Couvert: some restaurants charge a couvert, around €1–2.50 for bread and utensils; that is not a tip.

Tax-free: VAT refund

A traveller who does not reside in Montenegro can get a VAT refund for goods taken out of the country.

Minimum: a receipt, or several receipts from the same seller issued on the same day, over €100.

Form: PDV-PP, issued by the seller at your request.

At the border: customs inspects the goods and stamps the form and receipts; you must take the goods out within three months of purchase.

Refund: return the stamped form to the seller within six months, and they pay the VAT within 15 days, in cash or to an account. There is no refund desk at the airport.

Does not apply to: petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco, nor to services such as hotels and restaurants.

VAT rates: the general rate is 21%, and for accommodation and food in restaurants 15%.

Budget

Prices and daily budget

How much does Montenegro 2026 cost

This page explains how to pay. How much what costs, from accommodation and sun loungers to fuel, tolls and entrance tickets, with three examples of a daily budget per person, is in our price overview.

Approximately: a meal in a simple restaurant around €10, a cappuccino around €2.20, draught beer around €2.80 (Numbeo, November 2026).

View place

Approximate prices

Approximate prices, November 2026

Average prices for the whole country according to Numbeo, which collects data from users (updated 10 November 2026). In summer they are higher on the coast. Fuel prices are set by the Government.

Cappuccino

€2.22

Range €1.30–4.

Meal in a simple restaurant

€10

Range €6–17.

Dinner for two, three courses

€45

Mid-range restaurant, without drinks; range €30–80.

Draft beer, 0.5 l

€2.80

Range €1.50–4.

Taxi

€1 + €1/km

Start and per kilometre; range €0.50–2 and €0.60–1.50.

Fuel, Eurosuper 95

€1.69/l

Highest price from 10 to 16 November 2026; eurodiesel €1.95/l.

Practical Tips

Plan Your Visit

Useful Information

Always choose euros
When an ATM or terminal offers to charge in your currency, refuse and choose euros. On-the-spot conversion is more expensive than your bank's rate.
Withdraw cash before travelling north
On the coast and in Podgorica there are many ATMs, but in mountain municipalities only a few. Take cash with you for villages and katuns.
CKB is now OTP bank
Crnogorska komercijalna banka has operated as OTP bank since 2 November 2026, so both names are encountered on ATMs and in guides.
Bank working hours
Most OTP bank branches work on weekdays from 8:15 to 15:45, and are closed on Saturdays. Check another bank's working hours on its website.
ATM inside the bank
When you can, use an ATM inside the bank, and at a street one check that there are no signs of tampering.
Trip across the border
In Croatia and Kosovo they pay in euros, in Albania in lek, in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the convertible mark (1 KM = €0.51), and in Serbia in dinars.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The euro. Montenegro has used it since 2002, even though it is not a member of the EU or the eurozone. The banknotes and coins are the same as in eurozone countries, so travellers from those countries do not exchange money.

In the vast majority of hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and petrol stations you can, with Visa and Mastercard. Carry cash for markets, small konobas, parking, taxis and villages in the north, where many accept only cash.

It depends on the bank; the fee amount is shown on the screen before confirmation. Prva banka officially charges €5.99 per withdrawal, and for other banks 2026 guides report from €2 to €7, most often around €5. Refuse conversion to your currency and choose euros.

Tipping is not obligatory. In restaurants around 10% or rounding up the bill is customary, in cafés small change, and in a taxi the amount is rounded up. It is left in cash.

At banks and authorised exchange offices, which must display an exchange rate list; the exchange commission may be at most 3%. Bank branches mostly work on weekdays until the afternoon, so exchange money in time or withdraw euros from an ATM.

Yes. A traveller who does not reside in Montenegro is entitled to a VAT refund for goods with a receipt over €100, with the PDV-PP form stamped by customs when leaving the country. The stamped form is returned to the seller within six months and they pay the VAT.

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