Moving to Iowa from Montenegro

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Montenegro to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Montenegro to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 62.7% more expensive than Montenegro overall. A €65,374 salary in Montenegro would need to be roughly $85,793 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Montenegro to Iowa.

What does your salary buy?

€65,374 $85,793

To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 17.4% more

Groceries

pay 77.5% more

Transportation

pay 0.4% less

Housing

pay 64.0% more

Childcare

pay 3.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 91.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.15 USD (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Iowa cost about 32% more than cities in Montenegro.

Montenegro

Tivat 45%
Bar 42%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Iowa

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Montenegro to Iowa, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
290 ↑ 12% vs 2022

people moved from Montenegro to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Montenegro to Iowa.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

ME
23.3%
IA
38.7%

Montenegro performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

ME
82.0%
IA
87.9%

Iowa performs significantly better than Montenegro across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ME
15.2%
IA
3.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

ME
$27,800
IA
$63,747

Iowa performs significantly better than Montenegro across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ME
77.8 yrs
IA
77.5 yrs

Montenegro performs better than Iowa across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Podgorica Rain: 65.4 in/yr (1661 mm)
69° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Des Moines Rain: 36.0 in/yr (915 mm)
60° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Podgorica Des Moines
Jan–Mar 53°/38°F (12°/3°C) 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/56°F (24°/13°C) 72°/52°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/66°F (30°/19°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Podgorica Des Moines
Jan 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.4°C) 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C)
Feb 52°/38°F (11.3°/3.1°C) 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C)
Mar 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.8°C) 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C)
Apr 66°/48°F (19.1°/9.1°C) 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C)
May 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.5°C) 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C)
Jun 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.3°C) 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C)
Jul 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.3°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C)
Aug 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C)
Sep 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.5°C) 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C)
Oct 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.6°C) 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C)
Nov 60°/44°F (15.4°/6.8°C) 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C)
Dec 52°/37°F (11.1°/2.9°C) 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C)

Data: Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Montenegro and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Montenegro passport

Montenegro passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Montenegro passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Montenegro

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Montenegro without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Montenegro?

No — Iowa is on average about 14% more expensive than Montenegro. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Iowa?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,448 in Iowa on a €65,374 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Iowa?

Usually fine from major cities in Iowa. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Montenegro?

Montenegro performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Montenegro?

The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 69°F in Podgorica. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Podgorica gets 65.4 in.

What language do they speak in Iowa?

The official language in Iowa is English. In Montenegro, the official language is Montenegrin.

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At a Glance

ME
Population 604,966 3,046,355
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Montenegrin English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +382 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911