Moving to Switzerland from Montenegro

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Montenegro to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Montenegro to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 3.0 times more expensive than Montenegro overall. A €64,304 salary in Montenegro would need to be roughly CHF135,994 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bern averages 55°F vs 69°F in Podgorica, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Montenegro to Switzerland.

What does your salary buy?

€64,304 CHF135,994

To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.5 times more

Groceries

pay 2.5 times more

Transportation

pay 2.6 times more

Housing

pay 2.4 times more

Childcare

pay 6.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.9 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 0.911 CHF (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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Montenegro to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
56 ↓ 12% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Switzerland?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Montenegro and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ME
2.5
CH
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ME
9.1
CH
2.4

Switzerland performs significantly better than Montenegro across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ME
$2,908
CH
$10,602
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ME
27.5
CH
44.4

Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montenegro leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ME
60.0
CH
10.0

Switzerland performs significantly better than Montenegro across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ME
31.3
CH
47.1
Electricity per capita World Bank, 2023

annual consumption — reflects grid capacity

ME
4,564 kWh
CH
7,096 kWh

Switzerland performs significantly better than Montenegro across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ME
15.2%
CH
4.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ME
$27,800
CH
$82,900

Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Montenegro leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ME
77.8 yrs
CH
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ME
3.2
CH
3.6

Montenegro generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.

Data: Department of Public Revenues, Montenegro, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

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

Bern Rain: 42.8 in/yr (1086 mm)
55° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Podgorica Bern
Jan–Mar 53°/38°F (12°/3°C) 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/56°F (24°/13°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/66°F (30°/19°C) 70°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 46°/36°F (8°/2°C)
View all months
Month Podgorica Bern
Jan 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.4°C) 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C)
Feb 52°/38°F (11.3°/3.1°C) 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C)
Mar 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.8°C) 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C)
Apr 66°/48°F (19.1°/9.1°C) 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C)
May 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.5°C) 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C)
Jun 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.3°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C)
Jul 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.3°C) 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C)
Aug 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C)
Sep 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.5°C) 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C)
Oct 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.6°C) 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C)
Nov 60°/44°F (15.4°/6.8°C) 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C)
Dec 52°/37°F (11.1°/2.9°C) 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C)

Data: Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology, MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Montenegro passport

Montenegro passport holder visiting Switzerland

Visa Free
Montenegro passport holders can enter Switzerland without a visa.
Switzerland passport

Switzerland passport holder visiting Montenegro

Visa Free
Switzerland 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 Switzerland than Montenegro?

Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 132% higher than Montenegro on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €64,304 comparable salary, that's around CHF33,998 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Switzerland?

With 47.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Montenegro and Switzerland.

Is Switzerland safe for expats?

Switzerland performs significantly better than Montenegro across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Montenegro.

How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Montenegro?

Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montenegro leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 27.5 in Montenegro. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Montenegro: 72).

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

The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 69°F in Podgorica. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Podgorica gets 65.4 in.

What language do they speak in Switzerland?

The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Montenegro, the official language is Montenegrin.

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At a Glance

ME CH
Population 604,966 8,508,698
Currency Euro (€) Swiss Franc (CHF)
Languages Montenegrin French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +382 +41
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112