EUROCOSTSCOUNTRY COMPARISON · UPDATED 2026-07-16
Austria vs Montenegro: taxes, salary and cost of living
A move between Austria and Montenegro is not simply a choice between a cheap and an expensive country; income, rent and taxation pull the result in different directions.
Austria vs Montenegro at a glance
| Indicator | Austria | Montenegro |
|---|---|---|
| Standard VAT | 20% | 21% |
| Income tax | 0-55% | 0% / 9% / 15% |
| Social contributions | 18.12% | 21.5% |
| Tax burden | 47.2% | 21.5% |
| Average monthly salary | 4,950 € gross/month | €1,225 |
| Studio rent | €760 | €490 |
| Monthly food estimate | €330 | €230 |
| Gasoline | 1.63 €/L | 1.49 €/L |
| Electricity | 0.28 €/kWh | 0.11 €/kWh |
Income comparison in context
The salary records for Austria and Montenegro are not directly numeric in both cases. A responsible comparison therefore avoids inventing a salary gap and treats the displayed labels as source notes to verify.
Rent, food and the monthly budget
Montenegro has the lower listed studio rent by €270, a 55.1% difference relative to the higher rent. Austria sits 20 of 37 and Montenegro 9 of 37 in the available low-to-high rent ranking. Montenegro also has the lower food estimate, so the housing result is reinforced by groceries.
A simplified salary-minus-rent-and-food remainder cannot be calculated reliably for both Austria and Montenegro because at least one component is non-numeric. The interactive calculator should be used only after verifying those inputs.
Headline taxation: what differs
Montenegro has the lower listed tax burden by 25.7 percentage points. Standard VAT is 20% in Austria versus 21% in Montenegro. Effective taxation depends on income level and household circumstances.
A practical transport check
Montenegro has the lower listed gasoline price by €0.14 per litre. For a driver buying 50 litres a month, that headline difference is about €7 monthly, before insurance, parking and road charges.
Who may prefer each country?
For a remote worker paid from abroad, housing and daily costs may matter more than the local salary ranking; on that narrow view, Montenegro deserves closer attention. A locally employed professional should instead begin with salary and payroll definitions.
The most useful conclusion
Montenegro leads Austria on more of the comparable numeric indicators used in this Austria–Montenegro summary. This is a directional result, not a personal financial recommendation.
Sources and data references
- PwC standard VAT rates
- PwC personal income tax rates
- PwC corporate income tax rates
- EuroCosts data scope and generation process
Explore Austria comparisons · Explore Montenegro comparisons