The total value of Montenegro’s union consumer basket for the third quarter of 2025 reached €2,075, marking a rise of €65, or 3.23%, compared to the second quarter, according to the Center for Education, Information, and Union Research (CEISI) under the Union of Free Trade Unions (USSCG).
Out of ten categories, four recorded growth: food, housing and utilities, education and culture, and summer vacation. Food costs rose 2.38% to €645, continuing a three-quarter trend of increases. Housing and utilities grew 4.08% to €255, mainly due to higher electricity bills from summer cooling and increased water service costs.
Education and culture costs jumped 28.57% to €135, driven by back-to-school spending on high school textbooks, notebooks, and school supplies, while summer vacation expenses rose 8% to €135 per month, reflecting higher hospitality prices. For a four-member family, a seven-day semi-board stay at lower- and mid-range hotels now totals €1,620 annually.
Compared to the same period in 2024, the overall consumer basket increased by €75, or 3.75%, highlighting rising costs that may impact household living standards, particularly for lower-income families.
