According to data released by the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT), consumer prices in the country were on average 3.2% higher in the January–May 2026 period compared with the same period last year, while annual inflation hit 3.6% in May. The largest contributors to monthly price growth were clothing, meat and meat products, fruit and nuts, accommodation services, road passenger transport, vegetables, housing maintenance services and fish and seafood.
On a monthly basis, the highest price increases were seen in restaurants and accommodation services (1.6%), followed by clothing and footwear (1.5%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.7%), recreation, sports and culture (0.5%) and transport (0.4%). Prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco rose by 0.3%, while healthcare costs increased by 0.1%.
At the same time, prices declined in several categories, including personal care and social protection services (-0.9%), furniture and household maintenance (-0.5%), and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels (-0.1%). MONSTAT noted that prices in other sectors remained largely unchanged.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Tarik Turkovic, posted on X that the latest figures put Montenegro among the countries with the lowest inflation rates in the Balkans, behind Albania and Serbia only, which, as he added, was particularly important to emphasize given Montenegro’s high dependence on imports.
