Montenegro Permanent Residence or not?

Montenegro Permanent Residence - should we move here or limit ourselves to summer vacations? Once you come to Montenegro in the summer EVERYONE will have a question - and maybe move here to live?!!! Montenegro is wonderful in summer!!! We in 2022 were lucky to be here since March 1) As a result, the first expectation that it gets warmer here earlier than in Ukraine, dispelled quickly) Here, in early May, the weather is barely warmed up to 18-20 degrees during the day. But the wind is still icy and it often rains! Then we began to study the blogs of those who have moved here and add our personal observations. So, briefly, but clearly:

1.     The weather in Montenegro is great here only in summer and in "velvet September", sometimes it is warm in October. At other times, the wind and rain are rather annoying. In March, there are such rains that flood whole streets and cities of the country! The waterfront and northern Montenegro are completely different weather conditions and you have to take that into account. You can only travel fully in the north from the middle of May, sometimes even June and of course only until the end of September!!! So, it is cold (rainy and windy) here in winter, although relatively so, i.e. heating is required...
2.     Heating and air conditioning in homes in Montenegro is a big surprise to those who settle for 6 months or more. Some houses do not involve heating, some involve heating with air conditioning. In the first case you will be forced to heat with heaters, which you may even have to buy yourself ... In both cases, the electric bill for the month will not make you happy at all. In March, it is already warming up and yet, we had 110 euros for electricity, because of the occasional use of a heater. In the spring months, you need the heating at night more often, because during the day there is enough heat from the sun. Some houses, which are rented for a long time, are built specifically for tourists nomads. They are called "Apartmany" and they have centralized heating / air conditioning and hot water supply. What does centralized mean, but that if no one but you do not live in the house, then the heating will not heat fully, the same applies to water. Hot water also depends on the sun - on a rainy day there is no hot water at all! In March, the heating was still somehow working, but in April the system "pseudo climate control" switched to air conditioning! As a result it is still 15 degrees outside, and at home the air conditioner blows only... In other words, renting a house for a cold period, you need to find out the type of house and how it is arranged heating / air conditioning, water heating!

Long-term rentals in Montenegro - search through Facebook:

•     https://www.facebook.com/groups/1391840097709993
•     https://www.facebook.com/groups/538824569586477
•     https://www.facebook.com/groups/141117849414111

Long-term rentals in Montenegro - search via Instagram:

•     https://instagram.com/montenegrodrive?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
•     https://instagram.com/broker.marina?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
•     https://instagram.com/sale_broker?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

1. Earthquakes in Montenegro are regular by season of the year - a surprise not for the faint of heart! Although statistics show that there was destruction only in the 70s, this does not make you feel calmer. Earthquakes occur here in spring and fall, during the climate change of warm/cold. So regular summer tourists don't know anything about it!!! This point is also worth considering when choosing lodging for the long term. On the lower floors the shocks will not be felt significantly, above the third floor will be a regular swing! Usually the "shaking" happens late at night or early in the morning, which is also a lot of fun - being naked in bed and everything starts to shake, getting up and running out into the street without clothes when it's freezing - not much fun. We caught two days in April with earthquakes (epicenter in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, about 5-6 on the Richter scale). They were short - 1-2 minutes, but everything was shaking and the bed was dancing, plaster fell in the bathroom.
2. Medicines and medicine in Montenegro - the level of the Middle Ages. Despite the proximity of European countries, many medicines are not available here. Mostly dietary supplements and herbs. Many medicines are some that are not familiar, but they require a prescription from local doctors. The work of the ambulance here is questionable... On the phone operator determines the degree of urgency at his personal discretion!!! But according to people I know and the chats of those who have moved - no one has had an ambulance come out... Everyone is offered to take taki and get there on their own. When you arrive by yourself by cab, no one is in a hurry to do anything at all!!! When it comes to the examination, they even do an exam, give you medicine, refer you to a doctor, and everything is free. By the way, homeopathy is considered quackery here and it is very difficult to find a homeopath. If the whole country has a couple, but they are well hidden))). There are no homeopathic pharmacies! Dentists still work with X-rays and canals are treated without a microscope. Finding an orthodontist is a "mission impossible". The orthodontist comes from Serbia once a month... And the prices are as if everything is there! Similar situation with dentists in Croatia (Dubrovnik area for sure).
3. Food and food in Montenegro - leaves much to be desired. Local pastries in stores and local grocery stores is impossible to eat! The usual European products are almost non-existent. The exception is prsut and local "brynza" which is the best thing that everyone should try! You can not taste it in any other country that we visited)))) The taste of the prschut meat outshines even the French white mold sausages! The amazing thing is that the country with access to the sea, and the sale of fish is not developed at all! Buy red fish, caviar or shrimp - it's just a task from the category of "mission impossible") Meat is 2 times more expensive, the choice is minimal. What is steak Tibon, Cowboy did not hear at all. Fruits and vegetables neither own nor imported. If you compare, for example, at the same time with Spain, France, there is everything. Shrimp and white fish like Dorado can be bought at the market, but the prices are even more overpriced compared to the store.

• You can buy real tea and coffee only in the store "Tea & Coffee House Budva" at 65 Mediteranska, Budva 85310. In supermarkets and any other stores there is no normal real Ceylon or Chinese tea!
• Vegan restaurant in Budva with a good range and quality of food is "Zdrava Hrana" (Paradise food) at 7RQV+9GF, Budva.
• "Sacha meat is a must-try for everyone. It is a special way of stewing meat until it "melts in your mouth". The meat is stewed in the coals for 4 hours or more. We made an order at Kuzhina restaurant (Novembra, 20, Budva). The order for this dish is usually made in advance. At Kuzhina you can call at 11 o'clock and make an order, but to be sure, you better order in the evening. You can pick it up at any time by appointment. We ate veal in Kužine, but not much enthusiasm, you can try it elsewhere.
• Baking in Montenegro is easy to find through Instagram. This is how we found a girl who bakes to order in Budva.
• Supermarkets in Montenegro: HDL - a wide range, prices are slightly overpriced. Voli - sufficient assortment, low prices.

1.     Political and religious strife in the country - not immediately visible! The Montenegrins themselves are very friendly, contact and sincere! Talking to them is a pleasure, and even almost 60% of the understanding of one another's speech, with the fact that everyone speaks their own language))) Many Montenegrins speak either Russian / Ukrainian or English. That is, there is no language barrier and everything is normal with the humanity of the nation. But the relations between the Serbs and the Montenegrins are not so good ... For more up-to-date information about the situation, you can read the news sites in the local language. Also, the country is not economically stable. That is why it is probably a candidate for accession to the EU for the 10th year...
2.     Internet in Montenegro is good) Buying a local SIM card makes the Internet available almost anywhere in the country. What is convenient is the Internet coverage of the tracks. Tariff "Tourist" from Mtel - for 15 euros 500 GB for 1 month. You can buy a SIM card in the service center with your passport.
3.     Shopping malls - there are none! Buy the usual things here will be quite difficult. Separate attention deserves equipment or for example a computer table / chair... "The village is a dark forest" - there is nothing of that here.
4.     Services are strictly limited - LPG massage, Sharko shower, massage kinesiologist / osteopath - nothing there!!!

In the end, summer Montenegro is "slightly" different from spring, autumn and winter))) Is it worth moving here, alas the question??? In the cold season, all the landscapes pale because of the weather and living conditions in general.