by Alem Zaganjor 
An apartment in Bar costs about €2,600 per m² in 2026, based on the median asking price in Albatros listings in October 2026. That makes Bar cheaper than Budva, Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi, and roughly level with Podgorica.
Nationally, the official figure is €2,557 per m², the average price of new apartments sold in the second quarter of 2026. On the coast it was €2,838. Below: what those numbers measure, how the towns compare, and what your budget buys in Bar.
What is the average property price in Montenegro in 2026?
Montenegro’s statistics office, Monstat, publishes the only official price series. It covers new apartments sold by developers for the first time and is based on signed contracts, so these are real prices, VAT included. Resale flats, houses and land are not covered.
In its release of 20 August 2026, Monstat gave these averages for the second quarter of 2026:
- Montenegro: €2,557 per m²
- coastal region (Bar, Budva, Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat and Ulcinj): €2,838 per m²
- Podgorica: €2,510 per m²
Monstat doesn’t split the coast by town. For that, asking prices are the best guide available.
How does Bar compare with Budva, Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi?
Bar is the most affordable of the main coastal towns. The property portal Estitor’s market report for the second quarter of 2026 gives these average asking prices for apartments:
| Town | Average asking price per m² | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Tivat | €4,391 | +6.7% |
| Kotor | €3,701 | +14.8% |
| Budva | €3,309 | +3.4% |
| Herceg Novi | €3,190 | +10.3% |
| Bar | €2,797 | +13.3% |
| Podgorica | €2,672 | +9.2% |
Source: Estitor quarterly market report, Q2 2026. Asking prices of apartments listed on the portal, not sale prices.
On these figures, Bar is about 15% cheaper than Budva, a quarter cheaper than Kotor and more than a third cheaper than Tivat. Podgorica, the capital, is about 5% below Bar. We found no recent, reliable figure for Ulcinj, so we’ve left it out rather than guess.
How much does an apartment in Bar cost?
Based on asking prices in Albatros listings in October 2026, the median apartment in Bar is listed at €2,613 per m², and the middle half of listings sit between €2,264 and €3,090. That is a little below Estitor’s average for Bar, partly because a few expensive listings pull an average up but not a median.
| Area | Listings | Median per m² | Median price | Median size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of Bar | 148 | €2,613 | ||
| Centar (incl. Topolica) | 41 | €2,906 | €180,000 | 61 m² |
| Ilino | 21 | €2,509 | €173,000 | 66 m² |
| Šušanj | 16 | €2,469 | €144,500 | 57 m² |
| Dobra Voda | 13 | €3,156 | €175,000 | 60 m² |
| Makedonsko naselje* | 9 | €2,907 | €168,000 | 51 m² |
| Čeluga* | 6 | €2,200 | €131,200 | 58 m² |
| Bjeliši* | 5 | €2,083 | €123,500 | 57 m² |
| Utjeha* | 5 | €3,000 | €107,500 | 43 m² |
| Sutomore* | 4 | €2,093 | €125,000 | 62 m² |
Asking prices for apartments in Albatros listings, October 2026. *Fewer than 10 listings, so indicative only.
The coastal villages of Dobra Voda and Utjeha have the highest medians, and Bjeliši, Čeluga and Sutomore the lowest. Browse apartments in Bar city centre, apartments for sale in Šušanj or property in Dobra Voda, and for what each area is like, read our guide to where to buy property in Bar.
Asking price or sale price: what do buyers actually pay?
Apart from Monstat’s, every figure above is an asking price. The final price is often lower, but nobody can say exactly how much lower, because Montenegro has no public register of actual sale prices. The Real Estate Administration plans one, with development set for 2027 and testing for 2028 (Investitor.me, 22 September 2026).
Estitor puts the average discount from the asking price at 5 to 10%. Treat that as a rough guide: it depends on the property, how long it has been for sale and whether the seller has other offers.
Is a new build more expensive than a resale apartment?
Per m², usually yes, and tax is part of the reason. The first sale of a new build by the developer carries 21% VAT, already in the price, and no transfer tax. A resale apartment carries no VAT, but the buyer pays transfer tax:
- 3% on the price up to €150,000
- 5% on the part from €150,000 to €500,000
- 6% on the part above €500,000
So a €150,000 resale flat pays €4,500 in transfer tax and a €250,000 one €9,500. Compare total costs, not just the price per m². Our guide to buying property in Montenegro as a foreigner lists the other costs, such as the notary and the interpreter.
What pushes the price of an apartment up or down?
- Sea view. Expect to pay more for an open view of the sea, especially one a future building can’t block.
- Floor. Higher floors with a view cost more. Ground floors, and top floors without a lift, usually cost less.
- Distance to the beach. A flat a few minutes’ walk from the beach is usually priced higher than a similar one further up the hill.
- Age of the building. Older blocks are cheaper per m², but allow for renovation and check the permits. Under the legalisation law in force since August 2025, a building put up without a permit can’t legally be sold until it is legalised.
- Size. Small flats cost more per m². Across Montenegro, Estitor’s Q2 2026 report puts studios at €3,049 per m² and four-bedroom apartments at €2,456.
What does your budget buy in Bar?
The table divides each budget by asking prices per m² from Albatros listings, October 2026, to show roughly how much floor space you can expect. The last column is the transfer tax if you buy a resale property.
| Budget | At Bar median (€2,613/m²) | Middle half of listings | City centre (€2,906/m²) | Šušanj (€2,469/m²) | Transfer tax on resale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| €100,000 | about 38 m² | 32 to 44 m² | about 34 m² | about 41 m² | €3,000 |
| €150,000 | about 57 m² | 49 to 66 m² | about 52 m² | about 61 m² | €4,500 |
| €250,000 | about 96 m² | 81 to 110 m² | about 86 m² | about 101 m² | €9,500 |
| €400,000 | about 153 m² | 129 to 177 m² | about 138 m² | about 162 m² | €17,000 |
€100,000 buys a studio or a compact one-bedroom flat. The median listing in Utjeha is €107,500 for 43 m².
€150,000 is the price of a typical Bar apartment: median sizes in most areas are 57 to 66 m², and the median listing in Šušanj is €144,500. Since 17 January 2026 it is also the minimum property value for a residence permit for non-EU buyers, UK citizens included. EU citizens are exempt.
€250,000 buys a two- or three-bedroom flat in most areas, or a house: the 50 houses for sale in our listings have a median asking price of €235,000.
€400,000 buys a large apartment of 130 m² or more, or a house in the top quarter of our listings, which start at about €341,000.
How have property prices in Montenegro changed in recent years?
They have risen fast. Monstat’s annual average for new apartments went from €1,194 per m² in 2021 to €2,200 in 2025, up 84%. On the coast it rose 77%.
| Period | Montenegro, per m² | Coastal region, per m² |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | €1,194 | €1,359 |
| 2022 | €1,339 | €1,315 |
| 2023 | €1,532 | €1,577 |
| 2024 | €1,844 | €2,028 |
| 2025 | €2,200 | €2,412 |
| Q2 2026 | €2,557 | €2,838 |
Source: Monstat, prices of new apartments sold. Annual figures are final; Q2 2026 is preliminary.
Quarterly figures jump around with the projects sold in each quarter, but the second quarter of 2026 was 16% above the same quarter of 2025 nationally and 22% above it on the coast.
The Central Bank of Montenegro’s Financial Stability Report 2025, published in 2026, says new-build prices hit a record in 2025, driven mainly by foreign investment in property and by housing loans. It projects that growth slows in 2026 while prices stay high.
Is Montenegro cheaper than Croatia or Spain?
Than Croatia, yes. Croatia’s statistics bureau counts new apartments sold, like Monstat. In the first half of 2026 the Croatian average was €2,994 per m² (DZS, 7 September 2026), about 17% above Montenegro’s €2,557. Outside Zagreb it was €2,754, slightly below Montenegro’s coastal average, though that figure includes inland towns.
Spain’s Ministry of Housing publishes bank valuations of homes of all ages, so the comparison is rougher. Its average appraised values for the second quarter of 2026:
- Málaga province (Costa del Sol): €3,084 per m²
- Alicante province (Costa Blanca): €2,021 per m²
- Balearic Islands: €3,981 per m²
So a new build on Montenegro’s coast costs less per m² than the average home on the Costa del Sol or in the Balearics, but more than on the Costa Blanca.
If you have a budget in mind, send it to us and we’ll reply with listings in Bar that fit, with the full purchase costs worked out. Or start with our apartments for sale in Bar.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a square metre cost in Bar in 2026?
Based on asking prices in Albatros listings in October 2026, the median apartment in Bar is listed at €2,613 per m², with the middle half of listings between €2,264 and €3,090 per m². The city centre is around €2,900 per m² and Šušanj around €2,500.
Is property in Montenegro cheaper than in Croatia?
On average, yes. New apartments sold in Montenegro averaged €2,557 per m² in the second quarter of 2026 (Monstat), against €2,994 per m² in Croatia in the first half of 2026 (DZS).
Are property prices in Montenegro still rising?
Yes. Monstat’s average for new apartments was 16% higher in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, and 84% higher in 2025 than in 2021. The Central Bank of Montenegro expects growth to slow in 2026 while prices stay high.
How much can I negotiate off the asking price?
The portal Estitor puts the average discount at 5 to 10%, depending on the property and how long it has been for sale. Montenegro has no public register of actual sale prices, so compare similar listings before you make an offer.
What does €150,000 buy in Bar?
About 57 m² at the median asking price in Albatros listings, October 2026, typically a one-bedroom or compact two-bedroom flat: about 52 m² in the city centre or 61 m² in Šušanj. A resale purchase at that price pays €4,500 in transfer tax.
Why do new builds cost more per m² than resale flats?
Partly because of tax. A new build bought from the developer has 21% VAT included in the price and pays no transfer tax. A resale flat has no VAT, but the buyer pays transfer tax of 3% up to €150,000 and 5% on the part from €150,000 to €500,000.
Prices in this guide are asking prices and official averages as of October 2026, not a valuation of any property. Confirm tax details for your own purchase with a notary or a lawyer.
