Montenegro’s average net wage reached 1,043 euros in September 2026, up 2.7% nominally from a year earlier, while its purchasing power fell about 2.4% as consumer prices climbed 5.2%. The figures from the Montenegro Statistical Office (MONSTAT) show that higher pay did not keep pace with inflation over the year.
Compared with August, the average net wage rose 0.3%, while consumer prices increased 0.5% and real wages fell 0.2%. MONSTAT said in a statement that “real wages for the same period fell 0.2%.” The average gross wage in September was 1.25 thousand euros.
For January–September, the average net wage was 1,033 euros, compared with 1,010 euros in the same period of 2025, a nominal increase of 2.3%. Consumer prices rose by an average of 3.7% over the nine months, leaving the real value of average pay down approximately 1.4%, according to the statistical office. The real-change calculations are approximate because they use published nominal and consumer-price indices rounded in the source data.
Pay trends vary across sectors
In accommodation and food services, the nine-month average net wage was 1,015 euros, seven euros or 0.7% above the same period a year earlier. After inflation, the sector’s average purchasing power was down about 2.9%. Education pay increased from 951 euros to 954 euros, or 0.3% nominally, corresponding to a real decline of approximately 3.3%.
Trade wages rose from 928 euros to 968 euros, a 4.3% nominal increase and a real gain of about 0.6%. Manufacturing pay advanced from 872 euros to 923 euros, up 5.8% nominally and approximately 2% in real terms. The strongest increase among the listed nine-month sector averages was in professional, scientific and technical activities, where pay rose 8% from 1,025 euros to 1,107 euros, a real increase of about 4.1%.
Average pay fell in real estate activities, from 1,372 euros to 1,220 euros, and in information and communications, from 1,325 euros to 1,306 euros. A change in a sector’s average does not by itself show that the same employees received lower pay, since the result can also reflect changes in the composition of employment and payments.
September’s highest sector average was 1,685 euros in financial and insurance activities, while administrative and support service activities recorded the lowest, at 868 euros. The 817-euro gap meant the top average was almost twice the lowest. In 11 of the 19 sectors published by MONSTAT, pay was below the national average. September averages included 958 euros in education, 976 euros in trade, 1,026 euros in construction and 1,027 euros in accommodation and food services.
Month-on-month changes ranged from increases of 0.7% in agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, and public administration, defence and compulsory social security, to a 0.8% fall in real estate activities. Wages rose 0.6% in water supply and waste-related activities and professional, scientific and technical activities; 0.4% in manufacturing and accommodation and food services; and 0.3% in mining and quarrying, utilities, and administrative and support services. Smaller increases of 0.2% were recorded in trade, transport and storage, and information and communications. Pay fell 0.7% in arts, entertainment and recreation and other services, 0.4% in education, and 0.2% in financial and insurance activities and human health and social work.
