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Daily Life & Culture
Montenegrin culture combines Slavic, Mediterranean, and Ottoman influences into something uniquely relaxed. The café culture is central to social life - long conversations over coffee are a way of life, not a luxury. The pace is slow by Western standards, which most expats come to love.
- Language: Montenegrin (effectively Serbian - all South Slavic speakers understand each other); English widely spoken by under-35s and in tourist areas
- Café culture: central to life - expect to spend hours at a table for €2; restaurants stay open until midnight or later
- Orthodox Christianity shapes some public holidays and social norms, but the country is broadly secular and tolerant
- Working week: Monday–Friday; some shops closed Sunday; government offices strict 8am–4pm
- Tipping: 10% expected in restaurants; round up in taxis; not obligatory in cafés
- Bargaining: rare in shops; sometimes applicable in markets and for long-term rentals