TaipeiAccommodation
Good · #24 of 62
7.8/10
If booking out of peak season, some great deals can be had booking a flat for a week on Airbnb. If visiting solely for leisure, there's a vast array of hotels stretching out all across the bay.
MontenegroVisited Apr 2021 · 1 week
Kotor
The most beautiful scenery in the Balkans, but leave your laptop at home.
Great for a holiday
This guide was written 5 years ago
Prices, opening hours and recommendations may have changed since my visit, so double-check anything important before you book.
A small fortified town in Montenegro, renowned for its stunning architecture and picturesque setting.
Its UNESCO-listed Old Town is a maze of medieval architecture, set against the dramatic backdrop of mount Lovcen.
A beautiful place for a couple of days' holiday, but too quaint to be somewhere to work from. Apart from tourism, there's very little going on. Would include it in a wider itinerary of Montenegro.
At a glance
Coworking
Poor · #62 of 62
1.0/10
Since I visited, a few coworking options are now available in neighbouring Tivat. Even still, you'd be reliant on a car or local bus making it less than ideal. Not a great range of coffee shops to work from within the main old town.
Value
Good · #38 of 62
7.5/10
Even though it is a predominantly tourist destination, restaurant prices are great value whilst compared to Western European destinations. Great deals on accommodation outside of the tourist season.
Excitement
Poor · #61 of 62
2.9/10
Unless you are explicitly looking for a quiet and sedate destination, there’s no reason to spend more than 48 hours in Kotor. It’s a small tourist town with little else to offer beyond its immediate charm.
Plan
Summary
As part of a tour in the Balkans in 2021, Montenegro was the next natural destination after a few weeks in Tirana. I'd always wanted to visit Kotor but the opportunity hadn't arisen prrior.
Cost of living
$892a month, before rent
Basic living costs, rent not included
Day-to-day spending for a month: two meals out and a coffee every day, three taxis and two nights out a week, a gym and a coworking desk. Add your rent on top.
Very Affordable- Meal in a casual restaurant$8.10
- Speciality coffee$2.53
- Pint of local beer$2.53
- Cocktail$6.08
- Taxi for 2 miles$4.05
- Men's haircut$10
- Women's haircut$25
- Gym membership, monthly$30
- Coworking, monthly$152
Prices as of Oct 2026. Confidence: low (gym & coworking verified; other prices restated at 2026-10-07 exchange rates). Sources: nomada.tools. Always check locally before planning around them.
Duration & season
Mid April provided perfect weather for exploring the outdoors nearby, cooler than the mid summer peaks where your options may be limited unless you are planning on heading to a nearby beach.
Unless you are intentionally looking for some peace and solitude, you could do everything you want to in Kotor as a day or overnight trip. A week there was fine, but I would have no desire to return for any period of time as a working destination.
By month
| Month | Low °C | High °C | Rain mm | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8 | 13 | 191 | |
| February | 8 | 14 | 158 | |
| March | 9 | 17 | 314 | wet month |
| April | 11 | 22 | 92 | |
| May | 14 | 23 | 222 | peak season |
| June | 22 | 31 | 78 | peak season |
| July | 24 | 33 | 58 | peak season |
| August | 24 | 33 | 126 | peak season |
| September | 18 | 27 | 223 | wet month · peak season |
| October | 14 | 22 | 175 | peak season |
| November | 9 | 18 | 316 | wet month |
| December | 8 | 14 | 149 |
Wettest months Peak season
Typical daytime highs and overnight lows, from the last two years of observations (Open-Meteo). Rain icons mark the wettest months.
- Visitors a year
- 250k2024
- Crowds
- High
- Peak season
- May–Oct
- Low season
- Dec–Feb
Remote work visa
Digital nomad visa coming soon
Montenegro plans to introduce a 2-year renewable Digital Nomad Visa by 2025, exempting holders from income tax to attract remote workers and improve digital infrastructure. Program rollout starts this year, but requirements are still forthcoming.
Working hours
Montenegro operates on Central European Time (CET), aligning with Western Europe.
Live & work
Where to stay
If you've got a car you may want to consider being further out, otherwise your best bet is to be in the centre of town.
Old Town
Kotor is a small place but there's no harm in being as close to the old town for ease of convenience.
Where to work
Since I visited, a few coworking options are now available in neighbouring Tivat. Even still, you'd be reliant on a car or local bus making it less than ideal. Not a great range of coffee shops to work from within the main old town.
Food & drink
Food
BBQ Tanjga
Butcher meets casual dining restaurant. Enormous portions and super friendly guy running the show,
Off the clock
Off work
Walk or cycle up the Serpentine
Easily within one of my top 5 cycle rides, the hairpin bends ascending the mountain out of the town provide amazing views over the bay of Kotor and far into the distance. If you make it over the top, there are plentiful dining options on the way to Cetinje, Etno Selo Sveti Georgije was a perfect rest stop.
Day trip to Tivat
Upmarket Tivat is home to a marina and numerous upmarket eating options. Worth the 20 minute drive from Kotor, or even better, a cycle around the dividing mountain.
Explore the Old Town
UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasting medieval charm, ancient walls, and views into the bay ahead,
Exercise
Cycle
Kotor Serpentine
A strong contender for my all time favourite cycle ride. Countless hairpin turns take you out of the valley and give you incredible views over the area.
Cycle
Kotor - Herceg Novi
The roads between Kotor and Herceg Novi make for ideal cycling conditions. Plenty of stops for coffee and snacks en route.
Walk
Old Kotor Fort Trail
Not quite as impressive as the view from the Serpentine but easily accessible from the town centre. Aggressively steep in parts.
People
There's a small local population in the town, with that number swelling coming into the peak season and summer months. I observed nothing in the way of any remote work community, with neighbouring Budva & Tivat more likely to be bases.
Notes
Positives
As beautiful as it looks in the photos.
Stunning scenery around the bay of Kotor makes it a great base for outdoor pursuits. An ideal place for hiking & cycling.
Good value for a European destination.
Outside of peak season some good deals can be had on accommodation and restaurants are cheaper than you would expect in a major European city.
Good transport connections.
Frequent buses are available back to Podgorica or other neighbouring towns.
Peaceful quiet and serene.
If you are looking for somewhere to unwind away from the hustle of the city, this could be a perfect antidote.
Unspoilt architecture.
Compared to Budva which has an abundance of high rise towers being built, Kotor has retained it's traditional aesthetic.
Outside of the Schengen Zone.
If for whatever reason you have reached your limit of time available within the Schengen group of countries, Montenegro is an alternative.
Negatives
Very quiet.
Outside of peak season there is a small local population and nothing resembling a community for remote workers.
No proper beaches close to the town centre.
There are some small pebble bays but if you are looking for closer proximity to beaches you are better off in Budva.
No options for coworking.
There appears to be some options now available in nearby Tivat, but you would have to have access to a car or take the bus.
Not the best selection for food & drink.
There is a fair selection of resturaunts but these are more geared towards holiday makers than grabbing something quickly.
Tips
Kotor is easily reachable from Tivat or Budva.
Unless intentionally wanting to spend a peaceful week here, it makes an ideal day trip if staying in one of the other more active nearby towns.
Herceg Novi is worth a day trip.
A larger town a senic hours drive which hugs the coast line towards Croatia.
The Croatian border is within a 90 minute drive.
Dubrovnik would be feasible as a day trip if you've got your own transport.
Give Podgorica a miss.
I ventured through the capital on a couple of times and it may be the most underwhelming cities in Europe.
Planning a trip to Kotor?
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