Markets in Montenegro: Opening Hours, Where and Prices

Town markets in Montenegro, called pijaca (PEE-yah-tsah) locally, open between 6 and 8 in the morning, and closing times vary: 16:00 in Kotor and Herceg Novi, 17:00 in Bar, while Budva’s runs from 7:30 to 21:30, Monday to Saturday. In summer 2026 tomatoes on the coastal markets cost €1.50–3 a kilo, watermelon €0.60–1 and grapes €2–4.

Go for fruit, vegetables, cheese and kajmak, and in Budva for fish as well. Go before 10 in the morning: local guides recommend it, and that is when the choice is widest. If you are self-catering in an apartment, this is where the fresh food is.

In short

• What it is called: pijaca; a fruit-and-vegetable market is a zelena pijaca, a “green market”.
• Opening hours: from 6–8 in the morning; Kotor and Herceg Novi close at 16:00, Bar at 17:00, Budva at 21:30; Budva’s market is closed on Sundays.
• When to go: before 10:00; in Herceg Novi, on a Saturday morning.
• July 2026 prices: tomatoes €1.50–3 a kilo, cucumbers €1–2, grapes €2–4, figs €3–5.
• Cheese and kajmak at Podgorica market in September 2026: €9 and €15 a kilo.
• Fish at Budva market: first-class fish from €50 a kilo (2024).

Where are the markets, and when are they open?

We checked the opening hours in September 2026: Kotor’s against the municipality’s 2026 decision, Herceg Novi’s against official information, Budva’s and Bar’s on Google Maps, and Podgorica’s on OpenStreetMap. Whatever the closing time, the choice is widest in the morning.

Town	Where	Hours	What you’ll find
Kotor	“Markat”, on the waterfront by the Old Town walls, just outside the Sea Gate	until 16:00	fruit, vegetables, Njeguši pršut and cheese
Budva	the green market in the centre, between Mediteranska, 22. novembar, 13. jul and Podgorička streets	Mon–Sat 7:30–21:30	fruit, vegetables, fish stalls
Bar	the green market, a covered hall in the centre by Bulevar dinastije Petrović	7:00–17:00	Fish Bar Cvijo next door
Herceg Novi	the town market in the centre, by Nikola Đurković Square	6:00–16:00	on Saturday mornings: fruit, olive oil, sheep’s and goat’s cheese, dried figs, local wine
Podgorica	the green market on Bratstva i Jedinstva street	Mon–Sat 8:00–21:00, Sun 8:00–15:00	vegetables, cheese, kajmak
Tivat	the green market by Magnolia Square	check locally	—

Kotor. The market stands right by the walls, so it fits easily into a walk round the Old Town and the climb to the fortress: Kotor in a day.

Budva. The market is in the modern centre, between Mediteranska and Podgorička streets, not by the old walls. For the Old Town and the seafront, see Budva: old town, beaches and evenings.

Herceg Novi. The town at the mouth of the Bay of Kotor, 9 kilometres from the Croatian border. Saturday is the day to come: in the morning the stalls sell olive oil, sheep’s and goat’s cheese, figs and local wine. More on the town in Herceg Novi.

Podgorica. The capital has several markets. Besides the green market on Bratstva i Jedinstva, there is one on Blaža Jovanovića street in the centre and another in the Konik district. What else there is to see: Podgorica in half a day.

Tivat. The green market is by Magnolia Square, and there is another in Seljanovo. More on the town in Tivat and Porto Montenegro.

What do things cost at a Montenegrin market?

These prices come from a Serbian newspaper’s round-up of the markets in Bar, Ulcinj and Herceg Novi in July 2026. It is a single source, so treat them as a guide.

What	Price
Tomatoes	€1.50–3 a kilo
Cucumbers	€1–2 a kilo
Courgettes	€1–1.50 a kilo
Peppers	€1.50–3
Onions, garlic	€1.50–4
Watermelon	€0.60–1 a kilo
Melon	€1.50–2.50
Peaches, nectarines	€1.50–3
Grapes	€2–4 a kilo
Figs	€3–5

For some items the round-up does not say what weight the price is for. At the stall, ask the price per kilo: Koliko košta kilogram? (KOH-lee-koh KOSH-tah kee-LOH-gram).

Cheese and kajmak. At Podgorica market in September 2026 Pljevlja cheese cost €9 a kilo, goat’s cheese €13 and kajmak €15, the same as a year earlier. Which cheeses there are and how they differ is in Montenegrin cheese.

Pršut. We found no market prices; as a rough guide, it costs €20–35 a kilo, more in tourist shops. How to choose it: Njeguši prosciutto.

Where can you buy fresh fish?

In Budva, fish is sold by fishmongers at the town market, and locals also buy it on the waterfront, where the boats come in in the evening. Prices in summer 2024:

What	Price
First-class fish	from €50 a kilo
Squid, small prawns	€12 a kilo
Monkfish	€15
Sole, gambori (prawns)	€25
Oysters	€2.50 each
Lobster	from €150 a kilo

Fishermen say the restaurants buy most of the catch in advance, so there is less choice at the market than there used to be. For comparison, first-class fish in coastal restaurants costs from €55 a kilo, and €80–90 in tourist spots. How to read those menus is in fish and seafood in Montenegro.

In Bar, Fish Bar Cvijo next to the green market is handy if you would rather someone else did the cooking.

Tips for shopping at a Montenegrin market

• Timing. Mornings, before 10. In Herceg Novi, Saturday morning brings the most farmers.
• Sundays. Budva’s market is closed and Podgorica’s trades until 15:00; elsewhere, check locally.
• Small change. Small notes and coins make paying at the stall easier.
• A few words. Koliko košta? (KOH-lee-koh KOSH-tah): how much is it? Uzimam (OO-zee-mahm): I’ll take it. Skupo (SKOO-poh): that’s expensive. More in Do they speak English in Montenegro?

Can you take market food home?

Eat the cheese, kajmak and pršut while you are here: meat and dairy products from Montenegro cannot be brought into the UK or the EU, even vacuum-packed. Honey is allowed into both up to 2 kg. For olive oil and dried figs we found no explicit rule in the official guidance. The full rules are in what to bring home from Montenegro.

Going to the market by car

The markets in Kotor, Budva and Herceg Novi are in the town centres, and in town it is easiest to walk to them. If you drive, allow for parking: in Kotor it costs from €0.90 an hour at the outer car parks to €4.80 by the Old Town walls; in Herceg Novi €0.70–2 an hour; in Podgorica €0.40–0.60.

A day that takes in Bar market, Lake Skadar and Podgorica is easier in your own car: Bar to Virpazar, on the lake, is about 40 minutes, and Virpazar to Podgorica 25 kilometres. Options are on the car hire in Bar page.

Opening hours and prices checked in September 2026. Sources: Kotor municipality, official Herceg Novi information, Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Wikivoyage, Kurir, Radio Free Europe’s Balkan service, Portal Analitika.