German Family Leaves Montenegro After Four Months
- We were simply fed up with everything, recalls Jeannette Krebs of her family's decision to leave Germany for Montenegro in early 2022, Business Insider reported.
- In the spring of 2022, the family gave up secure jobs and their home in Schleswig-Holstein.
- An initial push came from a friend planning a move to Montenegro, a Balkan nation that promised lower living costs, a warmer climate, and an Adriatic coastline combining...
We were simply fed up with everything,
recalls Jeannette Krebs of her family’s decision to leave Germany for Montenegro in early 2022, Business Insider reported. Seeking a simpler life away from corporate routines and German bureaucracy, Jeannette and Ronny Krebs packed up their lives with their two children, only to cut the international move short after just four and a half months.
Quitting Careers and Leaving Schleswig-Holstein in Spring 2022
In the spring of 2022, the family gave up secure jobs and their home in Schleswig-Holstein. Jeannette Krebs, then 43, worked as a chemical engineer at medical technology firm Dräger in Lübeck, while Ronny Krebs, then 44, worked as a mechanical engineering technician. Growing dissatisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic—including feelings of isolation—fueled their desire to escape the daily grind.
An initial push came from a friend planning a move to Montenegro, a Balkan nation that promised lower living costs, a warmer climate, and an Adriatic coastline combining sea and mountains. The family rented out their house, disposed of furniture, stored personal items with relatives, and headed south by late March 2022.
Renting a Kotor Apartment on Limited Savings
Ronny Krebs drove ahead with luggage while Jeannette and the children flew in to settle into a pre-rented apartment in Kotor. The family paid about 4,200 euros upfront for a full year’s lease on the 75-square-meter property, which cost just 350 euros per month. With roughly 10,000 euros in savings, they initially found groceries, dining, and housing significantly cheaper than in Germany.
Those low rental costs contrasted sharply with official market data from the period. According to a December 2022 report by montenegrin broadcaster RTCG, one-room apartments in coastal towns like Kotor, Budva, and Tivat already commanded between 500 and 700 euros monthly, highlighting how deeply discounted the family’s specific lease had been.
Bureaucratic Hurdles and Residency Complications
To stay beyond the standard tourist limit, Ronny Krebs took a minijob as an office assistant for a German online-marketing agency run by their friend, earning about 460 euros monthly. Jeannette Krebs eventually began writing for the same marketing agency.
While Montenegro introduced a digital nomad residency framework on August 11, 2022, detailed implementing regulations lagged until late November, leaving the family’s employment status in legal limbo without active salary disbursement.
Children Struggle With Summer Heat and Isolation
Daily life also proved difficult for the couple’s seven- and eight-year-old children. Lacking local language skills, the siblings struggled to find friends, missed their grandparents, and dealt with a lack of nearby playgrounds and green spaces in Kotor.
Intense summer temperatures compounded the stress, pushing indoor nighttime temperatures to 26 and 28 degrees Celsius despite air conditioning.
Returning to Saxony-Anhalt in August 2022
Faced with a choice between founding a local business, navigating further bureaucratic hurdles, or returning to Germany, the family chose repatriation. They returned to the Altmark region in Sachsen-Anhalt in August 2022 so the children could resume school on August 25.
The return trip drained their remaining savings through rental deposits and the cost of replacing sold furniture. Today, both adults continue working for the same marketing agency from Germany, viewing the brief relocation not as a failure, but as a clarifying lesson in material needs and family priorities before potentially planning another move once the children finish school.