Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Budva Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Budva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,723 in Budva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,769 in Budva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,815 in Budva.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 37% more expensive than Budva, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Budva 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$16.52 €14.21

6.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$65.8 €56.6

4.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$11.51 €9.90

22.15%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.86 €2.46

-2.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.20 €1.89

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.43 €1.23

44.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.44 €2.96

29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.80 €3.27

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.37 €1.18

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.11 €0.95

82.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.37 €2.04

-18.99%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.26 €2.81

1.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.03 €7.77

104.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.02 €6.90

18.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.86 €10.21

61.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.30 €1.12

103.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.79 €1.54

36.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.67 €1.44

26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.93 €2.52

-2.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.04 €0.89

96.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.25 €1.08

48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.71 €1.47

-14.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.18 €1.01

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.48 €3.86

59.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.56 €5.64

20.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.28 €1.10

7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.72 €1.48

34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.29 €1.97

30.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$40.39 €34.75

-27.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.18 €1.01

289.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.02 €0.88

102.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$17.20 €14.80

69.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.78 €1.53

3.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.0K €33.6K

$29.8K €25.7K

30.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.7K €28.1K

$26.2K €22.6K

24.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$188 €162

$159 €137

17.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.93 €19.73

$18.52 €15.93

23.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$33.49 €28.81

9.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$60.2 €51.8

-4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$23.86 €20.52

-13.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.68 €4.89

97.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$721 €620

$419 €361

71.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$10.2K €8,803

47.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$118 €101

-26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$49.05 €42.19

-24.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$112 €96.1

-8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$206 €177

-43.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$938 €807

63.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$699 €601

74.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,748 €1,503

54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,415 €1,217

42.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,240 €3,648

70.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,169 €2,726

63.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,047 €900

125.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.93

-42.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Budva: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $938 in Budva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 125% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $66.0 in Budva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $238 per month, with Budva cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Budva differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,723 including rent). Budva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 125% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $938 in Budva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $419 in Budva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,723 in Budva versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Budva but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Budva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Budva are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Budva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.