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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,614 in Budva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,563 in Budva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,513 in Budva.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 53% more expensive than in Budva, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Budva 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$15.32 €13.35

22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$68.4 €59.7

1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$13.82 €12.05

-0.36%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.49 €3.05

-11.17%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.29 €1.99

23.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.54 €1.34

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.90 €4.27

-18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.24 €3.70

6.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.31 €1.14

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.08 €0.94

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.25 €1.96

-21.78%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.11 €2.71

64.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$9.05 €7.89

97.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.35 €8.15

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.88 €11.23

56.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.32 €1.15

146.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.72 €1.50

29.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.59 €1.39

63.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.96 €2.58

-6.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.89 €0.78

148.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.15 €1.00

84.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.76 €1.54

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.94 €0.82

1.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.55 €3.97

61.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.87 €6.86

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.15 €1.00

33.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.74 €1.52

60.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.91 €2.53

6.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$40.47 €35.28

-36.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.18 €1.03

177.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.19 €1.04

24.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$17.04 €14.86

101.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.78 €1.55

-2.81%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$30.3K €26.4K

20.15%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.0K €23.6K

12.93%

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

$187 €163

$163 €142

14.81%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$15.52 €13.53

-2.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$35.01 €30.52

7.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$59.3 €51.7

-5.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$22.17 €19.32

-22.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.37 €5.56

79.12%

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

$997 €869

$406 €354

145.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,995 €8,713

65.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$107 €92.9

-13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$46.08 €40.17

-10.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$98.6 €85.9

12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$182 €159

-31.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$809 €705

111.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$587 €512

119.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,528 €1,332

67.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,172 €1,022

65.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,224 €3,682

81.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$3,098 €2,700

66.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,050 €915

123.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.95

-46.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Budva: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $809 in Budva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 124% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Budva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $244 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 53% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,614 including rent). Budva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 124% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $809 in Budva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $406 in Budva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,614 in Budva versus $2,476 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 53% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.