Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Herceg Novi

For one person, living is cheaper in Herceg Novi: $1,257 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Herceg Novi
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,257
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Herceg Novi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Herceg Novi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $1,257 in Herceg Novi.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Herceg Novi $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $1,997 in Herceg Novi.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Herceg Novi $1,997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $2,737 in Herceg Novi.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Herceg Novi $2,737

Living in Barcelona is roughly 89% more expensive than in Herceg Novi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 76% above, Herceg Novi is 7% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.92
$11.23 €9.99
59.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.9
$36.29 €32.28
82.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.18
$9.16 €8.15
49.45%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$2.65 €2.36
15.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$2.50 €2.23
22.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.63 €1.45
19.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$2.84 €2.53
36.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$3.34 €2.97
38.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.20 €1.07
8.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.01 €0.90
107.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.62
$2.93 €2.61
-37.54%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$2.98 €2.65
55.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.44
$9.02 €8.02
92.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.25
$7.43 €6.61
24.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.64
$12.99 €11.56
52.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$1.33 €1.18
126.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.57 €1.39
29.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$1.63 €1.45
62.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$2.96 €2.63
-3.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$0.95 €0.85
127.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.29 €1.15
66.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.54 €1.37
-4.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.95 €0.85
-7.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.16
$4.00 €3.56
73.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.96
$4.37 €3.89
79.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.28 €1.14
8.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.74 €1.55
51.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.59
$1.64 €1.46
77.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.64
$44.46 €39.55
-42.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.66
$2.84 €2.53
5.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.10 €0.97
30.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.53
$17.09 €15.20
94.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.72 €1.53
8.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.8K
$32.3K €28.8K
0.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.2K
$21.4K €19.0K
48.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$136 €121
34.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.11
$13.14 €11.69
3.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.29
$33.88 €30.14
-2.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.65
$56.6 €50.3
-3.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.70
$11.39 €10.13
45.04%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$7.81 €6.94
43.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €849
$444 €395
115.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$7,024 €6,248
136.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.5
$84.3 €75.0
2.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.78
$33.74 €30.01
15.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.2
$72.7 €64.7
42.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$95.8 €85.2
23.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,508
$651 €579
160.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,135
$399 €355
220.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$1,257 €1,118
104.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,710
$888 €790
116.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,477
$3,685 €3,278
97.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,456
$2,421 €2,153
106.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Herceg Novi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,981
$1,031 €917
115.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
5
-34.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Herceg Novi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Herceg Novi
$399 68.8% $877
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Herceg Novi
$228 29.8% $97
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Herceg Novi
$187 30.8% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Herceg Novi
$183 20.1% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Herceg Novi
$129 17.5% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Herceg Novi
$72 6.5% $5
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Herceg Novi
$59 25.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $651 in Herceg Novi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 116% 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: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Herceg Novi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $228 per month, with Herceg Novi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇲🇪 Herceg Novi
🕒 Local time
13:40 1:40 PM
13:40 1:40 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
11,059
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Herceg Novi 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Herceg Novi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Herceg Novi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Herceg Novi?
Barcelona and Herceg Novi differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $1,257 including rent). Herceg Novi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Herceg Novi?
Average pay runs 116% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Herceg Novi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $651 in Herceg Novi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Herceg Novi?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $444 in Herceg Novi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,257 in Herceg Novi versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Herceg Novi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Herceg Novi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Herceg Novi?
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.
Is Barcelona or Herceg Novi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Herceg Novi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Herceg Novi?
Expats usually find Herceg Novi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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