Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Herceg Novi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Herceg Novi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,282 in Herceg Novi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,079 in Herceg Novi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,876 in Herceg Novi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 95% more expensive than in Herceg Novi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Herceg Novi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$11.40 €9.80

61.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$38.04 €32.71

81.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$9.14 €7.86

54.60%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.61 €2.24

19.92%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.56 €2.20

17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.64 €1.41

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.92 €2.51

36.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.53 €3.03

34.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.20 €1.03

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.00 €0.86

116.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.94 €2.53

-42.52%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.10 €2.66

59.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$9.19 €7.90

94.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$7.43 €6.39

29.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$13.00 €11.18

48.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.34 €1.15

141.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.57 €1.35

38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.67 €1.44

59.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.99 €2.57

-7.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.91 €0.78

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.36 €1.17

61.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.50 €1.29

1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.99 €0.85

-7.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$4.00 €3.44

78.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$4.53 €3.90

79.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.32 €1.14

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.84 €1.59

51.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.79 €1.54

75.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$47.38 €40.73

-43.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$3.10 €2.66

4.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.18 €1.02

27.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$17.63 €15.15

97.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.80 €1.55

-2.78%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$33.8K €29.0K

8.58%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$21.8K €18.8K

41.68%

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

$188 €161

$137 €118

36.72%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$13.28 €11.42

16.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$35.68 €30.67

5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$57.8 €49.67

-1.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$11.71 €10.07

43.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$8.31 €7.14

39.35%

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

$1,003 €862

$466 €400

115.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$7,235 €6,220

135.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$85.9 €73.9

3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$35.37 €30.41

15.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$74.6 €64.2

47.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$97.7 €84.0

25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$682 €587

145.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$415 €357

220.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,303 €1,120

99.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$927 €797

110.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$3,887 €3,342

94.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,457 €2,112

118.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,069 €919

124.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-36.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Herceg Novi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $682 in Herceg Novi. 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Herceg Novi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $230 per month, with Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Herceg Novi differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,282 including rent). Herceg Novi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $682 in Herceg Novi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $466 in Herceg Novi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,282 in Herceg Novi versus $2,495 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.

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 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.

Expats usually find Herceg Novi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.