Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kotor Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kotor

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,535 in Kotor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,484 in Kotor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,434 in Kotor.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 51% more expensive than in Kotor, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Kotor 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$16.39 €14.35

7.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$57.9 €50.7

20.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$9.36 €8.20

51.28%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.57 €2.25

8.95%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.28 €1.99

23.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.49 €1.30

38.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.84 €2.49

61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.77 €3.30

24.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.44 €1.26

-14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.04 €0.91

95.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.38 €2.09

-16.81%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.14 €2.75

11.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.06 €7.93

102.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.21 €7.19

19.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$12.13 €10.63

57.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.24 €1.09

120.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.74 €1.53

36.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.65 €1.45

26.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.49 €2.18

10.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.00 €0.88

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.10 €0.97

62.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.77 €1.55

-16.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.82 €0.72

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.32 €3.78

65.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.76 €5.92

16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.23 €1.07

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.80 €1.58

32.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.41 €1.23

113.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$38.32 €33.56

-23.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.67 €0.58

550.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.07 €0.93

99.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$11.42 €10.01

159.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.71 €1.49

6.43%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$29.4K €25.7K

29.00%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$26.1K €22.9K

23.98%

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

$189 €166

$125 €109

51.83%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$18.63 €16.31

19.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$32.12 €28.13

15.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$45.18 €39.57

28.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.60 €12.79

41.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.82 €5.09

86.77%

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

$706 €618

$287 €251

146.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,553 €6,615

96.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$84.9 €74.4

5.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$44.54 €39.01

-17.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$93.5 €81.9

11.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$113 €98.9

5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$681 €597

131.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$688 €602

79.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,271 €1,114

113.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,342 €1,175

52.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,003 €3,505

88.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,805 €2,457

86.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$968 €848

144.22%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kotor: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $681 in Kotor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 144% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $58.0 in Kotor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $233 per month, with Kotor 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 Kotor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kotor differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,535 including rent). Kotor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 144% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $681 in Kotor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $287 in Kotor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,535 in Kotor versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kotor but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kotor 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 Kotor 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 Kotor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.