Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Bar Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Bar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,723 in Budva versus $1,358 in Bar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,769 in Budva versus $2,043 in Bar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,815 in Budva versus $2,727 in Bar.

Living in Budva is roughly 27% more expensive than Bar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Budva 29% above, Bar 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.21

$11.62 €9.99

42.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €56.6

$40.44 €34.79

62.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €9.90

$9.53 €8.20

20.78%

Cappuccino

$2.86 €2.46

$2.34 €2.01

22.22%

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

$2.20 €1.89

$1.82 €1.56

20.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.39 €1.20

2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €2.96

$2.81 €2.42

22.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.27

$3.20 €2.75

18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.22 €1.05

12.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.09 €0.93

1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.52 €2.17

-5.95%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.81

$2.99 €2.57

9.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 €7.77

$8.30 €7.14

8.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.90

$7.50 €6.45

6.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 €10.21

$12.42 €10.68

-4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.41 €1.21

-7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.11 €1.81

-15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.48 €1.28

12.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.75 €2.36

6.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.08 €0.93

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.28 €1.10

-2.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.50 €2.15

-31.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.36 €1.17

-13.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 €3.86

$3.69 €3.18

21.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.64

$8.42 €7.24

-22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.94 €0.81

36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.40 €1.20

22.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.78 €1.53

28.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.39 €34.75

$22.98 €19.76

75.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.36 €2.03

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.70 €0.60

45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.20 €14.80

$14.22 €12.23

20.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.76 €1.51

1.14%

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

$29.8K €25.7K

$32.6K €28.0K

-8.41%

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

$26.2K €22.6K

$30.2K €26.0K

-13.07%

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

$159 €137

$137 €118

16.17%

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

$18.52 €15.93

$19.56 €16.83

-5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.49 €28.81

$30.38 €26.13

10.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 €51.8

$41.40 €35.61

45.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.86 €20.52

$15.22 €13.09

56.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 €4.89

$4.59 €3.95

23.75%

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

$419 €361

$258 €222

62.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,803

$6,193 €5,327

65.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €101

$66.3 €57.0

77.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.05 €42.19

$30.90 €26.58

58.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.1

$96.5 €83.0

15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 €177

$120 €103

72.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 €807

$704 €605

33.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 €601

$511 €439

36.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 €1,503

$1,141 €982

53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 €1,217

$854 €735

65.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 €3,648

$2,863 €2,463

48.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,169 €2,726

$2,187 €1,881

44.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 €900

$919 €790

13.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

18.60%

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

Last update for Budva: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Budva and $704 in Bar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budva pays 14% 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 Budva vs $40.00 in Bar. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $241, with Budva cheaper for home cooking.

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

Budva vs Bar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bar wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Budva. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Budva pays 14% 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: $938 in Budva versus $704 in Bar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Budva versus $258 in Bar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Budva pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,358 in Bar versus $1,723 in Budva, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bar but tight or insufficient in Budva. The gap between the two cities makes Bar 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, Budva and Bar 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 Bar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Budva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.