Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Kotor

For one person, living is cheaper in Kotor: $1,536 a month against $1,657 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Budva despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Kotor
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Kotor Living Index

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Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,657

/mo nomad

Kotor

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budva and in Kotor

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

A single person spends $1,657 per month in Budva vs $1,536 in Kotor, rent included.

Budva $1,657
Kotor $1,536

A couple spends around $2,645 per month in Budva vs $2,437 in Kotor, rent included.

Budva $2,645
Kotor $2,437

A family of three spends $3,632 per month in Budva vs $3,338 in Kotor, rent included.

Budva $3,632
Kotor $3,338

Budva costs about 8% more than Kotor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budva and Kotor sit above the global median – Budva by 22%, Kotor by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.79 €14.15

$11.05 €9.89

42.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 €67.9

$57.9 €51.9

30.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.51 €12.10

$11.11 €9.95

21.60%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.25

$3.23 €2.89

12.38%

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

$2.57 €2.31

$2.49 €2.23

3.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.58 €1.41

5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 €4.36

$3.10 €2.78

57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.91

$4.40 €3.94

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.26 €1.13

1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.99 €0.89

8.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.91 €1.71

8.38%

Eggs

$3.04 €2.72

$3.57 €3.20

-14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 €7.72

$8.98 €8.05

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 €8.48

$8.51 €7.62

11.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 €10.92

$12.51 €11.21

-2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.34 €1.20

-0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.72 €1.54

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.55 €1.38

-1.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.61

$2.42 €2.16

20.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 €0.83

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.07 €0.95

3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.49 €1.34

16.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.80 €0.71

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 €4.03

$4.43 €3.97

1.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 €8.12

$8.99 €8.05

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.09 €0.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.82 €1.63

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 €2.92

$1.65 €1.47

97.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 €35.14

$45.37 €40.63

-13.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 €0.98

$0.77 €0.69

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.14 €1.02

-4.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.74 €14.99

$11.22 €10.05

49.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.69 €1.52

5.92%

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

$29.3K €26.2K

$28.0K €25.0K

4.81%

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

$26.2K €23.5K

$23.9K €21.4K

9.74%

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

$160 €144

$127 €114

25.74%

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

$14.43 €12.93

$16.92 €15.16

-14.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.34 €29.86

$32.06 €28.71

3.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 €55.3

$44.81 €40.14

37.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.74 €19.47

$20.22 €18.10

7.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 €5.42

$6.56 €5.87

-7.77%

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

$408 €365

$340 €304

20.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €9,128

$7,381 €6,610

38.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €95.2

$85.5 €76.6

24.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 €39.90

$45.22 €40.50

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.6

$97.1 €87.0

9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €163

$104 €93.2

74.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 €742

$659 €590

25.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 €550

$659 €590

-6.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 €1,497

$1,327 €1,189

25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,086

$1,321 €1,183

-8.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,087 €3,661

$3,931 €3,521

3.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,973 €2,663

$2,786 €2,495

6.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 €929

$933 €835

11.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

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

Last update for Budva: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kotor: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Budva

$614 37.1%

Kotor

$659 42.9% 7.2% $44

Eating Out

Budva

$261 15.7%

Kotor

$201 13.1% 22.8% $60

Groceries & Markets

Budva

$243 14.7%

Kotor

$234 15.3% 3.7% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budva

$208 12.6%

Kotor

$176 11.5% 15.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Budva

$198 11.9%

Kotor

$149 9.7% 24.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Budva

$74 4.5%

Kotor

$58 3.8% 21.5% $16

Getting Around

Budva

$59 3.6%

Kotor

$58 3.8% 0.7% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $828 in Budva versus $659 in Kotor. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Budva. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Budva versus $58 in Kotor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $234 – making Kotor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Budva

🇲🇪 Kotor

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Budva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,338

13,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Budva Kotor 16 km

From you

Budva
Kotor

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

Budva vs Kotor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,657 in Budva, $1,536 in Kotor – Kotor comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,485 per month in Budva and $2,304 in Kotor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kotor, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $659 there versus $828 in Budva.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,657 in Budva and $1,536 in Kotor. That makes Kotor about 7% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Budva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,657 in Budva and $1,536 in Kotor. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kotor – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kotor. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.