Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Budva: $1,611 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budva
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,611
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budva and in Lisbon

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 Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,611 per month in Budva vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Budva $1,611
  • Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $2,529 per month in Budva vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Budva $2,529
  • Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $3,447 per month in Budva vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Budva $3,447
  • Lisbon $4,319

Budva is about 28% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budva and Lisbon sit above the global median – Budva by 19%, Lisbon by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.76 €13.13
$16.50 €14.67
-10.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 €59.1
$61.3 €54.5
8.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.27 €11.80
$11.27 €10.03
17.75%
Cappuccino
$3.39 €3.02
$3.06 €2.72
10.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 €1.96
$2.26 €2.01
-2.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.73 €1.54
-12.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 €4.17
$3.39 €3.02
38.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.27 €3.80
$3.40 €3.02
25.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.12 €1.00
11.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.06 €0.95
$1.86 €1.65
-43.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.53 €1.36
44.44%
Eggs
$3.07 €2.73
$3.96 €3.53
-22.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.50 €7.56
$12.76 €11.35
-33.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.08 €8.08
$7.90 €7.02
14.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.17 €10.83
$16.97 €15.09
-28.29%
Apples (1kg)
$1.28 €1.14
$2.27 €2.02
-43.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.75 €1.55
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.85 €1.64
-17.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.78 €2.47
$2.57 €2.28
8.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 €0.76
$1.86 €1.65
-54.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 €0.95
$2.02 €1.80
-47.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.67 €1.48
$1.44 €1.28
15.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.82 €0.73
14.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.42 €3.93
$6.56 €5.83
-32.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 €6.82
$5.62 €5.00
36.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 €0.94
$1.28 €1.14
-17.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.07 €1.84
-15.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.84 €2.53
$2.35 €2.09
20.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.74 €35.34
$44.18 €39.30
-10.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.11 €0.98
$3.99 €3.55
-72.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.09 €0.97
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.85 €14.99
$16.64 €14.81
1.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.51
$2.28 €2.03
-25.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K €25.4K
$33.7K €30.0K
-15.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K €22.9K
$39.3K €35.0K
-34.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €140
$167 €149
-5.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.92 €13.27
$18.80 €16.72
-20.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.61 €29.90
$33.09 €29.43
1.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 €50.8
$46.01 €40.93
24.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.24 €18.89
$19.19 €17.07
10.68%
Cinema Ticket
$6.19 €5.50
$9.84 €8.75
-37.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$407 €362
$677 €602
-39.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,855 €8,766
$16.9K €15.1K
-41.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 €93.3
$101 €90.1
3.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.04 €39.17
$45.76 €40.70
-3.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.8 €86.1
$100.0 €88.9
-3.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$178 €159
$123 €109
45.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$846 €752
$1,614 €1,436
-47.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$606 €539
$1,197 €1,065
-49.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,499 €1,333
$2,862 €2,545
-47.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,149 €1,022
$1,990 €1,770
-42.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,046 €3,599
$7,577 €6,740
-46.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,920 €2,597
$4,307 €3,831
-32.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budva
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,028 €915
$1,588 €1,412
-35.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.95
3.85
54.55%

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

Last update for Budva: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budva
$606
Lisbon
$1.2K 97.5% $591
Eating Out
Budva
$246
Lisbon
$242 1.3% $3.3
Groceries & Markets
Budva
$235
Lisbon
$269 14.5% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budva
$206
Lisbon
$219 6.4% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Budva
$191
Lisbon
$166 12.8% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Budva
$69
Lisbon
$66 5.4% $3.8
Getting Around
Budva
$58
Lisbon
$63 9.3% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Budva versus $1,614 in Lisbon. 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 54% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Budva versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Budva vs $269 in Lisbon – so Budva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇪 Budva
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
17:40 5:40 PM
16:40 4:40 PM
1 h behind Budva
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,338
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budva Lisbon 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budva
  • Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Budva and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,611 in Budva, $2,223 in Lisbon – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Budva compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,417 per month in Budva and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Budva and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Budva, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Budva or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,611 in Budva and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 38%.
How do commuting costs compare in Budva and in Lisbon?
Public transport costs about 11% less in Budva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Budva, where all-in costs run around $1,611, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Budva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Budva and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,611 in Budva to $2,223 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Budva or Lisbon safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Budva and Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Budva. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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