Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Niksic

For one person, living is cheaper in Niksic: $986 a month against $1,609 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Niksic
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Niksic Living Index

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Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,609

/mo nomad

Niksic

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budva and in Niksic

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Budva vs $986 in Niksic, rent included.

Budva $1,609
Niksic $986

A couple spends around $2,537 per month in Budva vs $1,468 in Niksic, rent included.

Budva $2,537
Niksic $1,468

A family of three spends $3,464 per month in Budva vs $1,950 in Niksic, rent included.

Budva $3,464
Niksic $1,950

Budva costs about 63% more than Niksic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budva sits 19% above the global median, while Niksic is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 €12.91

$7.94 €7.07

82.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 €60.1

$30.49 €27.12

121.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$5.76 €5.12

131.08%

Cappuccino

$3.56 €3.16

$1.70 €1.51

109.41%

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

$2.21 €1.97

$1.85 €1.65

19.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.14 €1.02

29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 €4.20

$2.01 €1.79

134.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.82

$2.17 €1.93

98.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.09 €0.97

16.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.88 €0.78

21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.90 €1.69

18.95%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.73

$3.18 €2.83

-3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 €7.50

$7.59 €6.75

11.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 €8.13

$5.96 €5.30

53.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 €10.83

$10.85 €9.65

12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.09 €0.97

18.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.26 €1.12

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.29 €1.15

19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.59

$2.12 €1.88

37.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.06 €0.95

1.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.04 €0.93

60.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.84 €0.74

5.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 €3.81

$4.22 €3.76

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.86

$5.13 €4.56

50.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.90 €0.80

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.11 €0.99

51.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.52

$1.09 €0.97

160.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.52 €35.15

$33.41 €29.72

18.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 €0.98

$0.58 €0.51

89.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.01

$0.54 €0.48

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.01 €15.13

$7.21 €6.41

135.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.77 €1.57

-2.82%

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

$29.1K €25.9K

$21.5K €19.1K

35.62%

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

$25.9K €23.1K

$25.7K €22.8K

0.91%

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

$158 €141

$123 €109

28.56%

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

$14.71 €13.08

$23.36 €20.78

-37.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.77 €30.04

$23.80 €21.17

41.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 €52.7

$33.17 €29.51

78.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.33 €18.98

$10.53 €9.37

102.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 €5.38

$5.64 €5.02

7.27%

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

$400 €356

$81.9 €72.9

388.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,649 €8,582

$4,517 €4,018

113.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.7

$82.3 €73.2

26.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 €40.25

$31.53 €28.05

43.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €86.6

$89.4 €79.5

8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €162

$112 €99.5

62.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €754

$412 €366

105.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 €533

$271 €241

120.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,339

$600 €534

150.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,023

$403 €359

185.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,107 €3,653

$1,667 €1,483

146.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,958 €2,631

$1,215 €1,081

143.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 €895

$806 €717

24.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.5

8.18%

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

Last update for Budva: October 17, 2026

Last update for Niksic: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budva

$599 37.2%

Niksic

$271 27.5% 54.7% $327

Eating Out

Budva

$246 15.3%

Niksic

$128 12.9% 48.1% $118

Groceries & Markets

Budva

$236 14.7%

Niksic

$190 19.3% 19.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budva

$207 12.8%

Niksic

$170 17.3% 17.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Budva

$193 12%

Niksic

$142 14.4% 26.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Budva

$71 4.4%

Niksic

$44 4.5% 37.7% $27

Getting Around

Budva

$58 3.6%

Niksic

$41 4.2% 28.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $848 in Budva versus $412 in Niksic. 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 25% higher in Budva, 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 $68.0 in Budva versus $30.00 in Niksic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $190 – making Niksic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Budva

🇲🇪 Niksic

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Budva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,338

56,970

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Niksic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Budva, $986 in Niksic – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,414 per month in Budva and $1,479 in Niksic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Niksic, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,609 in Budva and $986 in Niksic. That's a gap of about 63%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Niksic. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Niksic, where all-in costs run around $986, than in Budva at $1,609. In Niksic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

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