Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Podgorica

For one person, living is cheaper in Podgorica: $1,328 a month against $1,611 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Podgorica
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Podgorica Living Index

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Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,611

/mo nomad

Podgorica

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budva and in Podgorica

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

A single person spends $1,611 per month in Budva vs $1,328 in Podgorica, rent included.

Budva $1,611
Podgorica $1,328

A couple spends around $2,529 per month in Budva vs $2,094 in Podgorica, rent included.

Budva $2,529
Podgorica $2,094

A family of three spends $3,447 per month in Budva vs $2,860 in Podgorica, rent included.

Budva $3,447
Podgorica $2,860

Budva costs about 21% more than Podgorica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budva sits 19% above the global median, while Podgorica is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.76 €13.13

$11.37 €10.12

29.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.1

$44.91 €39.95

48.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.27 €11.80

$10.41 €9.26

27.47%

Cappuccino

$3.39 €3.02

$2.23 €1.98

52.02%

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

$2.21 €1.96

$2.57 €2.29

-14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.41 €1.25

7.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 €4.17

$3.14 €2.79

49.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$3.39 €3.02

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.31 €1.16

-4.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 €0.95

$0.93 €0.83

13.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.98 €1.76

11.62%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.73

$3.53 €3.14

-13.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 €7.56

$8.84 €7.86

-3.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 €8.08

$8.09 €7.19

12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.17 €10.83

$11.95 €10.63

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.56 €1.39

-17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.63 €1.45

7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.78 €1.59

-14.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.47

$2.38 €2.11

16.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 €0.76

$0.95 €0.84

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.02 €0.90

4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.45 €1.29

15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.78 €0.69

20.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 €3.93

$4.26 €3.79

3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 €6.82

$5.72 €5.08

34.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.94

$1.08 €0.96

-1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.69 €1.51

2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.53

$1.01 €0.90

181.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.74 €35.34

$33.57 €29.86

18.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 €0.98

$0.77 €0.68

44.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.76 €0.67

43.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.85 €14.99

$11.32 €10.07

48.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.86 €1.66

-8.60%

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

$28.5K €25.4K

$30.9K €27.5K

-7.64%

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

$25.8K €22.9K

$25.9K €23.0K

-0.33%

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

$158 €140

$126 €112

25.15%

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

$14.92 €13.27

$18.89 €16.80

-21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.61 €29.90

$31.22 €27.77

7.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €50.8

$48.05 €42.74

18.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 €18.89

$13.53 €12.03

56.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 €5.50

$6.34 €5.64

-2.37%

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

$407 €362

$335 €298

21.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,855 €8,766

$7,336 €6,525

34.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.3

$86.8 €77.2

20.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.04 €39.17

$46.78 €41.61

-5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 €86.1

$98.4 €87.5

-1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 €159

$107 €95.0

67.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 €752

$647 €576

30.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 €539

$485 €431

24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 €1,333

$1,317 €1,172

13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €1,022

$979 €871

17.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 €3,599

$2,975 €2,646

36.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,920 €2,597

$2,252 €2,003

29.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,028 €915

$1,162 €1,034

-11.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.22

13.98%

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

Last update for Budva: October 12, 2026

Last update for Podgorica: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budva

$606 37.6%

Podgorica

$485 36.5% 20% $121

Eating Out

Budva

$246 15.2%

Podgorica

$187 14.1% 23.7% $58

Groceries & Markets

Budva

$235 14.6%

Podgorica

$224 16.9% 4.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budva

$206 12.8%

Podgorica

$176 13.3% 14.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Budva

$191 11.9%

Podgorica

$152 11.5% 20.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Budva

$69 4.3%

Podgorica

$61 4.6% 12.6% $8.7

Getting Around

Budva

$58 3.6%

Podgorica

$42 3.2% 26.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Budva versus $647 in Podgorica. 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 13% higher in Podgorica, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Budva versus $45.00 in Podgorica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $224 – making Podgorica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Budva

🇲🇪 Podgorica

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

Same time as Budva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,338

150,799 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Podgorica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,611 in Budva, $1,328 in Podgorica – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,417 per month in Budva and $1,992 in Podgorica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Podgorica, 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 $1,611 in Budva and $1,328 in Podgorica. That's a gap of about 21%.

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

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Podgorica, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Budva at $1,611. In Podgorica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Podgorica – 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 Podgorica. 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.