Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Ulcinj

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulcinj: $1,226 a month against $1,657 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Ulcinj
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Ulcinj Living Index

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Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,657

/mo nomad

Ulcinj

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budva and in Ulcinj

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

A single person spends $1,657 per month in Budva vs $1,226 in Ulcinj, rent included.

Budva $1,657
Ulcinj $1,226

A couple spends around $2,645 per month in Budva vs $1,881 in Ulcinj, rent included.

Budva $2,645
Ulcinj $1,881

A family of three spends $3,632 per month in Budva vs $2,536 in Ulcinj, rent included.

Budva $3,632
Ulcinj $2,536

Budva costs about 35% more than Ulcinj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budva sits 22% above the global median, while Ulcinj is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.79 €14.09

$10.97 €9.79

43.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 €67.6

$36.74 €32.78

106.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.51 €12.05

$7.94 €7.08

70.15%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.24

$2.30 €2.05

57.83%

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

$2.57 €2.30

$2.29 €2.04

12.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.61 €1.43

3.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 €4.35

$2.28 €2.04

113.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.89

$3.30 €2.95

32.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.16 €1.03

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.64 €0.58

67.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.80 €2.50

-26.07%

Eggs

$3.04 €2.71

$1.92 €1.71

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 €7.69

$9.06 €8.08

-4.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 €8.44

$7.45 €6.64

27.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$12.46 €11.12

-2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.28 €1.14

3.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.55 €1.38

11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.04 €0.93

47.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.60

$1.16 €1.03

151.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.76 €0.68

22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.26 €1.12

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.51 €1.34

15.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.88 €0.78

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 €4.02

$3.83 €3.42

17.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 €8.09

$4.50 €4.01

101.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.23 €1.09

-11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.70 €1.52

11.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 €2.91

$1.83 €1.63

78.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 €35.01

$37.79 €33.72

3.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.14 €1.02

-3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.74 €14.94

$16.50 €14.72

1.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.58 €1.41

13.29%

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

$29.3K €26.1K

$32.3K €28.8K

-9.37%

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

$26.2K €23.4K

$21.6K €19.2K

21.54%

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

$160 €143

$133 €119

20.14%

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

$14.43 €12.88

$13.02 €11.62

10.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.34 €29.74

$25.56 €22.81

30.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 €55.1

$22.54 €20.11

173.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.74 €19.40

$16.12 €14.38

34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 €5.40

$7.97 €7.11

-24.09%

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

$408 €364

$441 €394

-7.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €9,094

$6,847 €6,109

48.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.8

$85.1 €75.9

24.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 €39.74

$33.83 €30.18

31.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.2

$71.7 €64.0

48.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €162

$93.9 €83.8

93.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 €739

$674 €602

22.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 €548

$459 €410

33.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 €1,491

$1,488 €1,328

12.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,082

$860 €767

41.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,087 €3,647

$3,694 €3,296

10.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,973 €2,653

$2,403 €2,144

23.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 €925

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

19.00%

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

Last update for Budva: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ulcinj: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budva

$614 37.1%

Ulcinj

$459 37.4% 25.3% $155

Eating Out

Budva

$261 15.7%

Ulcinj

$173 14.1% 33.7% $88

Groceries & Markets

Budva

$243 14.7%

Ulcinj

$204 16.7% 16.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budva

$208 12.6%

Ulcinj

$172 14% 17.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Budva

$198 11.9%

Ulcinj

$128 10.4% 35.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Budva

$74 4.5%

Ulcinj

$38 3.1% 47.9% $35

Getting Around

Budva

$59 3.6%

Ulcinj

$52 4.2% 12.1% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $828 in Budva versus $674 in Ulcinj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Budva versus $37 in Ulcinj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $204 – making Ulcinj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Budva

🇲🇪 Ulcinj

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

Same time as Budva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,338

10,707

💱 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 Ulcinj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,657 in Budva, $1,226 in Ulcinj – Ulcinj comes out roughly 26% 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 $1,839 in Ulcinj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulcinj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $674 there versus $828 in Budva.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,657 in Budva and $1,226 in Ulcinj. That makes Ulcinj about 26% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Ulcinj. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulcinj, where all-in costs run around $1,226, than in Budva at $1,657. In Ulcinj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Ulcinj is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.