Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Zabljak

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabljak: $1,128 a month against $1,609 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Zabljak
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Zabljak Living Index

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Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,609

/mo nomad

Zabljak

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budva and in Zabljak

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Budva vs $1,128 in Zabljak, rent included.

Budva $1,609
Zabljak $1,128

A couple spends around $2,537 per month in Budva vs $1,769 in Zabljak, rent included.

Budva $2,537
Zabljak $1,769

A family of three spends $3,464 per month in Budva vs $2,410 in Zabljak, rent included.

Budva $3,464
Zabljak $2,410

Budva costs about 43% more than Zabljak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budva sits 19% above the global median, while Zabljak is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 €12.91

$7.95 €7.08

82.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 €60.1

$31.82 €28.30

112.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$6.55 €5.82

103.21%

Cappuccino

$3.56 €3.16

$1.63 €1.45

118.40%

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

$2.21 €1.97

$2.24 €2.00

-1.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.45 €1.29

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 €4.20

$3.00 €2.66

57.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.82

$3.54 €3.15

21.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.65 €0.57

64.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.31 €1.17

72.52%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.73

$2.97 €2.64

3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 €7.50

$7.08 €6.30

19.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 €8.13

$7.22 €6.42

26.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 €10.83

$12.23 €10.88

-0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.32 €1.17

-2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.67 €1.49

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.51 €1.34

1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.59

$1.41 €1.26

107.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

$0.65 €0.58

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.70 €0.62

54.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.48

$0.91 €0.81

83.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.96 €0.86

-7.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 €3.81

$4.01 €3.57

6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.86

$4.41 €3.92

74.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.07 €0.95

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.73 €1.54

-2.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.52

$1.63 €1.45

74.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.52 €35.15

$39.55 €35.18

-0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.14 €1.02

-3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.01

$0.64 €0.57

78.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.01 €15.13

$17.00 €15.12

0.06%

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

$29.3K €26.1K

-0.68%

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

$25.9K €23.1K

$25.6K €22.7K

1.40%

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

$158 €141

$113 €101

39.63%

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

$14.71 €13.08

$15.02 €13.36

-2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.77 €30.04

$22.02 €19.58

53.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 €52.7

$46.30 €41.18

27.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.33 €18.98

$14.72 €13.10

44.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 €5.38

$6.21 €5.53

-2.58%

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

$400 €356

$392 €349

1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,649 €8,582

$9,812 €8,728

-1.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.7

$22.65 €20.15

359.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 €40.25

$27.47 €24.43

64.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €86.6

$55.0 €48.89

77.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €162

$67.7 €60.2

168.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €754

$645 €573

31.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 €533

$455 €405

31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,339

$1,277 €1,135

17.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,023

$937 €834

22.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,107 €3,653

$3,324 €2,956

23.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,958 €2,631

$2,357 €2,097

25.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 €895

$801 €713

25.53%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Zabljak: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budva

$599 37.2%

Zabljak

$455 40.3% 24% $144

Eating Out

Budva

$246 15.3%

Zabljak

$140 12.4% 43.1% $106

Groceries & Markets

Budva

$236 14.7%

Zabljak

$196 17.4% 16.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budva

$207 12.8%

Zabljak

$150 13.3% 27.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Budva

$193 12%

Zabljak

$78 6.9% 59.7% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Budva

$71 4.4%

Zabljak

$59 5.2% 17.7% $13

Getting Around

Budva

$58 3.6%

Zabljak

$50 4.5% 12.6% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $848 in Budva versus $645 in Zabljak. 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 26% 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 $32.00 in Zabljak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $196 – making Zabljak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Budva

🇲🇪 Zabljak

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

Same time as Budva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,338

1,900

💱 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 Zabljak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Budva, $1,128 in Zabljak – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,414 per month in Budva and $1,692 in Zabljak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zabljak, 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 $1,128 in Zabljak. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Zabljak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zabljak, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Budva at $1,609. In Zabljak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zabljak – 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 Zabljak. 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.