Cost of Living Comparison Between Herceg Novi and Podgorica Cost of Living Comparison Between Herceg Novi and Podgorica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,465 in Herceg Novi versus $1,309 in Podgorica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,156 in Herceg Novi versus $1,997 in Podgorica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,848 in Herceg Novi versus $2,685 in Podgorica.

Living in Herceg Novi is roughly 12% more expensive than in Podgorica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Herceg Novi is 10% above, Podgorica is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 €10.08

$9.72 €8.51

18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.39 €32.72

$47.18 €41.27

-20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 €9.16

$9.50 €8.31

10.21%

Cappuccino

$2.61 €2.29

$2.14 €1.88

21.96%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$2.28 €2.00

23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.44 €1.26

34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 €2.57

$2.88 €2.52

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.60

$3.38 €2.96

-11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.32 €1.15

5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 €0.81

$0.99 €0.87

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.22

$2.29 €2.00

10.48%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.78

$3.19 €2.79

-0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 €7.82

$8.61 €7.54

3.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 €6.67

$7.91 €6.92

-3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 €10.22

$11.88 €10.39

-1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.51 €1.32

-12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.75 €1.53

-3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 €1.43

$1.61 €1.40

1.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.62

$2.56 €2.24

17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.04 €0.91

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.23

$1.11 €0.98

26.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.85 €1.62

-16.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.81 €0.71

1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 €3.21

$4.19 €3.67

-12.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 €4.08

$5.78 €5.06

-19.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.05 €0.92

17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.79 €1.56

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.02 €0.90

12.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 €50.8

$34.27 €29.98

69.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.66 €0.58

245.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.65

$0.75 €0.66

-1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.59 €15.39

$11.73 €10.26

49.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.76 €1.54

1.70%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$29.5K €25.8K

15.76%

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

$22.1K €19.4K

$32.3K €28.2K

-31.42%

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

$139 €121

$115 €101

20.79%

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

$16.73 €14.63

$18.25 €15.97

-8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.83 €27.85

$31.94 €27.94

-0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$43.89 €38.40

32.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.58 €10.14

$13.47 €11.79

-14.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 €7.21

$5.84 €5.11

41.10%

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

$521 €456

$284 €249

83.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,796 €6,821

$7,580 €6,632

2.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 €76.3

$85.2 €74.5

2.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.17 €30.77

$45.19 €39.53

-22.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 €66.2

$94.2 €82.4

-19.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 €84.4

$111 €97.1

-13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €649

$627 €548

18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 €493

$496 €434

13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 €1,218

$1,157 €1,012

20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 €852

$834 €730

16.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,656 €3,198

$3,080 €2,694

18.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,513 €2,198

$2,366 €2,070

6.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,059 €927

$1,145 €1,002

-7.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.73

-12.74%

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

Last update for Herceg Novi: July 11, 2026

Last update for Podgorica: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Herceg Novi and $627 in Podgorica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Podgorica pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Herceg Novi vs $47.00 in Podgorica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $226 per month, with Herceg Novi cheaper across the board.

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

Herceg Novi vs Podgorica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Herceg Novi and Podgorica differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,465 vs $1,309 including rent). Podgorica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Podgorica. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Herceg Novi versus $627 in Podgorica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Herceg Novi pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Podgorica – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $37.00 in Herceg Novi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,309 in Podgorica versus $1,465 in Herceg Novi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Podgorica but tight or insufficient in Herceg Novi. The gap between the two cities makes Podgorica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Herceg Novi and Podgorica are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Podgorica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Herceg Novi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.