Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kotor and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Kotor: $1,536 a month against $1,657 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Budva despite lower rent and utilities.

73

Cost of Living Index in Kotor
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Kotor Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index

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Kotor

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,536

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kotor and in Budva

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kotor and in Budva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Kotor vs $1,657 in Budva, rent included.

Kotor $1,536
Budva $1,657

A couple spends around $2,437 per month in Kotor vs $2,645 in Budva, rent included.

Kotor $2,437
Budva $2,645

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Kotor vs $3,632 in Budva, rent included.

Kotor $3,338
Budva $3,632

Kotor is about 7% cheaper than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kotor and Budva sit above the global median – Kotor by 13%, Budva by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 €9.89

$15.79 €14.15

-30.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €51.9

$75.8 €67.9

-23.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.95

$13.51 €12.10

-17.76%

Cappuccino

$3.23 €2.89

$3.63 €3.25

-11.02%

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

$2.49 €2.23

$2.57 €2.31

-3.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.67 €1.49

-5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 €2.78

$4.87 €4.36

-36.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 €3.94

$4.36 €3.91

0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.28 €1.15

-1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 €0.89

$1.07 €0.96

-7.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.07 €1.85

-7.73%

Eggs

$3.57 €3.20

$3.04 €2.72

17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 €8.05

$8.62 €7.72

4.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 €7.62

$9.47 €8.48

-10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 €11.21

$12.19 €10.92

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.33 €1.19

0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.73 €1.55

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.53 €1.37

1.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.92 €2.61

-17.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 €0.83

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.11 €0.99

-3.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.74 €1.55

-14.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$1.04 €0.93

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 €3.97

$4.50 €4.03

-1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 €8.05

$9.07 €8.12

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.09 €0.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.89 €1.69

-3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.47

$3.26 €2.92

-49.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.37 €40.63

$39.24 €35.14

15.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.10 €0.98

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.09 €0.97

4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.22 €10.05

$16.74 €14.99

-32.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.79 €1.60

-5.59%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$29.3K €26.2K

-4.59%

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

$23.9K €21.4K

$26.2K €23.5K

-8.88%

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

$127 €114

$160 €144

-20.47%

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

$16.92 €15.16

$14.43 €12.93

17.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.06 €28.71

$33.34 €29.86

-3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.81 €40.14

$61.7 €55.3

-27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.22 €18.10

$21.74 €19.47

-6.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 €5.87

$6.05 €5.42

8.43%

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

$340 €304

$408 €365

-16.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,381 €6,610

$10.2K €9,128

-27.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.6

$106 €95.2

-19.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.22 €40.50

$44.55 €39.90

1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 €87.0

$107 €95.6

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €93.2

$182 €163

-42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 €590

$828 €742

-20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 €590

$614 €550

7.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 €1,189

$1,671 €1,497

-20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,183

$1,213 €1,086

8.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,931 €3,521

$4,087 €3,661

-3.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,786 €2,495

$2,973 €2,663

-6.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$933 €835

$1,037 €929

-10.05%

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 Kotor: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kotor

$659 42.9%

Budva

$614 37.1% 6.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Kotor

$234 15.3%

Budva

$243 14.7% 3.9% $9.1

Eating Out

Kotor

$201 13.1%

Budva

$261 15.7% 29.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kotor

$176 11.5%

Budva

$208 12.6% 17.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Kotor

$149 9.7%

Budva

$198 11.9% 32.4% $48

Getting Around

Kotor

$58 3.8%

Budva

$59 3.6% 0.7% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Kotor

$58 3.8%

Budva

$74 4.5% 27.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Kotor versus $828 in Budva. 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 11% higher in Budva. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Kotor versus $76 in Budva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $243 – making Kotor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Kotor

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

Same time as Kotor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

13,338

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kotor Budva 16 km

From you

Kotor
Budva

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

Kotor vs Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,536 in Kotor, $1,657 in Budva – Kotor comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,304 per month in Kotor and $2,485 in Budva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kotor, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $659 there versus $828 in Budva.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,536 in Kotor and $1,657 in Budva. That makes Kotor about 7% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Budva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,536 in Kotor and $1,657 in Budva. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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

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