Cost of Living Comparison Between Kotor and Podgorica Cost of Living Comparison Between Kotor and Podgorica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Kotor versus $1,304 in Podgorica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,457 in Kotor versus $1,983 in Podgorica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,345 in Kotor versus $2,662 in Podgorica.

Living in Kotor is roughly 20% more expensive than in Podgorica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kotor is 18% above, Podgorica is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 €13.98

$9.62 €8.33

67.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €49.66

$47.16 €40.84

21.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 €7.90

$9.46 €8.19

-3.49%

Cappuccino

$2.57 €2.22

$2.11 €1.83

21.80%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.35 €2.04

-0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.39 €1.20

3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.81 €2.44

3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.17

$3.48 €3.01

5.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.36 €1.18

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.00 €0.87

3.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €1.99

$2.38 €2.06

-3.36%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.69

$3.24 €2.80

-4.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 €7.82

$8.62 €7.47

4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 €7.23

$8.30 €7.19

0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 €10.25

$12.06 €10.45

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.45 €1.25

-14.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.72 €1.49

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.66 €1.44

-4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.17

$2.57 €2.23

-2.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 €0.90

$1.03 €0.89

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.16 €1.00

-1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.86 €1.61

-8.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.79 €0.69

10.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 €3.72

$4.13 €3.58

3.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 €5.99

$5.81 €5.03

18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.05 €0.91

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.86 €1.61

0.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.03 €0.89

43.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.00 €32.91

$34.78 €30.12

9.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 €0.57

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$0.75 €0.65

41.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 €10.14

$11.75 €10.18

-0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.45

$1.67 €1.44

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

$28.6K €24.8K

$29.5K €25.5K

-2.97%

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

$26.2K €22.7K

$32.5K €28.2K

-19.35%

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

$126 €109

$115 €100.0

8.89%

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

$18.58 €16.09

$18.16 €15.73

2.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.85 €27.58

$32.45 €28.10

-1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.59 €37.75

$44.81 €38.81

-2.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.52 €12.57

$13.83 €11.98

4.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 €5.12

$5.96 €5.16

-0.84%

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

$281 €243

$286 €247

-1.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,532 €6,523

$7,453 €6,455

1.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 €72.0

$83.7 €72.5

-0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.70 €38.71

$45.82 €39.68

-2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 €82.5

$96.1 €83.2

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.9

$109 €94.7

3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 €594

$641 €555

6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 €589

$495 €429

37.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 €1,109

$1,155 €1,000

10.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 €1,177

$849 €735

60.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,960 €3,429

$3,092 €2,677

28.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,850 €2,469

$2,378 €2,059

19.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$962 €833

$1,162 €1,007

-17.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

5.73

3.49%

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

Last update for Kotor: July 25, 2026

Last update for Podgorica: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $686 in Kotor and $641 in Podgorica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Podgorica pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Kotor vs $47.00 in Podgorica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $230 per month, with Podgorica 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

Kotor vs Podgorica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Podgorica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $686 in Kotor versus $641 in Podgorica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Kotor versus $286 in Podgorica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Kotor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,304 in Podgorica versus $1,568 in Kotor, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Podgorica but tight or insufficient in Kotor. The gap between the two cities makes Podgorica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Podgorica is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kotor, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kotor 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 20% less than in Kotor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.