Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niksic and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Niksic: $986 a month against $1,609 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Niksic
Learn more

Niksic Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
Learn more

Budva Living Index

Jump to prices

Niksic

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$986

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Niksic 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 Niksic and in Budva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $986 per month in Niksic vs $1,609 in Budva, rent included.

Niksic $986
Budva $1,609

A couple spends around $1,468 per month in Niksic vs $2,537 in Budva, rent included.

Niksic $1,468
Budva $2,537

A family of three spends $1,950 per month in Niksic vs $3,464 in Budva, rent included.

Niksic $1,950
Budva $3,464

Niksic is about 39% cheaper than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Niksic sits 27% below the global median, while Budva is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 €7.07

$14.51 €12.91

-45.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.49 €27.12

$67.6 €60.1

-54.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 €5.12

$13.31 €11.84

-56.72%

Cappuccino

$1.70 €1.51

$3.56 €3.16

-52.25%

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

$1.85 €1.65

$2.21 €1.97

-16.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.48 €1.32

-22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 €1.79

$4.72 €4.20

-57.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$4.30 €3.82

-49.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.27 €1.13

-14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 €0.78

$1.07 €0.95

-17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.26 €2.01

-15.93%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.83

$3.07 €2.73

3.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.59 €6.75

$8.43 €7.50

-9.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 €5.30

$9.14 €8.13

-34.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 €9.65

$12.18 €10.83

-10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.29 €1.14

-15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.68 €1.49

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.54 €1.37

-16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.92 €2.59

-27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.08 €0.96

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.67 €1.48

-37.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.89 €0.80

-5.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 €3.76

$4.28 €3.81

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 €4.56

$7.71 €6.86

-33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$1.08 €0.96

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.68 €1.50

-33.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.84 €2.52

-61.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.41 €29.72

$39.52 €35.15

-15.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 €0.51

$1.10 €0.98

-47.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 €0.48

$1.14 €1.01

-52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 €6.41

$17.01 €15.13

-57.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.72 €1.53

2.91%

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

$21.5K €19.1K

$29.1K €25.9K

-26.26%

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

$25.7K €22.8K

$25.9K €23.1K

-0.90%

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

$123 €109

$158 €141

-22.22%

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

$23.36 €20.78

$14.71 €13.08

58.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.80 €21.17

$33.77 €30.04

-29.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.17 €29.51

$59.3 €52.7

-44.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.53 €9.37

$21.33 €18.98

-50.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 €5.02

$6.05 €5.38

-6.78%

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

$81.9 €72.9

$400 €356

-79.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,517 €4,018

$9,649 €8,582

-53.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 €73.2

$104 €92.7

-21.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.53 €28.05

$45.25 €40.25

-30.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €79.5

$97.3 €86.6

-8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.5

$182 €162

-38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 €366

$848 €754

-51.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 €241

$599 €533

-54.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 €534

$1,505 €1,339

-60.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 €359

$1,151 €1,023

-64.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,667 €1,483

$4,107 €3,653

-59.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,215 €1,081

$2,958 €2,631

-58.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 €717

$1,006 €895

-19.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.95

-7.56%

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

Last update for Niksic: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Niksic

$271 27.5%

Budva

$599 37.2% 121% $327

Groceries & Markets

Niksic

$190 19.3%

Budva

$236 14.7% 24.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Niksic

$170 17.3%

Budva

$207 12.8% 21.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Niksic

$142 14.4%

Budva

$193 12% 36.1% $51

Eating Out

Niksic

$128 12.9%

Budva

$246 15.3% 92.6% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Niksic

$44 4.5%

Budva

$71 4.4% 60.6% $27

Getting Around

Niksic

$41 4.2%

Budva

$58 3.6% 40.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in Niksic versus $848 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 25% 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 $30.00 in Niksic versus $68.0 in Budva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $236 – making Niksic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Niksic

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

Same time as Niksic

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,970

13,338

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Niksic Budva 55 km

From you

Niksic
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

Niksic vs Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $986 in Niksic, $1,609 in Budva – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,479 per month in Niksic and $2,414 in Budva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Niksic, 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 $986 in Niksic and $1,609 in Budva. That's a gap of about 63%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Niksic. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Niksic, where all-in costs run around $986, than in Budva at $1,609. In Niksic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Niksic – 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 Niksic. 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.