Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Bar Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Bar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,380 in Podgorica versus $1,289 in Bar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,149 in Podgorica versus $2,017 in Bar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,917 in Podgorica versus $2,744 in Bar.

Living in Podgorica is roughly 7% more expensive than in Bar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Podgorica is 0% above, Bar is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 €9.89

$11.76 €10.14

-2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.41 €40.03

$49.94 €43.08

-7.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.86

$10.61 €9.15

-3.20%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €1.99

$2.84 €2.45

-18.66%

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

$2.63 €2.26

$2.29 €1.97

14.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.90 €1.63

-24.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 €2.71

$2.82 €2.43

11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.06

$3.16 €2.73

12.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.22 €1.06

17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.34 €1.15

-24.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.66 €2.29

-22.93%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.05

$3.24 €2.80

8.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 €7.75

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 €7.42

$8.30 €7.16

3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 €11.05

$11.82 €10.19

8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.48 €1.27

14.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.02 €1.74

-8.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.58 €1.36

24.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.75 €2.37

-12.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.02 €0.88

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.05 €0.90

1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.10 €1.81

-17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.90 €0.78

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 €3.87

$4.59 €3.96

-2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 €5.09

$8.48 €7.31

-30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.95 €0.82

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.45 €1.25

29.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.31 €1.99

-53.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 €30.03

$23.38 €20.17

48.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 €0.71

$2.36 €2.04

-65.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.19 €1.02

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 €9.93

$14.46 €12.47

-20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.76 €1.51

5.68%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$32.1K €27.7K

0.40%

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

$28.1K €24.2K

$30.0K €25.9K

-6.50%

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

$127 €109

$114 €98.3

11.00%

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

$20.04 €17.28

$16.53 €14.26

21.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.01 €30.19

$30.80 €26.57

13.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.66 €40.25

$44.80 €38.64

4.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 €11.66

$15.35 €13.24

-11.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 €5.92

$4.54 €3.91

51.10%

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

$375 €324

$328 €283

14.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,659 €6,606

$7,162 €6,178

6.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 €78.5

$65.4 €56.4

39.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.43 €41.77

$30.19 €26.04

60.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €85.8

$98.9 €85.3

0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.5

$120 €104

-5.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 €568

$631 €544

4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €451

$448 €387

16.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,189

$1,185 €1,022

16.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €863

$842 €727

18.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,132 €2,701

$3,039 €2,621

3.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 €2,020

$2,246 €1,937

4.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,187 €1,024

$916 €790

29.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

6.20%

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

Last update for Podgorica: August 29, 2026

Last update for Bar: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Podgorica and $631 in Bar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Podgorica pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Podgorica vs $50.0 in Bar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $242 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

Podgorica vs Bar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bar wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Podgorica. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Podgorica, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $658 in Podgorica versus $631 in Bar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Podgorica versus $328 in Bar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Podgorica pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,289 in Bar versus $1,380 in Podgorica, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bar but tight or insufficient in Podgorica. The gap between the two cities makes Bar 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, Podgorica and Bar 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 Bar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Podgorica. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.