Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Podgorica: $1,328 a month against $1,611 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Podgorica
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Podgorica Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index

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Podgorica

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,328

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,328 per month in Podgorica vs $1,611 in Budva, rent included.

Podgorica $1,328
Budva $1,611

A couple spends around $2,094 per month in Podgorica vs $2,529 in Budva, rent included.

Podgorica $2,094
Budva $2,529

A family of three spends $2,860 per month in Podgorica vs $3,447 in Budva, rent included.

Podgorica $2,860
Budva $3,447

Podgorica is about 18% cheaper than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Podgorica sits 2% below the global median, while Budva is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 €10.12

$14.76 €13.13

-22.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.91 €39.95

$66.5 €59.1

-32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 €9.26

$13.27 €11.80

-21.55%

Cappuccino

$2.23 €1.98

$3.39 €3.02

-34.22%

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

$2.57 €2.29

$2.21 €1.96

16.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.52 €1.35

-7.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 €2.79

$4.69 €4.17

-33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.27 €3.80

-20.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.25 €1.11

4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.06 €0.95

-12.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.21 €1.97

-10.41%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.14

$3.07 €2.73

14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 €7.86

$8.50 €7.56

4.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €7.19

$9.08 €8.08

-10.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 €10.63

$12.17 €10.83

-1.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.28 €1.14

21.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.75 €1.56

-6.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.52 €1.35

17.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$2.78 €2.47

-14.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.85 €0.76

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.07 €0.95

-4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.67 €1.48

-13.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.94 €0.84

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 €3.79

$4.42 €3.93

-3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €5.08

$7.67 €6.82

-25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.06 €0.94

1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.74 €1.55

-2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 €0.90

$2.84 €2.53

-64.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.57 €29.86

$39.74 €35.34

-15.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 €0.68

$1.11 €0.98

-30.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 €0.67

$1.09 €0.97

-30.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.32 €10.07

$16.85 €14.99

-32.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.70 €1.51

9.41%

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

$30.9K €27.5K

$28.5K €25.4K

8.27%

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

$25.9K €23.0K

$25.8K €22.9K

0.33%

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

$126 €112

$158 €140

-20.10%

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

$18.89 €16.80

$14.92 €13.27

26.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.22 €27.77

$33.61 €29.90

-7.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.05 €42.74

$57.1 €50.8

-15.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.53 €12.03

$21.24 €18.89

-36.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 €5.64

$6.19 €5.50

2.42%

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

$335 €298

$407 €362

-17.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,336 €6,525

$9,855 €8,766

-25.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 €77.2

$105 €93.3

-17.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €41.61

$44.04 €39.17

6.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 €87.5

$96.8 €86.1

1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.0

$178 €159

-40.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 €576

$846 €752

-23.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 €431

$606 €539

-19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,172

$1,499 €1,333

-12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 €871

$1,149 €1,022

-14.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,975 €2,646

$4,046 €3,599

-26.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,252 €2,003

$2,920 €2,597

-22.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,162 €1,034

$1,028 €915

13.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

5.95

-12.27%

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

Last update for Podgorica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Podgorica

$485 36.5%

Budva

$606 37.6% 25% $121

Groceries & Markets

Podgorica

$224 16.9%

Budva

$235 14.6% 5% $11

Eating Out

Podgorica

$187 14.1%

Budva

$246 15.2% 31% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Podgorica

$176 13.3%

Budva

$206 12.8% 17.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Podgorica

$152 11.5%

Budva

$191 11.9% 25.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Podgorica

$61 4.6%

Budva

$69 4.3% 14.4% $8.7

Getting Around

Podgorica

$42 3.2%

Budva

$58 3.6% 36.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Podgorica versus $846 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 13% higher in Podgorica, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Podgorica versus $66.0 in Budva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $235 – making Podgorica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Podgorica

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Podgorica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,799 Capital

13,338

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Podgorica Budva 38 km

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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 Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,328 in Podgorica, $1,611 in Budva – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,992 per month in Podgorica and $2,417 in Budva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Podgorica, 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 $1,328 in Podgorica and $1,611 in Budva. That's a gap of about 21%.

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

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Podgorica, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Budva at $1,611. In Podgorica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Podgorica – 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 Podgorica. 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.