Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Herceg Novi Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Herceg Novi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,380 in Podgorica versus $1,282 in Herceg Novi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,149 in Podgorica versus $2,079 in Herceg Novi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,917 in Podgorica versus $2,876 in Herceg Novi.

Living in Podgorica is roughly 8% more expensive than in Herceg Novi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Podgorica is 0% above, Herceg Novi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 €9.90

$11.40 €9.84

0.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.41 €40.05

$38.04 €32.83

22.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.86

$9.14 €7.89

12.36%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €1.99

$2.61 €2.25

-11.49%

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

$2.63 €2.27

$2.56 €2.21

2.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.64 €1.42

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 €2.71

$2.92 €2.52

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.06

$3.53 €3.05

0.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.20 €1.04

19.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.00 €0.86

1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.94 €2.54

-30.27%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.05

$3.10 €2.67

13.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 €7.76

$9.19 €7.93

-2.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 €7.42

$7.43 €6.41

15.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 €11.05

$13.00 €11.22

-1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.34 €1.15

26.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.57 €1.35

17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.67 €1.44

17.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.99 €2.58

-19.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.85

$0.91 €0.79

8.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.36 €1.17

-21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.50 €1.30

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.99 €0.85

-19.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 €3.88

$4.00 €3.45

12.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 €5.09

$4.53 €3.91

30.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.32 €1.14

-18.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.84 €1.59

2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.79 €1.55

-40.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 €30.05

$47.38 €40.88

-26.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 €0.71

$3.10 €2.67

-73.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.18 €1.02

-27.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 €9.93

$17.63 €15.21

-34.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.80 €1.55

3.33%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$33.8K €29.1K

-4.42%

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

$28.1K €24.2K

$21.8K €18.8K

28.51%

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

$127 €109

$137 €118

-7.80%

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

$20.04 €17.29

$13.28 €11.46

50.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.01 €30.21

$35.68 €30.79

-1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.66 €40.27

$57.8 €49.85

-19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 €11.67

$11.71 €10.11

15.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 €5.92

$8.31 €7.17

-17.45%

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

$375 €324

$466 €402

-19.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,659 €6,609

$7,235 €6,243

5.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 €78.6

$85.9 €74.1

6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.43 €41.79

$35.37 €30.52

36.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €85.9

$74.6 €64.4

33.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.6

$97.7 €84.3

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 €568

$682 €589

-3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €451

$415 €358

25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,190

$1,303 €1,124

5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €863

$927 €800

7.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,132 €2,702

$3,887 €3,354

-19.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 €2,021

$2,457 €2,120

-4.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,187 €1,025

$1,069 €922

11.09%

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 Herceg Novi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Podgorica and $682 in Herceg Novi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Podgorica pays 11% 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 $38.00 in Herceg Novi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $230 per month, with Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Podgorica and Herceg Novi differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,380 vs $1,282 including rent). Herceg Novi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $682 in Herceg Novi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Podgorica. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Herceg Novi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $46.00 in Podgorica. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,282 in Herceg Novi versus $1,380 in Podgorica, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Herceg Novi but tight or insufficient in Podgorica. The gap between the two cities makes Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Podgorica. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.