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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,126 in Saitama versus $1,433 in Herceg Novi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,821 in Saitama versus $2,138 in Herceg Novi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,516 in Saitama versus $2,842 in Herceg Novi.

Living in Saitama costs roughly 21% less than in Herceg Novi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saitama is 16% below, Herceg Novi is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 ¥970

$11.79 €10.14

-48.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.98 ¥5,436

$37.10 €31.92

-8.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ¥764

$10.30 €8.86

-53.59%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥487

$2.63 €2.26

15.59%

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

$0.75 ¥120

$2.83 €2.44

-73.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥111

$1.93 €1.66

-64.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ¥324

$2.95 €2.53

-31.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥501

$2.95 €2.54

6.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥252

$1.41 €1.21

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥268

$0.91 €0.79

83.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 ¥485

$2.61 €2.24

16.09%

Eggs

$2.24 ¥358

$3.23 €2.78

-30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 ¥1,644

$8.90 €7.66

15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 ¥983

$7.71 €6.64

-20.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 ¥2,494

$11.74 €10.10

32.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 ¥942

$1.27 €1.09

363.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥215

$1.68 €1.45

-20.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 ¥626

$1.64 €1.41

138.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 ¥944

$3.04 €2.62

94.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 ¥516

$1.14 €0.98

183.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 ¥273

$1.41 €1.21

21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ¥216

$1.52 €1.31

-11.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥142

$0.76 €0.66

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥660

$3.85 €3.31

7.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 ¥1,358

$4.57 €3.93

85.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥295

$1.25 €1.08

47.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥342

$1.72 €1.48

24.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 ¥259

$1.19 €1.03

36.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 ¥9,030

$58.2 €50.1

-3.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ¥550

$2.38 €2.04

44.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥473

$0.70 €0.60

322.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.04 ¥3,526

$17.51 €15.06

25.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥198

$1.77 €1.53

-29.94%

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

$23.1K ¥3.7M

$32.9K €28.3K

-29.86%

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

$18.8K ¥3.0M

$22.3K €19.2K

-15.51%

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

$144 ¥23.0K

$138 €119

4.48%

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

$19.50 ¥3,120

$16.74 €14.40

16.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.90 ¥5,424

$31.48 €27.08

7.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 ¥10.8K

$58.5 €50.3

15.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ¥2,256

$11.53 €9.92

22.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 ¥1,943

$7.94 €6.83

52.90%

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

$276 ¥44.2K

$515 €443

-46.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K ¥2.2M

$7,897 €6,793

73.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.62 ¥6,178

$85.6 €73.7

-54.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ¥4,383

$34.95 €30.07

-21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 ¥9,630

$76.1 €65.4

-20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 ¥11.1K

$97.5 €83.9

-28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥68.6K

$760 €653

-43.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 ¥40.9K

$550 €473

-53.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ¥137.2K

$1,385 €1,192

-38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥105.6K

$993 €854

-33.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,524 ¥723.8K

$3,821 €3,287

18.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,701 ¥432.2K

$2,603 €2,239

3.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,535 ¥245.6K

$1,082 €931

41.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.86

-62.80%

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

Last update for Saitama: May 30, 2026

Last update for Herceg Novi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Saitama and $760 in Herceg Novi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saitama pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Saitama vs $37.00 in Herceg Novi. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $226, with Herceg Novi cheaper for home cooking.

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

Saitama vs Herceg Novi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saitama and Herceg Novi differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,126 vs $1,433 including rent). Saitama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Saitama pays 42% more on average, 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: $429 in Saitama versus $760 in Herceg Novi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Herceg Novi pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Saitama – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $37.00 in Herceg Novi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,126 in Saitama versus $1,433 in Herceg Novi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saitama but tight or insufficient in Herceg Novi. The gap between the two cities makes Saitama 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, Saitama 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 Saitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Herceg Novi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.