Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulcinj and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulcinj: $1,200 a month against $1,611 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Ulcinj
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Ulcinj Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index

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Ulcinj

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,200

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Ulcinj vs $1,611 in Budva, rent included.

Ulcinj $1,200
Budva $1,611

A couple spends around $1,919 per month in Ulcinj vs $2,529 in Budva, rent included.

Ulcinj $1,919
Budva $2,529

A family of three spends $2,639 per month in Ulcinj vs $3,447 in Budva, rent included.

Ulcinj $2,639
Budva $3,447

Ulcinj is about 26% cheaper than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ulcinj sits 11% below the global median, while Budva is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.05

$14.76 €13.13

-23.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.99 €32.01

$66.5 €59.1

-45.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 €7.05

$13.27 €11.80

-40.24%

Cappuccino

$2.19 €1.95

$3.39 €3.02

-35.40%

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

$2.17 €1.93

$2.21 €1.96

-1.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.52 €1.35

6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 €2.04

$4.69 €4.17

-51.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.07

$4.27 €3.80

-19.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.25 €1.11

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 €0.58

$1.06 €0.95

-38.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.21 €1.97

26.70%

Eggs

$1.88 €1.68

$3.07 €2.73

-38.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 €8.09

$8.50 €7.56

6.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 €6.37

$9.08 €8.08

-21.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 €11.13

$12.17 €10.83

2.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.28 €1.14

4.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.75 €1.56

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 €0.85

$1.52 €1.35

-36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.78 €2.47

-58.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.85 €0.76

-11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.07 €0.95

16.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.67 €1.48

-11.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.77

$0.94 €0.84

-8.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 €3.57

$4.42 €3.93

-9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.35 €3.87

$7.67 €6.82

-43.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.06 €0.94

21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.74 €1.55

-2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.31

$2.84 €2.53

-47.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.75 €36.25

$39.74 €35.34

2.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.11 €0.98

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.09 €0.97

4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.70 €14.85

$16.85 €14.99

-0.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.70 €1.51

-7.65%

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

$32.3K €28.7K

$28.5K €25.4K

13.20%

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

$21.0K €18.6K

$25.8K €22.9K

-18.72%

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

$131 €116

$158 €140

-16.97%

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

$12.95 €11.52

$14.92 €13.27

-13.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.21 €22.42

$33.61 €29.90

-24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.26 €19.80

$57.1 €50.8

-61.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.56 €12.95

$21.24 €18.89

-31.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 €6.98

$6.19 €5.50

26.82%

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

$453 €403

$407 €362

11.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,812 €6,059

$9,855 €8,766

-30.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 €73.7

$105 €93.3

-20.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.67 €29.95

$44.04 €39.17

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 €64.4

$96.8 €86.1

-25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 €82.8

$178 €159

-47.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 €641

$846 €752

-14.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 €388

$606 €539

-28.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 €1,300

$1,499 €1,333

-2.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 €865

$1,149 €1,022

-15.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,319 €2,952

$4,046 €3,599

-17.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,321 €2,065

$2,920 €2,597

-20.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,028 €915

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

-15.97%

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

Last update for Ulcinj: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulcinj

$436 36.4%

Budva

$606 37.6% 39% $170

Groceries & Markets

Ulcinj

$202 16.9%

Budva

$235 14.6% 16.3% $33

Eating Out

Ulcinj

$174 14.5%

Budva

$246 15.2% 41.2% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulcinj

$169 14.1%

Budva

$206 12.8% 22% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Ulcinj

$127 10.6%

Budva

$191 11.9% 50.4% $64

Getting Around

Ulcinj

$54 4.5%

Budva

$58 3.6% 7.8% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ulcinj

$38 3.2%

Budva

$69 4.3% 83% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Ulcinj 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Ulcinj versus $66.0 in Budva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $235 – making Ulcinj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Ulcinj

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

Same time as Ulcinj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,707

13,338

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Ulcinj vs Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,200 in Ulcinj, $1,611 in Budva – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Ulcinj 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 Ulcinj, 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 $1,200 in Ulcinj and $1,611 in Budva. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Ulcinj. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulcinj, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Budva at $1,611. In Ulcinj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulcinj – 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 Ulcinj. 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.