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Budva vs Kotor cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฒ๐ช Budva
๐ฒ๐ช Kotor
At a glance
- Where Kotor is clearly cheaper: Street food (40%โ), Haircut (17%โ)
- Where Budva is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (73%โ), Taxi (33%โ), SIM card (33%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Budva | Kotor | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 12$14 | Budva โ8% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 3$3.49 | Kotor โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 22$25.6 | Kotor โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Budva โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 3$3.49 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Kotor โ12% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.6$0.7 | โฌ 0.7$0.81 | Budva โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.3$1.51 | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | Kotor โ8% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 6$6.98 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Budva โ33% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Budva โ20% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Budva โ25% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 30$34.9 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 80$93 | โฌ 95$110 | Budva โ16% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 500$581 | โฌ 600$698 | Budva โ17% |
| Laundry | โฌ 10$11.6 | โฌ 10$11.6 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 10$11.6 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Budva โ33% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Kotor โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 40$46.5 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Budva โ17% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Budva โ73% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Budva or Kotor?
Budva is 13% cheaper than Kotor. Daily budget $187 vs $213; a month $2,981 vs $3,457.
Which is easier to travel, Budva or Kotor?
About the same: Budva 2.4/5, Kotor 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Budva and Kotor?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Budva is about $2,981 and Kotor about $3,457 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.