Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Novi Sad

For one person, living is cheaper in Novi Sad: $1,371 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
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Novi Sad Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Novi Sad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Novi Sad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,371 in Novi Sad.

Athens $1,806
Novi Sad $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $2,114 in Novi Sad.

Athens $2,731
Novi Sad $2,114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $2,856 in Novi Sad.

Athens $3,656
Novi Sad $2,856

Living in Athens is roughly 32% more expensive than in Novi Sad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Novi Sad 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$9.93 RSD 1,035

67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$49.70 RSD 5,177

33.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$12.00 RSD 1,250

-7.83%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$2.61 RSD 272

58.62%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$2.32 RSD 242

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.83 RSD 191

-68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$2.91 RSD 303

93.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$3.78 RSD 393

44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.40 RSD 146

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.95 RSD 98.9

48.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$2.68 RSD 279

5.60%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$2.54 RSD 265

98.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$13.09 RSD 1,364

17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$7.52 RSD 783

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$14.35 RSD 1,495

32.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.71 RSD 178

26.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.98 RSD 206

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.66 RSD 173

-16.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.55 RSD 266

-13.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.01 RSD 105

8.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$0.68 RSD 70.8

66.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$0.96 RSD 100

14.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.66 RSD 68.4

25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$4.84 RSD 504

15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$7.46 RSD 777

36.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.92 RSD 95.5

136.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.21 RSD 230

10.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.99 RSD 103

39.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$24.45 RSD 2,547

26.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$2.33 RSD 243

87.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.93 RSD 96.6

11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

$10.35 RSD 1,078

65.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.83 RSD 191

26.23%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-8.94%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$26.3K RSD 2.7M

6.58%

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

$210 €187

$223 RSD 23.2K

-5.78%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$20.57 RSD 2,143

29.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$33.21 RSD 3,459

-9.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$36.61 RSD 3,814

49.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$11.06 RSD 1,152

135.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$7.30 RSD 761

47.67%

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

$575 €513

$372 RSD 38.7K

54.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$7,710 RSD 803.2K

70.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$119 RSD 12.4K

-21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$43.40 RSD 4,521

-6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$137 RSD 14.2K

-23.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$124 RSD 12.9K

3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$495 RSD 51.5K

52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$405 RSD 42.2K

60.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$955 RSD 99.5K

35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$753 RSD 78.5K

54.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$3,527 RSD 367.4K

13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$2,586 RSD 269.4K

33.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$1,240 RSD 129.2K

0.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.21

-14.01%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Novi Sad

$405 29.2% 37.8% $247

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Novi Sad

$244 17.6% 22.4% $71

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Novi Sad

$186 13.4% 31% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Novi Sad

$276 19.9% 3.7% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Novi Sad

$190 13.7% 15.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Novi Sad

$51 3.7% 32.7% $25

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Novi Sad

$35 2.6% 23% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $495 in Novi Sad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 0% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $50.0 in Novi Sad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $244 per month, with Novi Sad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

260,438

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Novi Sad 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Athens vs Novi Sad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novi Sad wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Novi Sad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Athens, 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: $756 in Athens versus $495 in Novi Sad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Novi Sad – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,371 in Novi Sad – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,371 in Novi Sad versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Novi Sad but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Novi Sad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Novi Sad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,371 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Novi Sad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Novi Sad 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 Novi Sad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.