Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Novi Sad

For one person, living is cheaper in Novi Sad: $1,371 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
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Novi Sad Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade 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 Belgrade and in Novi Sad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $1,371 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Novi Sad $1,371

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $2,114 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Novi Sad $2,114

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $2,856 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Novi Sad $2,856

Belgrade costs about 12% more than Novi Sad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Belgrade and Novi Sad sit above the global median – Belgrade by 15%, Novi Sad by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,392

$9.93 RSD 1,037

34.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,099

$49.70 RSD 5,188

17.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,417

$12.00 RSD 1,253

13.17%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 327

$2.61 RSD 273

19.92%

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

$2.77 RSD 289

$2.32 RSD 243

19.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$1.83 RSD 192

24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 391

$2.91 RSD 303

28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 457

$3.78 RSD 394

15.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$0.95 RSD 99.2

23.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 283

$2.68 RSD 280

1.12%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$2.54 RSD 265

9.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,186

$13.09 RSD 1,367

-13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 732

$7.52 RSD 785

-6.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,641

$14.35 RSD 1,499

9.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.71 RSD 179

-2.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 189

$1.98 RSD 207

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.66 RSD 173

10.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 327

$2.55 RSD 266

22.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.5

$1.01 RSD 105

-12.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.5

$0.68 RSD 71.0

-1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.6

$0.96 RSD 100

-15.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 71.1

$0.66 RSD 68.5

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 500

$4.84 RSD 505

-1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 891

$7.46 RSD 779

14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.9

$0.92 RSD 95.7

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 151

$2.21 RSD 231

-34.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 RSD 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.45 RSD 2,552

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 323

$2.33 RSD 244

32.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$0.93 RSD 96.9

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,793

$10.35 RSD 1,081

65.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 196

$1.83 RSD 191

2.19%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

0.05%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$26.3K RSD 2.7M

-7.68%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$223 RSD 23.2K

-2.22%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,635

$20.57 RSD 2,147

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,691

$33.21 RSD 3,467

6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,361

$36.61 RSD 3,823

14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,380

$11.06 RSD 1,155

106.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 884

$7.30 RSD 763

16.03%

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

$426 RSD 44.5K

$372 RSD 38.8K

14.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$7,710 RSD 804.9K

47.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$119 RSD 12.4K

-6.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,802

$43.40 RSD 4,531

5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$137 RSD 14.3K

-12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.1K

$124 RSD 12.9K

24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.8K

$495 RSD 51.6K

66.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.5K

$405 RSD 42.3K

38.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.8K

$955 RSD 99.7K

58.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.3K

$753 RSD 78.6K

25.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 554.6K

$3,527 RSD 368.2K

50.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 330.4K

$2,586 RSD 270.0K

22.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 128.2K

$1,240 RSD 129.5K

-1.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

5.21

-11.52%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Novi Sad

$405 29.2% 27.7% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Novi Sad

$276 19.9% 0.7% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Novi Sad

$244 17.6% 0.8% $1.9

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Novi Sad

$186 13.4% 20.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Novi Sad

$190 13.7% 1.7% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Novi Sad

$51 3.7% 12.8% $7.5

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Novi Sad

$35 2.6% 331% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $821 in Belgrade versus $495 in Novi Sad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Novi Sad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade versus $50.0 in Novi Sad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $244 – making Novi Sad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

Same time as Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

260,438

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Belgrade Novi Sad 68 km

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Belgrade
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $1,371 in Novi Sad – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $2,057 in Novi Sad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novi Sad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $50.0 in Novi Sad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novi Sad, where all-in costs run around $1,371, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Novi Sad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novi Sad – 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 Novi Sad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.