Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Novi Sad

For one person, living is cheaper in Novi Sad: $1,374 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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

$1,554

/mo nomad

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,374

/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 $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $1,374 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Novi Sad $1,374

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $2,104 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Novi Sad $2,104

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $2,833 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Novi Sad $2,833

Belgrade costs about 13% 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

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$9.79 RSD 1,020

34.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$50.2 RSD 5,232

14.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$11.82 RSD 1,232

13.20%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.68 RSD 280

15.67%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$2.31 RSD 241

22.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$1.90 RSD 198

16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$2.90 RSD 303

19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$3.73 RSD 388

6.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.37 RSD 143

0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$1.01 RSD 105

11.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$2.63 RSD 274

1.14%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$2.66 RSD 278

4.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$13.53 RSD 1,410

-18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$7.27 RSD 757

-9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$14.26 RSD 1,486

5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.68 RSD 175

-1.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$1.91 RSD 199

-6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.61 RSD 167

16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$2.53 RSD 264

19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$1.05 RSD 110

-12.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.64 RSD 67.2

10.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$1.01 RSD 105

-26.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.65 RSD 68.3

13.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$4.75 RSD 496

-2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$7.42 RSD 773

18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$0.87 RSD 91.1

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$2.29 RSD 238

-36.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 RSD 97.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.13 RSD 2,516

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$2.34 RSD 244

29.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.92 RSD 96.2

6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$10.60 RSD 1,105

61.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.90 RSD 198

0.53%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$30.5K RSD 3.2M

1.79%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$26.0K RSD 2.7M

-5.21%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$222 RSD 23.1K

-0.52%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$20.42 RSD 2,129

19.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$33.10 RSD 3,450

7.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$36.99 RSD 3,856

11.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

$11.28 RSD 1,176

100.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$7.39 RSD 771

16.24%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$371 RSD 38.7K

14.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$7,484 RSD 780.2K

46.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$118 RSD 12.3K

-6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$44.22 RSD 4,610

6.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$137 RSD 14.3K

-17.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$127 RSD 13.3K

22.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$489 RSD 51.0K

64.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$392 RSD 40.8K

39.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$951 RSD 99.2K

52.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$739 RSD 77.0K

25.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$3,442 RSD 358.9K

55.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$2,629 RSD 274.1K

20.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$1,218 RSD 127.0K

1.50%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Novi Sad

$392 28.5% 28.3% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Novi Sad

$275 20% 1.9% $5.4

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Novi Sad

$244 17.7% 1.3% $3.2

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Novi Sad

$185 13.5% 18.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Novi Sad

$192 14% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Novi Sad

$52 3.8% 11.3% $6.6

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Novi Sad

$35 2.5% 338% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Belgrade versus $489 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 2% higher in Belgrade, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade versus $50.0 in Novi Sad. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Belgrade vs $244 in Novi Sad – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

Same time as Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

260,438

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $1,374 in Novi Sad – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $2,061 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novi Sad, where all-in costs run around $1,374, than in Belgrade at $1,554. 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.