Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, MO and Ljubljana Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, MO and Ljubljana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,836 in Columbia, MO versus $2,031 in Ljubljana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,808 in Columbia, MO versus $3,021 in Ljubljana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,781 in Columbia, MO versus $4,012 in Ljubljana.

Living in Columbia, MO costs roughly 10% less than in Ljubljana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, MO 37% above, Ljubljana 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.74 $16.74

$17.11 €14.72

-2.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 $59.2

$68.5 €58.9

-13.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$9.34 €8.03

39.51%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$2.55 €2.19

100.00%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$3.16 €2.72

-19.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.99 €1.71

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.74 €3.22

8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.58 €3.94

6.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.49 €1.28

-26.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.08 €1.79

51.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.79 €2.40

-28.32%

Eggs

$2.93 $2.93

$3.94 €3.39

-25.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 $9.01

$13.14 €11.30

-31.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 $9.33

$10.91 €9.38

-14.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 $14.25

$12.90 €11.10

10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.98 €1.70

107.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.71 €1.47

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.13 €1.83

46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.40 €2.93

16.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.35 €1.16

17.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.64 €1.41

51.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.65 €1.42

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.94 €0.80

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 $7.16

$5.85 €5.03

22.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.80 $16.80

$8.25 €7.09

103.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.42 €1.22

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.01 €1.73

72.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.46 €1.26

39.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.46 €37.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.28 €1.96

34.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.12 €0.96

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.12 $22.12

$19.97 €17.18

10.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.70 €1.46

-52.35%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$28.5K €24.5K

3.65%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$28.1K €24.2K

-7.68%

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

$185 $185

$283 €244

-34.73%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$18.81 €16.18

173.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$37.61 €32.35

61.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.98 $27.98

$50.9 €43.79

-45.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 $16.40

$18.03 €15.51

-9.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 $11.84

$9.20 €7.91

28.70%

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

$1,197 $1,197

$550 €473

117.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K $13.1K

$14.3K €12.3K

-8.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$102 €87.9

-48.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 $32.83

$46.49 €39.99

-29.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 $69.7

$104 €89.6

-33.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 $89.2

$136 €117

-34.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 $915

$1,006 €865

-9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 $780

$820 €706

-4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 $1,862

$2,046 €1,760

-8.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$1,473 €1,267

-3.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,012 $2,012

$6,622 €5,696

-69.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,014 $2,014

$5,097 €4,385

-60.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,990 $3,990

$1,980 €1,703

101.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

3.84

65.36%

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

Last update for Columbia, MO: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ljubljana: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $915 in Columbia, MO and $1,006 in Ljubljana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, MO pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Columbia, MO vs $68.0 in Ljubljana. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $294, with Ljubljana cheaper for home cooking.

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

Columbia, MO vs Ljubljana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbia, MO is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Columbia, MO pays 102% more on average, 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: $915 in Columbia, MO versus $1,006 in Ljubljana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,197 in Columbia, MO versus $550 in Ljubljana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Columbia, MO – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $68.0 in Ljubljana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,836 in Columbia, MO versus $2,031 in Ljubljana, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Columbia, MO but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Columbia, MO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Columbia, MO is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ljubljana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Columbia, MO and Ljubljana 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 Columbia, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.