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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,342 in Columbia, TN versus $2,054 in Ljubljana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,516 in Columbia, TN versus $3,008 in Ljubljana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,689 in Columbia, TN versus $3,962 in Ljubljana.

Living in Columbia, TN is roughly 14% more expensive than in Ljubljana, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, TN 75% above, Ljubljana 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 $12.18

$17.24 €15.06

-29.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

$69.5 €60.7

-14.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$9.45 €8.26

7.72%

Cappuccino

$3.84 $3.84

$2.58 €2.25

48.84%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$3.04 €2.66

-26.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.98 €1.73

-20.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.85 €3.36

52.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.60 €4.02

55.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.48 €1.29

-35.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.17 €1.90

33.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.88 €2.52

57.64%

Eggs

$2.56 $2.56

$3.87 €3.38

-33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$13.38 €11.69

-16.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$10.70 €9.35

-39.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$12.75 €11.14

1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$2.02 €1.77

215.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.76 €1.54

-28.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.16 €1.89

148.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.54 €3.09

9.04%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.37 €1.19

265.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.62 €1.42

112.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.71 €1.49

38.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.99 €0.86

139.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.98 €5.22

30.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.43 $13.43

$8.39 €7.33

60.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.45 €1.26

15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.03 €1.77

-9.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.46 €1.28

39.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 €36.92

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.24 €1.96

-8.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 €1.02

20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.76 $19.76

$19.99 €17.46

-1.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.74 €1.52

-55.75%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$28.9K €25.2K

15.75%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$28.9K €25.3K

-7.90%

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

$156 $156

$279 €243

-43.85%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$18.60 €16.25

222.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$37.84 €33.06

76.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.83 $34.83

$52.8 €46.09

-33.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$12.08 $12.08

$9.12 €7.97

32.46%

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

$594 $594

$541 €473

9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K $27.7K

$14.2K €12.4K

94.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.20 $40.20

$100.0 €87.3

-59.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 $32.78

$46.21 €40.37

-29.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$104 €90.8

-28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 $91.1

$139 €121

-34.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$1,002 €875

35.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$851 €743

48.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$2,070 €1,809

22.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,382 $2,382

$1,469 €1,283

62.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,373 €5,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,903 €4,284

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,512 $2,512

$2,018 €1,763

24.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.84

70.05%

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

Last update for Columbia, TN: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ljubljana: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,354 in Columbia, TN and $1,002 in Ljubljana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, TN pays 24% 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: $59.0 in Columbia, TN vs $69.0 in Ljubljana. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $297, 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, TN vs Ljubljana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ljubljana is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Columbia, TN, 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: $1,354 in Columbia, TN versus $1,002 in Ljubljana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $594 in Columbia, TN versus $541 in Ljubljana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ljubljana – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $59.0 in Columbia, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,054 in Ljubljana versus $2,342 in Columbia, TN, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ljubljana but tight or insufficient in Columbia, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Ljubljana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Columbia, TN 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 Ljubljana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Columbia, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.