Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Celje

For one person, living is cheaper in Celje: $1,574 a month against $2,104 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ljubljana
🇸🇮 Slovenia
$2,104
/mo nomad
Celje
🇸🇮 Slovenia
$1,574
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ljubljana and in Celje

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,104 in Ljubljana versus $1,574 in Celje.

  • Ljubljana $2,104
  • Celje $1,574

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,078 in Ljubljana versus $2,290 in Celje.

  • Ljubljana $3,078
  • Celje $2,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,051 in Ljubljana versus $3,006 in Celje.

  • Ljubljana $4,051
  • Celje $3,006

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 34% more expensive than in Celje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 55% above, Celje 16% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.94 €14.18
$13.57 €12.07
17.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.1 €59.7
$51.1 €45.41
31.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.01 €9.79
$8.94 €7.96
23.15%
Cappuccino
$2.87 €2.55
$2.14 €1.90
34.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.76
$2.22 €1.98
39.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.95 €1.73
-1.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.94 €3.51
$2.61 €2.32
50.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 €4.11
$3.30 €2.94
40.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.31 €1.16
-0.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 €2.02
$2.04 €1.81
11.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.12 €2.78
$2.28 €2.03
36.84%
Eggs
$3.98 €3.54
$3.06 €2.72
30.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.85 €13.21
$15.03 €13.37
-1.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.84 €8.76
$9.95 €8.85
-1.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.07 €13.40
$8.85 €7.87
70.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 €1.98
$1.97 €1.75
13.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.54
$1.75 €1.55
-0.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.33 €2.07
-3.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.60 €3.20
$3.21 €2.86
12.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.15 €1.02
32.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 €1.40
$1.56 €1.39
1.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.64 €1.46
0.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.75 €0.67
10.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.33 €5.63
$5.68 €5.05
11.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 €6.82
$6.05 €5.38
26.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.39 €1.23
-2.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.08 €1.85
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.37 €1.22
24.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.33 €36.76
$28.26 €25.13
46.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.21 €1.96
-3.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.14 €1.01
14.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.88 €16.79
$19.28 €17.15
-2.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.67 €1.49
13.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2K €26.0K
$29.5K €26.3K
-1.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K €21.3K
$24.8K €22.1K
-3.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$287 €255
$240 €214
19.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.33 €14.52
$8.75 €7.78
86.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.01 €33.81
$21.02 €18.70
80.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 €47.98
$33.03 €29.38
63.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.51 €21.80
$11.08 €9.85
121.21%
Cinema Ticket
$9.95 €8.85
$9.33 €8.30
6.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$645 €574
$650 €579
-0.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.9K €12.4K
$14.0K €12.4K
-0.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 €100
$115 €103
-2.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.50 €38.70
$43.87 €39.02
-0.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.2
$111 €98.3
-2.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 €130
$142 €126
2.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,114 €991
$725 €645
53.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$901 €802
$561 €499
60.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,101 €1,869
$1,139 €1,013
84.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,459 €1,298
$837 €745
74.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,473 €5,757
$3,313 €2,947
95.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,814 €4,282
$2,570 €2,286
87.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ljubljana
Celje
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,959 €1,743
$1,513 €1,346
29.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.52
3.52
-

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

Last update for Ljubljana: October 20, 2026

Last update for Celje: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ljubljana
$901
Celje
$561 37.8% $340
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ljubljana
$341
Celje
$270 20.8% $71
Groceries & Markets
Ljubljana
$302
Celje
$267 11.6% $35
Eating Out
Ljubljana
$244
Celje
$197 19.1% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Ljubljana
$185
Celje
$185 0.4% $0.8
Sport & Entertainment
Ljubljana
$74
Celje
$52 30% $22
Getting Around
Ljubljana
$57
Celje
$42 26.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ljubljana and $725 in Celje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 29% 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: $67.0 in Ljubljana vs $51.0 in Celje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $267 per month, with Celje cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇮 Ljubljana
🇸🇮 Celje
🕒 Local time
14:33 2:33 PM
14:33 2:33 PM
Same time as Ljubljana
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
285,604 Capital
37,872
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ljubljana Celje 61 km
From you
  • Ljubljana
  • Celje

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
Ljubljana vs Celje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ljubljana and in Celje?
Ljubljana and Celje differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,104 vs $1,574 including rent). Celje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Ljubljana or Celje?
Average pay runs 29% higher in Ljubljana, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Ljubljana and in Celje?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,114 in Ljubljana versus $725 in Celje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ljubljana or Celje?
All in, you'll spend $2,104 per month in Ljubljana versus $1,574 in Celje – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Ljubljana and in Celje?
A monthly transit pass in Celje runs roughly 46% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,574 in Celje versus $2,104 in Ljubljana, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celje but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Celje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ljubljana and Celje?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ljubljana or Celje safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ljubljana and Celje are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ljubljana or Celje?
Expats usually find Celje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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