Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Kos Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Kos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Ljubljana versus $1,494 in Kos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Ljubljana versus $2,288 in Kos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,012 in Ljubljana versus $3,082 in Kos.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 36% more expensive than Kos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 52% above, Kos 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 €14.73

$17.08 €14.70

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$75.2 €64.7

-8.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 €8.04

$12.10 €10.41

-22.81%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.19

$4.71 €4.06

-45.86%

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

$3.16 €2.72

$3.26 €2.81

-3.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.12 €0.96

77.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 €3.22

$4.58 €3.94

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$7.11 €6.12

-35.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$2.39 €2.06

-37.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.70 €1.46

22.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.42 €2.08

15.29%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.39

$4.19 €3.61

-5.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 €11.31

$13.78 €11.86

-4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.39

$9.55 €8.22

14.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 €11.11

$13.69 €11.78

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.17 €1.87

-8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.13 €1.83

-19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.43 €1.23

48.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$1.97 €1.70

72.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.26 €1.09

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.19 €1.02

37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.42

$0.97 €0.84

70.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$0.81 €0.70

16.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 €5.04

$5.22 €4.49

12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.10

$7.05 €6.07

17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.99 €1.71

-28.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.79 €2.40

-27.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.59 €1.37

-8.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.46 €37.41

$47.07 €40.52

-7.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.96

$4.76 €4.10

-52.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 €17.19

$13.84 €11.92

44.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.16 €1.86

-21.30%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$30.6K €26.4K

-7.05%

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

$28.1K €24.2K

$26.9K €23.2K

4.23%

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

$283 €244

$212 €182

33.97%

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

$18.81 €16.19

$23.12 €19.90

-18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.61 €32.38

$35.30 €30.39

6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €43.82

$48.04 €41.36

5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 €15.53

$25.71 €22.13

-29.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.92

$9.75 €8.40

-5.64%

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

$550 €474

$431 €371

27.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K €12.3K

$5,897 €5,077

142.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$88.9 €76.6

14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 €40.02

$38.41 €33.07

21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.7

$88.3 €76.0

18.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$107 €92.3

27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 €866

$488 €420

106.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €706

$383 €330

114.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 €1,762

$749 €645

173.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,268

$608 €523

142.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,622 €5,700

$2,853 €2,456

132.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,097 €4,388

$2,803 €2,413

81.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,980 €1,705

$939 €809

110.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

4.43

-13.32%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kos: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ljubljana and $488 in Kos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 111% 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: $68.0 in Ljubljana vs $75.0 in Kos. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $286, with Kos 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

Ljubljana vs Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kos wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Ljubljana. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ljubljana pays 111% 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: $1,006 in Ljubljana versus $488 in Kos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kos – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $68.0 in Ljubljana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,031 per month in Ljubljana versus $1,494 in Kos – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,494 in Kos versus $2,031 in Ljubljana, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kos but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Kos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,494 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ljubljana and Kos 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 Kos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.