Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Novo Mesto

For one person, living is cheaper in Novo Mesto: $1,476 a month against $2,104 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Ljubljana
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Ljubljana Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Novo Mesto
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Novo Mesto Living Index

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Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$2,104

/mo nomad

Novo Mesto

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ljubljana and in Novo Mesto

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 Novo Mesto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,104 in Ljubljana versus $1,476 in Novo Mesto.

Ljubljana $2,104
Novo Mesto $1,476

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,149 in Ljubljana versus $2,163 in Novo Mesto.

Ljubljana $3,149
Novo Mesto $2,163

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,194 in Ljubljana versus $2,851 in Novo Mesto.

Ljubljana $4,194
Novo Mesto $2,851

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 43% more expensive than in Novo Mesto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 55% above, Novo Mesto 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.86 €14.21

$11.07 €9.91

43.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 €59.4

$33.99 €30.44

95.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 €10.15

$8.80 €7.88

28.75%

Cappuccino

$2.85 €2.55

$1.81 €1.62

57.46%

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

$3.07 €2.75

$2.20 €1.97

39.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.54 €1.38

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.43

$3.08 €2.76

24.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.92

$2.74 €2.46

59.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.19

$1.26 €1.13

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.84 €1.65

19.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 €2.76

$2.87 €2.57

7.67%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.51

$3.77 €3.37

3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.57 €13.05

$13.23 €11.85

10.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 €8.66

$9.33 €8.35

3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 €13.02

$9.12 €8.17

59.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.64 €1.47

37.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.01 €1.80

14.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €3.09

$3.46 €3.10

-0.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.10 €0.98

35.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.47 €1.31

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.20 €1.08

43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$0.73 €0.66

16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 €5.47

$5.67 €5.08

7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 €6.86

$6.70 €6.00

14.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.38 €1.24

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.78 €1.59

22.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.34 €1.20

26.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.77 €37.40

$33.74 €30.22

23.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.65 €1.47

34.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.39 €1.24

-10.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.81 €16.84

$28.09 €25.16

-33.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.59 €1.42

13.21%

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

$29.4K €26.3K

0.12%

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

$24.7K €22.1K

$23.8K €21.4K

3.41%

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

$289 €259

$282 €253

2.23%

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

$15.95 €14.28

$11.39 €10.20

40.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.66 €34.62

$38.78 €34.73

-0.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €45.94

$50.8 €45.45

1.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.20 €21.67

$34.15 €30.58

-29.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €9.18

$7.98 €7.15

28.45%

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

$643 €576

$506 €453

27.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €12.3K

$11.4K €10.2K

19.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €101

$91.0 €81.5

23.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.11 €38.61

$37.17 €33.29

15.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.3

$120 €107

-8.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$149 €133

-3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €1,029

$495 €443

132.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 €812

$419 €376

116.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 €2,119

$835 €748

183.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 €1,453

$727 €651

123.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,815 €6,104

$2,847 €2,550

139.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,052 €4,524

$3,214 €2,878

57.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,940 €1,737

$1,410 €1,263

37.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.29

6.99%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: October 25, 2026

Last update for Novo Mesto: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ljubljana

$907 43.1%

Novo Mesto

$419 28.4% 53.8% $488

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ljubljana

$343 16.3%

Novo Mesto

$333 22.5% 3.1% $11

Groceries & Markets

Ljubljana

$298 14.2%

Novo Mesto

$259 17.5% 13.3% $40

Eating Out

Ljubljana

$243 11.5%

Novo Mesto

$173 11.7% 29% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Ljubljana

$184 8.7%

Novo Mesto

$178 12.1% 2.9% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ljubljana

$72 3.4%

Novo Mesto

$67 4.5% 7.1% $5.1

Getting Around

Ljubljana

$57 2.7%

Novo Mesto

$48 3.2% 16.3% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,149 in Ljubljana and $495 in Novo Mesto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 38% 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: $66 in Ljubljana vs $34 in Novo Mesto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $259 per month, with Novo Mesto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Novo Mesto

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

Same time as Ljubljana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,604 Capital

23,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

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

Ljubljana vs Novo Mesto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novo Mesto is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Ljubljana, 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: $1,149 in Ljubljana versus $495 in Novo Mesto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Novo Mesto runs roughly 19% less than in Ljubljana. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $643 in Ljubljana versus $506 in Novo Mesto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,476 in Novo Mesto versus $2,104 in Ljubljana, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novo Mesto but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Novo Mesto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Novo Mesto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.