For one person, living is cheaper in Bečej: $844 a month against $1,025 in Nis, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nis and in Bečej actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,025 in Nis versus $844 in Bečej.
Nis $1,025
Bečej $844
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,504 in Nis versus $1,261 in Bečej.
Nis $1,504
Bečej $1,261
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,983 in Nis versus $1,679 in Bečej.
Nis $1,983
Bečej $1,679
🌍
Living in Nis is roughly 21% more expensive than in Bečej, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Nis24% lower, Bečej38% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Nis
Bečej
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.73RSD 911
$6.50RSD 677
34.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.40RSD 3,482
$33.61RSD 3,504
-0.62%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.74RSD 1,015
$9.59RSD 1,000
1.56%
Cappuccino
$1.97RSD 205
$1.18RSD 123
66.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29RSD 238
$1.40RSD 146
63.57%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75RSD 183
$0.74RSD 77.4
136.49%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.57RSD 372
$1.46RSD 153
144.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54RSD 473
$1.90RSD 198
138.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nis
Bečej
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.09RSD 114
$0.98RSD 102
11.22%
White Bread(500g)
$0.74RSD 76.8
$1.17RSD 122
-36.75%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.79RSD 187
$1.45RSD 151
23.45%
Eggs
$2.39RSD 250
$2.11RSD 220
13.27%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.95RSD 829
$8.84RSD 921
-10.07%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.69RSD 594
$6.67RSD 696
-14.69%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.31RSD 1,075
$7.32RSD 763
40.85%
Apples(1kg)
$1.07RSD 112
$0.98RSD 102
9.18%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70RSD 178
$1.85RSD 193
-8.11%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.45RSD 151
$1.55RSD 162
-6.45%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.11RSD 220
$1.86RSD 194
13.44%
Potato(1kg)
$0.83RSD 86.9
$0.70RSD 72.9
18.57%
Onion(1kg)
$0.75RSD 78.3
$0.32RSD 33.01
134.38%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.62RSD 64.9
$0.64RSD 66.7
-3.13%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57RSD 59.6
$0.54RSD 56.7
5.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.50RSD 469
$3.92RSD 409
14.80%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64RSD 588
$3.78RSD 394
49.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.67RSD 70.2
$0.66RSD 68.4
1.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25RSD 130
$0.93RSD 97.2
34.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Nis
Bečej
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$0.90RSD 93.9
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.87RSD 195
$1.87RSD 195
-
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.65RSD 68.0
$0.80RSD 83.0
-18.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.24RSD 859
$9.43RSD 983
-12.62%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.88RSD 196
$1.92RSD 201
-2.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0KRSD 3.1M
$30.9KRSD 3.2M
-2.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4KRSD 2.4M
$23.7KRSD 2.5M
-1.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nis
Bečej
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$165RSD 17.2K
$62.0RSD 6,458
165.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.90RSD 1,970
$9.59RSD 999
97.08%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.91RSD 2,388
$23.07RSD 2,405
-0.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nis
Bečej
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.62RSD 3,192
$29.23RSD 3,047
4.76%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.51RSD 1,617
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.72RSD 492
$8.36RSD 872
-43.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nis
Bečej
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$252RSD 26.3K
$433RSD 45.2K
-41.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$4,863RSD 507.0K
$11.2KRSD 1.2M
-56.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nis
Bečej
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.3RSD 9,201
$110RSD 11.4K
-19.53%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.22RSD 3,880
$47.52RSD 4,953
-21.68%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101RSD 10.5K
$63.3RSD 6,601
59.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111RSD 11.6K
$113RSD 11.7K
-1.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nis
Bečej
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$392RSD 40.8K
$316RSD 33.0K
23.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$275RSD 28.6K
$256RSD 26.7K
7.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$595RSD 62.1K
$434RSD 45.2K
37.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$396RSD 41.3K
$327RSD 34.1K
21.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,496RSD 260.2K
$2,136RSD 222.7K
16.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,882RSD 196.1K
$1,750RSD 182.4K
7.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nis
Bečej
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$894RSD 93.2K
$526RSD 54.8K
69.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.12
4.61
11.06%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Nis: October 19, 2026
Last update for Bečej: October 18, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nis
$275 26.8%
Bečej
$256 30.3% ↓ 6.9%$19
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nis
$207 20.2%
Bečej
$95 11.2% ↓ 54.2%$112
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nis
$181 17.6%
Bečej
$174 20.6% ↓ 4%$7.2
🍽Eating Out
Nis
$166 16.2%
Bečej
$115 13.6% ↓ 30.9%$51
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nis
$152 14.8%
Bečej
$150 17.8% ↓ 1.4%$2.2
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nis
$40 3.9%
Bečej
$46 5.5% ↑ 14.7%$5.9
🚌Getting Around
Nis
$5.1 * 0.5%
Bečej
$9.5 * 1.1% ↑ 84.4%$4.3
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nis
$396 20%
Bečej
$327 19.5% ↓ 17.5%$69
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nis
$225 11.4%
Bečej
$104 6.2% ↓ 53.8%$121
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nis
$426 21.5%
Bečej
$409 24.4% ↓ 4.1%$17
🍽Eating Out
Nis
$491 24.8%
Bečej
$393 23.4% ↓ 19.9%$98
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nis
$338 17%
Bečej
$333 19.8% ↓ 1.4%$4.8
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nis
$96 4.8%
Bečej
$92 * 5.5% ↓ 3.9%$3.7
🚌Getting Around
Nis
$10 * 0.5%
Bečej
$21 * 1.2% ↑ 102%$10
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Nis and $316 in Bečej. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Nis pays 70% 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: $33.00 in Nis vs $34.00 in Bečej. Groceries flip the comparison at $181 vs $174, with Bečej cheaper for home cooking.
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
Nis vs Bečej: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bečej cheaper than Nis?
Bečej is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Nis or Bečej?
Average pay runs 70% higher in Nis, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Nis and Bečej?
Rent for a central apartment: $392 in Nis versus $316 in Bečej. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Nis and in Bečej?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Nis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Nis and in Bečej?
All in, you'll spend $1,025 per month in Nis versus $844 in Bečej – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Nis or Bečej?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bečej gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Nis or in Bečej?
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.
Which city is safer, Nis or Bečej?
Safety-wise, Nis and Bečej are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Bečej gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Nis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.