Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nis and Novi Sad

For one person, living is cheaper in Nis: $1,029 a month against $1,393 in Novi Sad, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
Learn more

Nis Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
Learn more

Novi Sad Living Index

Jump to prices

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,029

/mo nomad

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nis and in Novi Sad

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 Novi Sad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,029 per month in Nis vs $1,393 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Nis $1,029
Novi Sad $1,393

A couple spends around $1,526 per month in Nis vs $2,154 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Nis $1,526
Novi Sad $2,154

A family of three spends $2,022 per month in Nis vs $2,915 in Novi Sad, rent included.

Nis $2,022
Novi Sad $2,915

Nis is about 26% cheaper than Novi Sad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nis sits 24% below the global median, while Novi Sad is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 RSD 912

$10.11 RSD 1,059

-13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.20 RSD 3,477

$50.2 RSD 5,255

-33.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 RSD 1,019

$12.06 RSD 1,263

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$1.93 RSD 202

$2.65 RSD 278

-27.17%

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

$2.28 RSD 239

$2.37 RSD 248

-3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RSD 189

$1.82 RSD 191

-1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 RSD 389

$2.93 RSD 307

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 RSD 456

$3.72 RSD 390

17.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 RSD 114

$1.39 RSD 146

-22.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 RSD 75.7

$0.93 RSD 97.5

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 RSD 176

$2.65 RSD 278

-36.60%

Eggs

$2.32 RSD 243

$2.67 RSD 280

-13.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 RSD 776

$13.46 RSD 1,410

-44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 RSD 604

$7.21 RSD 756

-19.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 RSD 1,149

$14.06 RSD 1,473

-21.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 RSD 114

$1.76 RSD 184

-38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RSD 178

$1.90 RSD 199

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 RSD 149

$1.66 RSD 174

-14.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 RSD 216

$2.54 RSD 266

-18.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RSD 82.6

$1.00 RSD 104

-21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 RSD 77.1

$0.69 RSD 72.5

7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 RSD 67.5

$0.95 RSD 99.5

-32.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 RSD 59.9

$0.68 RSD 71.5

-16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 RSD 467

$4.69 RSD 492

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 RSD 585

$7.79 RSD 816

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 71.8

$0.87 RSD 90.9

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 RSD 142

$2.30 RSD 241

-40.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 RSD 98.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.22 RSD 2,537

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 RSD 194

$2.31 RSD 242

-19.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 RSD 71.9

$0.92 RSD 96.2

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 RSD 867

$10.42 RSD 1,092

-20.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RSD 195

$1.81 RSD 190

2.76%

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

$30.6K RSD 3.2M

$30.1K RSD 3.2M

1.48%

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

$23.2K RSD 2.4M

$23.8K RSD 2.5M

-2.23%

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

$156 RSD 16.4K

$224 RSD 23.5K

-30.26%

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

$19.16 RSD 2,007

$20.29 RSD 2,125

-5.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 RSD 2,375

$33.84 RSD 3,544

-33.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.61 RSD 3,102

$34.97 RSD 3,663

-15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.29 RSD 1,602

$11.12 RSD 1,165

37.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 RSD 484

$6.88 RSD 721

-32.85%

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

$247 RSD 25.9K

$364 RSD 38.1K

-32.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,809 RSD 503.7K

$7,540 RSD 789.7K

-36.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 RSD 9,061

$117 RSD 12.3K

-26.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 RSD 4,189

$44.36 RSD 4,647

-9.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 RSD 10.5K

$135 RSD 14.1K

-25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 RSD 11.4K

$124 RSD 13.0K

-12.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 RSD 43.8K

$509 RSD 53.3K

-17.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RSD 30.4K

$411 RSD 43.0K

-29.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 RSD 65.6K

$1,034 RSD 108.3K

-39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 RSD 47.1K

$824 RSD 86.3K

-45.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,650 RSD 277.6K

$3,595 RSD 376.5K

-26.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,862 RSD 195.1K

$2,621 RSD 274.6K

-28.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$922 RSD 96.6K

$1,230 RSD 128.9K

-25.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.17

-1.16%

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

Last update for Nis: October 25, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nis

$290 28.2%

Novi Sad

$411 29.5% 41.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nis

$198 19.3%

Novi Sad

$278 20% 40.4% $80

Groceries & Markets

Nis

$180 17.5%

Novi Sad

$244 17.5% 35.1% $63

Eating Out

Nis

$166 16.1%

Novi Sad

$188 13.5% 13.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Nis

$151 14.7%

Novi Sad

$189 13.6% 25.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nis

$39 3.8%

Novi Sad

$49 3.5% 25.4% $9.9

Getting Around

Nis

$5.3 * 0.5%

Novi Sad

$35 2.5% 559% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Nis versus $509 in Novi Sad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Novi Sad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Nis versus $50 in Novi Sad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $244 – making Nis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Nis

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Nis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,470

260,438

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nis Novi Sad 270 km

From you

Nis
Novi Sad

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 Novi Sad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novi Sad costs about 35% more than Nis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,544 per month in Nis and $2,090 in Novi Sad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $509 in Novi Sad.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,029 in Nis and $1,393 in Novi Sad. That makes Nis about 26% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $247 per month in Nis and $364 in Novi Sad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,029 in Nis and $1,393 in Novi Sad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Nis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Nis. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Novi Sad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.