Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Pazar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Pazar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,049 in Novi Pazar versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,513 in Novi Pazar versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,976 in Novi Pazar versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Novi Pazar costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novi Pazar 22% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 RSD 711

$4.56 ฿149

54.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.68 RSD 1,890

$46.63 ฿1,519

-59.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 RSD 790

$8.47 ฿276

-7.79%

Cappuccino

$1.43 RSD 144

$3.03 ฿98.6

-52.81%

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

$1.67 RSD 169

$0.69 ฿22.45

142.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 RSD 136

$0.37 ฿11.92

262.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 RSD 193

$2.49 ฿81.0

-23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 RSD 203

$3.66 ฿119

-45.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 RSD 117

$2.18 ฿71.0

-46.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 RSD 76.6

$1.90 ฿62.0

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 RSD 309

$2.20 ฿71.6

39.09%

Eggs

$1.74 RSD 176

$2.22 ฿72.4

-21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 RSD 1,009

$19.99 ฿651

-50.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 RSD 785

$3.66 ฿119

112.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 RSD 1,331

$13.25 ฿432

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 RSD 118

$3.23 ฿105

-63.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 RSD 195

$1.70 ฿55.3

13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 RSD 199

$2.39 ฿78.0

-17.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 RSD 275

$2.08 ฿67.7

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 RSD 104

$1.59 ฿51.8

-35.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 RSD 78.4

$1.48 ฿48.31

-47.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RSD 91.4

$1.03 ฿33.54

-12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RSD 78.0

$0.52 ฿16.83

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 RSD 468

$4.25 ฿138

8.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 RSD 1,021

$18.79 ฿612

-46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RSD 85.3

$1.76 ฿57.2

-52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RSD 157

$2.76 ฿89.8

-43.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 RSD 93.8

$1.36 ฿44.32

-31.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.58 RSD 1,980

$11.36 ฿370

72.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 RSD 107

$3.14 ฿102

-66.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RSD 93.0

$1.04 ฿33.74

-11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 RSD 719

$13.77 ฿448

-48.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RSD 193

$1.34 ฿43.79

41.79%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.1M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

10.98%

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

$26.2K RSD 2.7M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-22.61%

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

$210 RSD 21.2K

$124 ฿4,025

69.98%

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

$22.46 RSD 2,271

$13.52 ฿440

66.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.82 RSD 3,319

$18.69 ฿609

75.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.34 RSD 2,967

$61.8 ฿2,013

-52.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 RSD 1,680

$17.25 ฿562

-3.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 RSD 776

$9.14 ฿298

-16.08%

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

$177 RSD 17.9K

$703 ฿22.9K

-74.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 RSD 504.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-68.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 RSD 10.1K

$59.5 ฿1,937

67.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.01 RSD 4,249

$35.07 ฿1,142

19.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 RSD 8,934

$115 ฿3,754

-23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 RSD 12.0K

$84.1 ฿2,737

40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 RSD 26.8K

$619 ฿20.1K

-57.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 RSD 19.6K

$433 ฿14.1K

-55.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 RSD 38.6K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-81.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 RSD 30.4K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-80.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 RSD 177.4K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-51.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,439 RSD 145.5K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-45.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$736 RSD 74.4K

$507 ฿16.5K

45.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.59

5.33

4.88%

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

Last update for Novi Pazar: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Novi Pazar and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Pazar pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Novi Pazar vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $293 per month, with Novi Pazar cheaper across the board.

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

Novi Pazar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novi Pazar and Phuket differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,049 vs $1,261 including rent). Novi Pazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Novi Pazar pays 45% 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: $265 in Novi Pazar versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Novi Pazar – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,049 in Novi Pazar versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novi Pazar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Novi Pazar 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.

Safety-wise, Novi Pazar and Phuket 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 Novi Pazar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.