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: $1,032 in Novi Pazar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,485 in Novi Pazar versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,937 in Novi Pazar versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Novi Pazar costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Novi Pazar 23% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.96 RSD 698

$4.63 ฿151

50.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.06 RSD 1,911

$46.84 ฿1,523

-59.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 RSD 773

$8.84 ฿287

-12.78%

Cappuccino

$1.42 RSD 142

$3.00 ฿97.4

-52.67%

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

$1.68 RSD 168

$0.74 ฿24.11

127.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 RSD 134

$0.37 ฿11.88

262.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 RSD 201

$2.44 ฿79.3

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 RSD 201

$3.61 ฿117

-44.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 RSD 120

$2.26 ฿73.5

-46.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 RSD 80.7

$1.84 ฿59.8

-56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 RSD 307

$2.24 ฿73.0

36.61%

Eggs

$1.80 RSD 181

$2.32 ฿75.3

-22.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 RSD 964

$19.67 ฿639

-51.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 RSD 755

$3.65 ฿119

106.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 RSD 1,332

$13.10 ฿426

1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 RSD 121

$3.39 ฿110

-64.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 RSD 187

$1.64 ฿53.4

13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 RSD 201

$2.41 ฿78.5

-16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RSD 268

$2.03 ฿66.0

32.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 RSD 102

$1.56 ฿50.6

-34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 RSD 75.0

$1.50 ฿48.66

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 RSD 99.5

$1.02 ฿33.30

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RSD 77.5

$0.49 ฿15.91

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 RSD 452

$4.45 ฿145

1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 RSD 811

$18.88 ฿614

-57.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RSD 90.3

$1.78 ฿57.7

-49.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RSD 158

$2.75 ฿89.5

-42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 RSD 92.8

$1.40 ฿45.54

-33.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.89 RSD 1,994

$11.48 ฿373

73.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 RSD 106

$3.12 ฿101

-66.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RSD 89.0

$1.00 ฿32.48

-11.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 RSD 683

$14.09 ฿458

-51.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RSD 181

$1.35 ฿43.93

34.07%

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

$30.9K RSD 3.1M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

13.61%

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

$26.5K RSD 2.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.45%

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

$206 RSD 20.7K

$125 ฿4,063

65.17%

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

$22.75 RSD 2,280

$13.57 ฿441

67.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.01 RSD 3,309

$18.52 ฿602

78.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 RSD 2,984

$61.5 ฿1,999

-51.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 RSD 1,680

$16.84 ฿547

-0.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.08 RSD 810

$9.19 ฿299

-12.08%

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

$181 RSD 18.2K

$698 ฿22.7K

-74.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 RSD 514.4K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-67.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 RSD 10.3K

$57.8 ฿1,878

78.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.75 RSD 4,186

$35.24 ฿1,146

18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 RSD 8,962

$113 ฿3,677

-20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 RSD 12.0K

$86.4 ฿2,808

38.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 RSD 25.9K

$616 ฿20.0K

-58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 RSD 19.3K

$446 ฿14.5K

-56.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 RSD 38.6K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-81.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 RSD 30.3K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-79.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,778 RSD 178.2K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-52.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,473 RSD 147.7K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-44.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$571 RSD 57.3K

$524 ฿17.0K

9.04%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Novi Pazar and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Pazar pays 9% 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 $226 vs $292 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,032 vs $1,232 including rent). Novi Pazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Novi Pazar pays 9% 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: $258 in Novi Pazar versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% 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 $1,032 in Novi Pazar versus $1,232 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.