Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Bečej

For one person, living is cheaper in Bečej: $843 a month against $1,390 in Novi Sad, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
Learn more

Novi Sad Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bečej
Learn more

Bečej Living Index

Jump to prices

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,390

/mo nomad

Bečej

🇷🇸 Serbia

$843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Novi Sad and in Bečej actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,390 in Novi Sad versus $843 in Bečej.

Novi Sad $1,390
Bečej $843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,149 in Novi Sad versus $1,250 in Bečej.

Novi Sad $2,149
Bečej $1,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,908 in Novi Sad versus $1,657 in Bečej.

Novi Sad $2,908
Bečej $1,657

Living in Novi Sad is roughly 65% more expensive than in Bečej, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Novi Sad is 3% above, Bečej is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.25 RSD 1,070

$6.51 RSD 680

57.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.21 RSD 5,137

$33.92 RSD 3,541

45.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.25 RSD 1,279

$9.41 RSD 982

30.18%

Cappuccino

$2.73 RSD 285

$1.12 RSD 117

143.75%

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

$2.36 RSD 247

$1.47 RSD 153

60.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RSD 198

$0.78 RSD 81.8

143.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 RSD 317

$1.45 RSD 151

109.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 RSD 392

$1.84 RSD 193

103.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$0.97 RSD 101

42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 RSD 104

$1.11 RSD 116

-9.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 RSD 266

$1.47 RSD 154

73.47%

Eggs

$2.63 RSD 274

$2.02 RSD 211

30.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 RSD 1,416

$9.13 RSD 953

48.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RSD 746

$6.79 RSD 709

5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 RSD 1,475

$6.93 RSD 723

103.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 RSD 176

$0.94 RSD 97.9

79.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 RSD 201

$1.75 RSD 183

9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RSD 169

$1.54 RSD 161

5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 RSD 255

$1.93 RSD 201

26.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 RSD 108

$0.66 RSD 68.8

57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 RSD 67.3

$0.32 RSD 32.98

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RSD 107

$0.70 RSD 73.3

47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 71.8

$0.60 RSD 62.4

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 499

$3.87 RSD 404

23.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 RSD 802

$3.92 RSD 409

95.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$0.70 RSD 73.2

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 RSD 231

$0.92 RSD 95.8

140.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RSD 102

$0.81 RSD 84.8

20.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.57 RSD 2,461

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 RSD 276

$1.95 RSD 204

35.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 RSD 87.0

$0.79 RSD 82.6

5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.60 RSD 1,211

$9.63 RSD 1,005

20.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RSD 189

$1.88 RSD 197

-3.72%

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

$30.4K RSD 3.2M

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

-1.53%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$23.8K RSD 2.5M

2.13%

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

$219 RSD 22.9K

$62.7 RSD 6,541

249.47%

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

$21.52 RSD 2,246

$9.56 RSD 998

125.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.91 RSD 3,540

$22.96 RSD 2,397

47.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 RSD 3,787

$25.12 RSD 2,622

44.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 RSD 1,182

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 RSD 751

$8.31 RSD 867

-13.48%

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

$364 RSD 38.0K

$454 RSD 47.4K

-19.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,226 RSD 858.7K

$12.4K RSD 1.3M

-33.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 RSD 12.5K

$112 RSD 11.7K

6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 RSD 4,671

$45.87 RSD 4,788

-2.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 RSD 14.6K

$62.4 RSD 6,516

123.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 RSD 12.9K

$113 RSD 11.8K

9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 RSD 53.8K

$308 RSD 32.1K

67.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 RSD 42.2K

$260 RSD 27.1K

55.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 RSD 109.3K

$429 RSD 44.7K

144.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 RSD 84.6K

$315 RSD 32.9K

157.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,673 RSD 383.5K

$2,189 RSD 228.5K

67.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,620 RSD 273.5K

$1,798 RSD 187.7K

45.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,270 RSD 132.6K

$516 RSD 53.9K

146.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.02

4.5

11.56%

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

Last update for Novi Sad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bečej: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novi Sad

$404 29.1%

Bečej

$260 30.8% 35.7% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novi Sad

$274 19.7%

Bečej

$95 11.3% 65.3% $179

Groceries & Markets

Novi Sad

$243 17.5%

Bečej

$174 20.6% 28.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Novi Sad

$192 13.8%

Bečej

$150 17.8% 22% $42

Eating Out

Novi Sad

$191 13.8%

Bečej

$114 13.5% 40.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Novi Sad

$51 3.6%

Bečej

$42 5% 17.6% $8.9

Getting Around

Novi Sad

$34 2.5%

Bečej

$9.2 * 1.1% 73.3% $25

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 $515 in Novi Sad and $308 in Bečej. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Sad pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Novi Sad vs $34 in Bečej for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $174 per month, with Bečej cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Bečej

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

Same time as Novi Sad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,438

19,492

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.51 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Novi Sad Bečej 43 km

From you

Novi Sad
Bečej

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

Novi Sad vs Bečej: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bečej is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Novi Sad is about 2.5 times higher, 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: $515 in Novi Sad versus $308 in Bečej. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Novi Sad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,390 per month in Novi Sad versus $843 in Bečej – Bečej is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $843 in Bečej versus $1,390 in Novi Sad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bečej but tight or insufficient in Novi Sad. The gap between the two cities makes Bečej 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 Sad and Bečej are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Bečej wins on affordability, Novi Sad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.