Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Novi Sad: $1,374 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
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Novi Sad Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,374

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,374 per month in Novi Sad vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

Novi Sad $1,374
Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Novi Sad vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

Novi Sad $2,104
Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Novi Sad vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

Novi Sad $2,833
Belgrade $3,121

Novi Sad is about 12% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Novi Sad and Belgrade sit above the global median – Novi Sad by 2%, Belgrade by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 RSD 1,020

$13.15 RSD 1,371

-25.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 RSD 5,232

$57.5 RSD 5,999

-12.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 RSD 1,232

$13.38 RSD 1,394

-11.66%

Cappuccino

$2.68 RSD 280

$3.10 RSD 323

-13.55%

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

$2.31 RSD 241

$2.82 RSD 294

-18.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RSD 198

$2.22 RSD 231

-14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 RSD 303

$3.47 RSD 362

-16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 RSD 388

$3.96 RSD 412

-5.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 RSD 143

$1.38 RSD 144

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 RSD 105

$1.13 RSD 118

-10.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 RSD 274

$2.66 RSD 277

-1.13%

Eggs

$2.66 RSD 278

$2.78 RSD 290

-4.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.53 RSD 1,410

$10.99 RSD 1,146

23.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RSD 757

$6.56 RSD 684

10.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 RSD 1,486

$15.07 RSD 1,571

-5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 RSD 175

$1.66 RSD 173

1.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.79 RSD 186

6.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RSD 167

$1.87 RSD 195

-13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 RSD 264

$3.03 RSD 315

-16.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 RSD 110

$0.92 RSD 96.3

14.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 RSD 67.2

$0.71 RSD 73.8

-9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 RSD 105

$0.74 RSD 77.6

36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 RSD 68.3

$0.74 RSD 77.2

-12.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 RSD 496

$4.61 RSD 481

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 RSD 773

$8.81 RSD 918

-15.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RSD 91.1

$0.89 RSD 92.7

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 RSD 238

$1.45 RSD 151

57.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 RSD 97.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.13 RSD 2,516

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 RSD 244

$3.02 RSD 315

-22.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RSD 96.2

$0.98 RSD 103

-6.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 RSD 1,105

$17.08 RSD 1,780

-37.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RSD 198

$1.91 RSD 199

-0.52%

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

$30.5K RSD 3.2M

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

-1.76%

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

$26.0K RSD 2.7M

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

5.49%

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

$222 RSD 23.1K

$220 RSD 23.0K

0.52%

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

$20.42 RSD 2,129

$24.41 RSD 2,544

-16.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.10 RSD 3,450

$35.64 RSD 3,715

-7.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.99 RSD 3,856

$41.20 RSD 4,295

-10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.28 RSD 1,176

$22.60 RSD 2,356

-50.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 RSD 771

$8.59 RSD 896

-13.97%

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

$371 RSD 38.7K

$424 RSD 44.2K

-12.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,484 RSD 780.2K

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

-31.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 RSD 12.3K

$111 RSD 11.5K

6.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.22 RSD 4,610

$47.28 RSD 4,929

-6.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 RSD 14.3K

$113 RSD 11.8K

21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 RSD 13.3K

$157 RSD 16.3K

-18.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 RSD 51.0K

$805 RSD 83.9K

-39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 RSD 40.8K

$546 RSD 56.9K

-28.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 RSD 99.2K

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

-34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 RSD 77.0K

$931 RSD 97.0K

-20.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,442 RSD 358.9K

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

-35.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,629 RSD 274.1K

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

-16.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,218 RSD 127.0K

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

-1.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

4.61

13.02%

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

Last update for Novi Sad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novi Sad

$392 28.5%

Belgrade

$546 35.2% 39.4% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novi Sad

$275 20%

Belgrade

$280 18.1% 2% $5.4

Groceries & Markets

Novi Sad

$244 17.7%

Belgrade

$241 15.5% 1.3% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Novi Sad

$192 14%

Belgrade

$192 12.4% 0.2% $0.3

Eating Out

Novi Sad

$185 13.5%

Belgrade

$228 14.7% 23.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Novi Sad

$52 3.8%

Belgrade

$58 3.8% 12.8% $6.6

Getting Around

Novi Sad

$35 2.5%

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5% 77.2% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Novi Sad versus $805 in Belgrade. 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 2% higher in Belgrade, 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 $50.0 in Novi Sad versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Novi Sad vs $241 in Belgrade – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Novi Sad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,438

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Novi Sad Belgrade 68 km

From you

Novi Sad
Belgrade

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 Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,374 in Novi Sad, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,061 per month in Novi Sad and $2,331 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novi Sad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Novi Sad and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novi Sad, where all-in costs run around $1,374, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Novi Sad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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