Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Novi Sad: $1,371 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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

$1,371

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/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 $1,371 per month in Novi Sad vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Novi Sad $1,371
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $2,114 per month in Novi Sad vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Novi Sad $2,114
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $2,856 per month in Novi Sad vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Novi Sad $2,856
Belgrade $3,105

Novi Sad is about 11% 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

$9.93 RSD 1,037

$13.33 RSD 1,392

-25.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 RSD 5,189

$58.4 RSD 6,099

-14.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.00 RSD 1,253

$13.58 RSD 1,418

-11.63%

Cappuccino

$2.61 RSD 273

$3.13 RSD 327

-16.61%

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

$2.32 RSD 243

$2.77 RSD 289

-16.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 RSD 192

$2.27 RSD 237

-19.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 RSD 303

$3.75 RSD 391

-22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 RSD 394

$4.38 RSD 457

-13.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.40 RSD 147

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 RSD 99.2

$1.17 RSD 122

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 RSD 280

$2.71 RSD 283

-1.11%

Eggs

$2.54 RSD 265

$2.78 RSD 290

-8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 RSD 1,367

$11.36 RSD 1,186

15.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 RSD 785

$7.01 RSD 732

7.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 RSD 1,499

$15.72 RSD 1,641

-8.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 RSD 179

$1.66 RSD 173

3.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 RSD 207

$1.81 RSD 189

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.83 RSD 191

-9.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 RSD 266

$3.13 RSD 327

-18.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 RSD 105

$0.88 RSD 91.5

14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 RSD 71.0

$0.67 RSD 70.5

1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 RSD 100

$0.81 RSD 84.6

18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 RSD 68.5

$0.68 RSD 71.1

-2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 RSD 505

$4.78 RSD 500

1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 RSD 779

$8.54 RSD 891

-12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RSD 95.7

$0.94 RSD 97.9

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 RSD 231

$1.44 RSD 151

53.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 RSD 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.45 RSD 2,552

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 RSD 244

$3.09 RSD 323

-24.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 RSD 96.9

$1.02 RSD 107

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.35 RSD 1,081

$17.18 RSD 1,793

-39.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.87 RSD 196

-2.14%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-0.05%

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

$26.3K RSD 2.7M

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

8.32%

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

$223 RSD 23.2K

$218 RSD 22.7K

2.27%

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

$20.57 RSD 2,147

$25.24 RSD 2,635

-18.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 RSD 3,467

$35.35 RSD 3,691

-6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.61 RSD 3,823

$41.77 RSD 4,361

-12.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 RSD 1,155

$22.80 RSD 2,380

-51.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 RSD 763

$8.47 RSD 884

-13.81%

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

$372 RSD 38.8K

$426 RSD 44.5K

-12.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,710 RSD 805.0K

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

-32.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$111 RSD 11.6K

7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.40 RSD 4,531

$45.99 RSD 4,802

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 RSD 14.3K

$119 RSD 12.4K

14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 RSD 12.9K

$154 RSD 16.1K

-19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 RSD 51.6K

$821 RSD 85.8K

-39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 RSD 42.3K

$561 RSD 58.5K

-27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 RSD 99.7K

$1,511 RSD 157.8K

-36.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 RSD 78.6K

$942 RSD 98.3K

-20.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 RSD 368.2K

$5,312 RSD 554.6K

-33.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,586 RSD 270.0K

$3,165 RSD 330.5K

-18.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 RSD 129.5K

$1,228 RSD 128.2K

1.01%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novi Sad

$405 29.2%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 38.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novi Sad

$276 19.9%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 0.7% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Novi Sad

$244 17.6%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 0.8% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Novi Sad

$190 13.7%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 1.7% $3.3

Eating Out

Novi Sad

$186 13.4%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 25.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Novi Sad

$51 3.7%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 14.6% $7.5

Getting Around

Novi Sad

$35 2.6%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 76.8% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Novi Sad versus $821 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 1% higher in Novi Sad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Novi Sad versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $246 – making Novi Sad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

Same time as Novi Sad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,438

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 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: $1,371 in Novi Sad, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,057 per month in Novi Sad and $2,307 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.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novi Sad, where all-in costs run around $1,371, than in Belgrade at $1,538. 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.