Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Nis

For one person, living is cheaper in Nis: $1,029 a month against $1,393 in Novi Sad, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
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Novi Sad Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,393

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Novi Sad vs $1,029 in Nis, rent included.

Novi Sad $1,393
Nis $1,029

A couple spends around $2,154 per month in Novi Sad vs $1,526 in Nis, rent included.

Novi Sad $2,154
Nis $1,526

A family of three spends $2,915 per month in Novi Sad vs $2,022 in Nis, rent included.

Novi Sad $2,915
Nis $2,022

Novi Sad costs about 35% more than Nis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Novi Sad sits 2% above the global median, while Nis is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 RSD 1,059

$8.71 RSD 912

16.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 RSD 5,255

$33.20 RSD 3,477

51.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 RSD 1,263

$9.73 RSD 1,019

23.95%

Cappuccino

$2.65 RSD 278

$1.93 RSD 202

37.31%

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

$2.37 RSD 248

$2.28 RSD 239

3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 RSD 191

$1.80 RSD 189

1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 RSD 307

$3.71 RSD 389

-21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 RSD 390

$4.36 RSD 456

-14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 RSD 146

$1.08 RSD 114

28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 RSD 97.5

$0.72 RSD 75.7

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 RSD 278

$1.68 RSD 176

57.74%

Eggs

$2.67 RSD 280

$2.32 RSD 243

15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 RSD 1,410

$7.41 RSD 776

81.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 RSD 756

$5.77 RSD 604

24.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 RSD 1,473

$10.97 RSD 1,149

28.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 RSD 184

$1.08 RSD 114

62.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 RSD 199

$1.70 RSD 178

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 174

$1.42 RSD 149

16.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RSD 266

$2.07 RSD 216

22.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RSD 104

$0.79 RSD 82.6

26.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 RSD 72.5

$0.74 RSD 77.1

-6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 RSD 99.5

$0.64 RSD 67.5

48.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 71.5

$0.57 RSD 59.9

19.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 RSD 492

$4.46 RSD 467

5.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RSD 816

$5.58 RSD 585

39.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RSD 90.9

$0.69 RSD 71.8

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RSD 241

$1.36 RSD 142

69.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 RSD 98.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.22 RSD 2,537

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 RSD 242

$1.86 RSD 194

24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RSD 96.2

$0.69 RSD 71.9

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.42 RSD 1,092

$8.28 RSD 867

25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RSD 190

$1.86 RSD 195

-2.69%

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

$30.1K RSD 3.2M

$30.6K RSD 3.2M

-1.45%

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

$23.8K RSD 2.5M

$23.2K RSD 2.4M

2.28%

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

$224 RSD 23.5K

$156 RSD 16.4K

43.40%

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

$20.29 RSD 2,125

$19.16 RSD 2,007

5.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.84 RSD 3,544

$22.67 RSD 2,375

49.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.97 RSD 3,663

$29.61 RSD 3,102

18.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 RSD 1,165

$15.29 RSD 1,602

-27.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 RSD 721

$4.62 RSD 484

48.92%

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

$364 RSD 38.1K

$247 RSD 25.9K

47.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,540 RSD 789.7K

$4,809 RSD 503.7K

56.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 RSD 12.3K

$86.5 RSD 9,061

35.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 RSD 4,647

$39.99 RSD 4,189

10.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 RSD 14.1K

$100 RSD 10.5K

34.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 RSD 13.0K

$109 RSD 11.4K

13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 RSD 53.3K

$418 RSD 43.8K

21.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 RSD 43.0K

$290 RSD 30.4K

41.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 RSD 108.3K

$626 RSD 65.6K

65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 RSD 86.3K

$450 RSD 47.1K

83.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,595 RSD 376.5K

$2,650 RSD 277.6K

35.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,621 RSD 274.6K

$1,862 RSD 195.1K

40.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,230 RSD 128.9K

$922 RSD 96.6K

33.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.17

5.11

1.17%

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

Last update for Novi Sad: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novi Sad

$411 29.5%

Nis

$290 28.2% 29.4% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novi Sad

$278 20%

Nis

$198 19.3% 28.8% $80

Groceries & Markets

Novi Sad

$244 17.5%

Nis

$180 17.5% 26% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Novi Sad

$189 13.6%

Nis

$151 14.7% 20.2% $38

Eating Out

Novi Sad

$188 13.5%

Nis

$166 16.1% 11.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Novi Sad

$49 3.5%

Nis

$39 3.8% 20.3% $9.9

Getting Around

Novi Sad

$35 2.5%

Nis

$5.3 * 0.5% 84.8% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Novi Sad versus $418 in Nis. 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 33% higher in Novi Sad, 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 in Novi Sad versus $33 in Nis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $180 – making Nis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

Same time as Novi Sad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,438

78,470

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Novi Sad Nis 270 km

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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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novi Sad costs about 35% more than Nis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Novi Sad and $1,544 in Nis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $509 in Novi Sad.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,393 in Novi Sad and $1,029 in Nis. That makes Nis about 26% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $364 per month in Novi Sad and $247 in Nis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,393 in Novi Sad and $1,029 in Nis. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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