Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Novi Sad versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,091 in Novi Sad versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,786 in Novi Sad versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Novi Sad is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Novi Sad is 4% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.71 RSD 974

$4.63 ฿151

109.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.38 RSD 4,951

$46.84 ฿1,523

5.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 RSD 1,074

$8.84 ฿287

21.15%

Cappuccino

$2.35 RSD 236

$3.00 ฿97.4

-21.67%

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

$2.13 RSD 214

$0.74 ฿24.11

187.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 RSD 164

$0.37 ฿11.88

340.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 RSD 293

$2.44 ฿79.3

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 RSD 370

$3.61 ฿117

2.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RSD 154

$2.26 ฿73.5

-32.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RSD 103

$1.84 ฿59.8

-44.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 RSD 280

$2.24 ฿73.0

25.00%

Eggs

$2.57 RSD 257

$2.32 ฿75.3

10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 RSD 1,183

$19.67 ฿639

-40.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 RSD 715

$3.65 ฿119

95.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 RSD 1,272

$13.10 ฿426

-3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RSD 126

$3.39 ฿110

-62.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 183

$1.64 ฿53.4

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RSD 164

$2.41 ฿78.5

-32.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 RSD 245

$2.03 ฿66.0

20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 RSD 99.7

$1.56 ฿50.6

-36.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RSD 93.3

$1.50 ฿48.66

-38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 RSD 79.3

$1.02 ฿33.30

-22.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 RSD 65.1

$0.49 ฿15.91

32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 RSD 456

$4.45 ฿145

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 RSD 824

$18.88 ฿614

-56.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RSD 87.2

$1.78 ฿57.7

-51.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RSD 218

$2.75 ฿89.5

-20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 RSD 103

$1.40 ฿45.54

-26.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.69 RSD 2,475

$11.48 ฿373

115.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 RSD 196

$3.12 ฿101

-37.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 RSD 69.1

$1.00 ฿32.48

-31.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 RSD 930

$14.09 ฿458

-34.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 RSD 183

$1.35 ฿43.93

35.56%

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

$30.2K RSD 3.0M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

10.98%

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

$28.7K RSD 2.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-12.73%

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

$205 RSD 20.5K

$125 ฿4,063

63.84%

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

$19.68 RSD 1,973

$13.57 ฿441

45.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.95 RSD 3,604

$18.52 ฿602

94.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.63 RSD 3,672

$61.5 ฿1,999

-40.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.21 RSD 1,424

$16.84 ฿547

-15.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 RSD 630

$9.19 ฿299

-31.56%

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

$346 RSD 34.7K

$698 ฿22.7K

-50.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,317 RSD 733.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-53.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 RSD 10.8K

$57.8 ฿1,878

87.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.66 RSD 4,578

$35.24 ฿1,146

29.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 RSD 12.3K

$113 ฿3,677

8.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 RSD 13.9K

$86.4 ฿2,808

61.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 RSD 55.9K

$616 ฿20.0K

-9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 RSD 46.0K

$446 ฿14.5K

2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RSD 108.7K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-47.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 RSD 77.8K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-47.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,670 RSD 367.9K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-2.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,614 RSD 262.1K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-1.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 RSD 108.5K

$524 ฿17.0K

106.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.31

5.33

37.15%

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

Last update for Novi Sad: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $557 in Novi Sad and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Sad pays 107% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Novi Sad vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $292, with Novi Sad cheaper for home cooking.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Novi Sad pays 107% 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: $557 in Novi Sad versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $49.00 in Novi Sad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,396 per month in Novi Sad versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,396 in Novi Sad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Novi Sad. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Novi Sad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Novi Sad 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Novi Sad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.