Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Novi Sad: $1,374 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,374

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Novi Sad versus $1,594 in Sofia.

Novi Sad $1,374
Sofia $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,104 in Novi Sad versus $2,478 in Sofia.

Novi Sad $2,104
Sofia $2,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Novi Sad versus $3,361 in Sofia.

Novi Sad $2,833
Sofia $3,361

Living in Novi Sad costs roughly 14% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Novi Sad 2% above, Sofia 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 RSD 1,020

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-41.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 RSD 5,232

$65.8 BGN 115

-23.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 RSD 1,232

$11.32 BGN 19.69

4.42%

Cappuccino

$2.68 RSD 280

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-21.87%

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

$2.31 RSD 241

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-4.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RSD 198

$1.85 BGN 3.22

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 RSD 303

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 RSD 388

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 RSD 143

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-32.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 RSD 105

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-35.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 RSD 274

$2.33 BGN 4.05

12.88%

Eggs

$2.66 RSD 278

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-38.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.53 RSD 1,410

$11.76 BGN 20.47

15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 RSD 757

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 RSD 1,486

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-18.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 RSD 175

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-21.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RSD 167

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 RSD 264

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-40.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 RSD 110

$1.04 BGN 1.80

0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 RSD 67.2

$0.85 BGN 1.48

-24.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 RSD 105

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-12.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 RSD 68.3

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-26.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 RSD 496

$4.21 BGN 7.33

12.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 RSD 773

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RSD 91.1

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-24.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 RSD 238

$1.85 BGN 3.23

23.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 RSD 97.0

$0.87 BGN 1.51

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.13 RSD 2,516

$28.53 BGN 49.65

-15.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 RSD 244

$1.68 BGN 2.93

39.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RSD 96.2

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-2.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 RSD 1,105

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-30.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RSD 198

$1.69 BGN 2.94

12.43%

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

$30.5K RSD 3.2M

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

2.19%

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

$26.0K RSD 2.7M

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

-0.45%

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

$222 RSD 23.1K

$156 BGN 272

41.96%

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

$20.42 RSD 2,129

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-5.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.10 RSD 3,450

$15.24 BGN 26.51

117.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.99 RSD 3,856

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.28 RSD 1,176

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-59.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 RSD 771

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-27.41%

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

$371 RSD 38.7K

$774 BGN 1,347

-52.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,484 RSD 780.2K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-41.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 RSD 12.3K

$89.9 BGN 157

31.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.22 RSD 4,610

$41.29 BGN 71.8

7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 RSD 14.3K

$105 BGN 183

30.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 RSD 13.3K

$107 BGN 186

19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 RSD 51.0K

$783 BGN 1,362

-37.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 RSD 40.8K

$597 BGN 1,038

-34.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 RSD 99.2K

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 RSD 77.0K

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-28.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,442 RSD 358.9K

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-20.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,629 RSD 274.1K

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-17.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,218 RSD 127.0K

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-29.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

2.89

80.28%

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

Last update for Novi Sad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novi Sad

$392 28.5%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 52.4% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novi Sad

$275 20%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 29.9% $82

Groceries & Markets

Novi Sad

$244 17.7%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 19.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Novi Sad

$192 14%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 19.6% $38

Eating Out

Novi Sad

$185 13.5%

Sofia

$255 16% 37.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Novi Sad

$52 3.8%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 28.4% $15

Getting Around

Novi Sad

$35 2.5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 10.3% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $489 in Novi Sad and $783 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 42% 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: $50.0 in Novi Sad vs $66.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $290 per month, with Novi Sad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

18:16 6:16 PM

1 h ahead of Novi Sad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,438

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

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Novi Sad Sofia 400 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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novi Sad is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Sofia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $489 in Novi Sad versus $783 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Novi Sad – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,374 per month in Novi Sad versus $1,594 in Sofia – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,374 in Novi Sad versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Novi Sad but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Novi Sad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Novi Sad and Sofia 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 Novi Sad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.