Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi Sad and Zajecar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zajecar: $1,221 a month against $1,390 in Novi Sad, 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
Learn more

Novi Sad Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Zajecar
Learn more

Zajecar Living Index

Jump to prices

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,390

/mo nomad

Zajecar

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,390 in Novi Sad versus $1,221 in Zajecar.

Novi Sad $1,390
Zajecar $1,221

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,149 in Novi Sad versus $1,807 in Zajecar.

Novi Sad $2,149
Zajecar $1,807

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,908 in Novi Sad versus $2,392 in Zajecar.

Novi Sad $2,908
Zajecar $2,392

Living in Novi Sad is roughly 14% more expensive than in Zajecar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Novi Sad is 3% above, Zajecar is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.25 RSD 1,070

$10.05 RSD 1,050

1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.21 RSD 5,137

$49.59 RSD 5,176

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.25 RSD 1,279

$12.21 RSD 1,274

0.33%

Cappuccino

$2.73 RSD 285

$2.63 RSD 275

3.80%

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

$2.36 RSD 247

$2.49 RSD 260

-5.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RSD 198

$1.89 RSD 198

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 RSD 317

$3.06 RSD 319

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 RSD 392

$3.71 RSD 387

1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 RSD 104

$1.01 RSD 105

-0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 RSD 266

Eggs

$2.63 RSD 274

$2.53 RSD 264

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 RSD 1,416

$13.19 RSD 1,377

2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 RSD 746

$7.37 RSD 769

-2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 RSD 1,475

$13.90 RSD 1,451

1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 RSD 176

$1.75 RSD 182

-3.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 RSD 201

$1.97 RSD 206

-2.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RSD 169

$1.67 RSD 175

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 RSD 255

$2.43 RSD 254

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 RSD 108

$1.05 RSD 109

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 RSD 67.3

$0.68 RSD 70.9

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RSD 107

$0.93 RSD 97.4

10.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 71.8

$0.65 RSD 67.9

6.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 499

$4.66 RSD 487

2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 RSD 802

$7.44 RSD 776

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$0.88 RSD 92.0

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 RSD 231

$2.30 RSD 241

-3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RSD 102

$0.95 RSD 99.5

3.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.57 RSD 2,461

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 RSD 276

$2.73 RSD 285

-2.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 RSD 87.0

$0.79 RSD 82.8

5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.60 RSD 1,211

$11.39 RSD 1,189

1.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RSD 189

$1.64 RSD 171

10.37%

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

$30.4K RSD 3.2M

$30.6K RSD 3.2M

-0.68%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$24.4K RSD 2.5M

-0.49%

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

$219 RSD 22.9K

$223 RSD 23.3K

-1.75%

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

$21.52 RSD 2,246

$21.26 RSD 2,220

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.91 RSD 3,540

$33.07 RSD 3,452

2.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 RSD 3,787

$30.48 RSD 3,182

19.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 RSD 1,182

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 RSD 751

$7.29 RSD 761

-1.37%

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

$364 RSD 38.0K

$374 RSD 39.1K

-2.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,226 RSD 858.7K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 RSD 12.5K

$116 RSD 12.1K

3.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 RSD 4,671

$43.28 RSD 4,518

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 RSD 14.6K

$136 RSD 14.2K

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 RSD 12.9K

$127 RSD 13.3K

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 RSD 53.8K

$346 RSD 36.1K

48.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 RSD 42.2K

$268 RSD 28.0K

50.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 RSD 109.3K

$407 RSD 42.5K

157.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 RSD 84.6K

$373 RSD 38.9K

117.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,673 RSD 383.5K

$2,211 RSD 230.8K

66.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,620 RSD 273.5K

$1,405 RSD 146.7K

86.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,270 RSD 132.6K

$881 RSD 91.9K

44.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.02

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

Last update for Novi Sad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zajecar: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novi Sad

$404 29.1%

Zajecar

$268 22% 33.7% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novi Sad

$274 19.7%

Zajecar

$277 22.7% 1% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Novi Sad

$243 17.5%

Zajecar

$242 19.8% 0.6% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Novi Sad

$192 13.8%

Zajecar

$190 15.6% 1.2% $2.3

Eating Out

Novi Sad

$191 13.8%

Zajecar

$189 15.5% 1.2% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Novi Sad

$51 3.6%

Zajecar

$45 3.7% 11% $5.6

Getting Around

Novi Sad

$34 2.5%

Zajecar

$11 * 0.9% 69.3% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Novi Sad and $346 in Zajecar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Sad pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Novi Sad vs $50 in Zajecar. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $242, with Zajecar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Zajecar

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Novi Sad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,438

32,448

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.51 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Novi Sad Zajecar 240 km

From you

Novi Sad
Zajecar

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 Zajecar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zajecar is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Novi Sad, 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: $515 in Novi Sad versus $346 in Zajecar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $364 in Novi Sad versus $374 in Zajecar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,390 per month in Novi Sad versus $1,221 in Zajecar – Zajecar is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Novi Sad and Zajecar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Zajecar wins on affordability, Novi Sad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.