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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,031 in Novi Pazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,522 in Novi Pazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,013 in Novi Pazar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than in Novi Pazar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Novi Pazar 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$6.82 RSD 693

-33.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$19.00 RSD 1,929

145.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$8.10 RSD 822

4.81%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.43 RSD 145

115.38%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.69 RSD 171

-59.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$1.28 RSD 130

-71.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.95 RSD 198

24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.01 RSD 204

80.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.20 RSD 122

82.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.77 RSD 78.5

135.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$3.00 RSD 305

-25.67%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.75 RSD 178

28.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$9.63 RSD 978

103.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.67 RSD 779

-51.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$13.26 RSD 1,347

1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.14 RSD 116

194.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.96 RSD 199

-17.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.01 RSD 204

19.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.84 RSD 288

-29.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.02 RSD 104

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.74 RSD 75.3

95.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.99 RSD 101

2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.77 RSD 78.6

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.47 RSD 454

-4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$9.67 RSD 982

97.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$0.83 RSD 84.5

121.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.52 RSD 155

80.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.98 RSD 99.9

44.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$19.80 RSD 2,011

-40.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.08 RSD 109

177.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.97 RSD 98.3

8.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$6.76 RSD 687

105.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.83 RSD 186

-29.51%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$30.8K RSD 3.1M

-8.92%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$27.1K RSD 2.7M

23.80%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$209 RSD 21.2K

-41.61%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$22.64 RSD 2,299

-38.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$32.49 RSD 3,299

-41.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$29.06 RSD 2,951

110.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$16.60 RSD 1,686

1.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$7.75 RSD 788

14.71%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$177 RSD 18.0K

290.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$5,053 RSD 513.2K

219.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$102 RSD 10.3K

-43.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$42.57 RSD 4,323

-16.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$89.3 RSD 9,065

27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$119 RSD 12.1K

-30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$265 RSD 26.9K

128.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$192 RSD 19.5K

133.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$389 RSD 39.5K

422.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$306 RSD 31.1K

387.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,769 RSD 179.6K

102.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,480 RSD 150.3K

74.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$721 RSD 73.2K

-30.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.59

-4.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Novi Pazar: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $265 in Novi Pazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Pazar pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Novi Pazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $230 per month, with Novi Pazar cheaper across the board.

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

Phuket vs Novi Pazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Novi Pazar differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,223 vs $1,031 including rent). Novi Pazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Novi Pazar. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $265 in Novi Pazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Novi Pazar – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Novi Pazar versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novi Pazar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Novi Pazar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Phuket and Novi Pazar 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 Pazar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.