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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,032 in Novi Pazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,485 in Novi Pazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,937 in Novi Pazar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than 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

$4.63 ฿151

$6.96 RSD 699

-33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$19.06 RSD 1,913

145.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.71 RSD 773

14.66%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.42 RSD 142

111.27%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.68 RSD 168

-55.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.34 RSD 134

-72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.00 RSD 201

22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.00 RSD 201

80.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.20 RSD 120

88.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.80 RSD 80.7

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.06 RSD 307

-26.80%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.80 RSD 181

28.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.61 RSD 965

104.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.53 RSD 756

-51.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.29 RSD 1,333

-1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.20 RSD 121

182.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.86 RSD 187

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.01 RSD 202

19.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.68 RSD 269

-24.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.02 RSD 103

52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.75 RSD 75.0

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.99 RSD 99.6

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.77 RSD 77.6

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.51 RSD 452

-1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.09 RSD 811

133.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.90 RSD 90.3

97.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.58 RSD 159

74.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.93 RSD 92.9

50.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$19.89 RSD 1,996

-42.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.06 RSD 106

194.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.89 RSD 89.1

12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.82 RSD 684

106.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.81 RSD 182

-25.41%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$30.9K RSD 3.1M

-11.98%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.5K RSD 2.7M

24.14%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$206 RSD 20.7K

-39.46%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.75 RSD 2,282

-40.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$33.01 RSD 3,311

-43.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.76 RSD 2,986

106.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.75 RSD 1,681

0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.08 RSD 811

13.74%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$181 RSD 18.2K

285.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,131 RSD 514.8K

203.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$103 RSD 10.3K

-43.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$41.75 RSD 4,189

-15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$89.4 RSD 8,968

26.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$119 RSD 12.0K

-27.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$258 RSD 25.9K

138.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$193 RSD 19.4K

131.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$385 RSD 38.6K

432.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$302 RSD 30.3K

393.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,778 RSD 178.3K

112.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,473 RSD 147.8K

79.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$571 RSD 57.3K

-8.29%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Novi Pazar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $258 in Novi Pazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Pazar pays 9% 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 $226 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 ($1,232 vs $1,032 including rent). Novi Pazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Novi Pazar earns 9% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $258 in Novi Pazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% 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 $1,032 in Novi Pazar versus $1,232 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.