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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,091 in Novi Pazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,569 in Novi Pazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,047 in Novi Pazar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Novi Pazar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Novi Pazar 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.72 RSD 678

-30.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$19.04 RSD 1,919

69.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.72 RSD 778

12.44%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.75 RSD 177

65.71%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.69 RSD 170

-50.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.34 RSD 136

-63.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.02 RSD 203

22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.02 RSD 204

84.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.48 RSD 149

27.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.83 RSD 83.3

69.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.76 RSD 278

-41.30%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.85 RSD 187

21.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.99 RSD 1,007

98.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.16 RSD 722

-51.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$16.23 RSD 1,636

-29.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.22 RSD 123

137.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.86 RSD 187

-7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.99 RSD 200

14.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.08 RSD 310

-30.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.96 RSD 96.9

53.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.70 RSD 70.2

102.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.74 RSD 75.0

48.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.69 RSD 69.1

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.85 RSD 488

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.19 RSD 1,027

82.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.91 RSD 91.6

97.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.54 RSD 155

92.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.95 RSD 96.0

136.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$20.11 RSD 2,027

16.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.17 RSD 118

164.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.02 RSD 103

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$17.55 RSD 1,769

-77.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.95 RSD 197

-26.67%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$31.1K RSD 3.1M

-10.76%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.4K RSD 2.6M

6.15%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$218 RSD 22.0K

-51.95%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$26.94 RSD 2,716

-57.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$35.33 RSD 3,561

-50.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$30.67 RSD 3,091

77.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.49 RSD 453

73.27%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$177 RSD 17.8K

225.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.5K RSD 1.2M

0.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$111 RSD 11.2K

-42.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$49.35 RSD 4,973

-41.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$87.6 RSD 8,827

9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$162 RSD 16.3K

-44.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$264 RSD 26.6K

177.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$192 RSD 19.4K

160.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$378 RSD 38.1K

462.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$311 RSD 31.3K

303.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,809 RSD 182.3K

95.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,441 RSD 145.2K

82.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$726 RSD 73.2K

-30.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.64

20.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Novi Pazar: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $264 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Novi Pazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $240 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 16% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,091 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: $733 in Phuket versus $264 in Novi Pazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,091 in Novi Pazar versus $1,265 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.