Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novi Sad

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,393 in Novi Sad, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
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Novi Sad Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Novi Sad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,393 in Novi Sad.

Phuket $1,278
Novi Sad $1,393

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,154 in Novi Sad.

Phuket $2,216
Novi Sad $2,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,915 in Novi Sad.

Phuket $3,154
Novi Sad $2,915

Living in Phuket costs roughly 8% less than in Novi Sad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Novi Sad is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.11 RSD 1,059

-55.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$50.2 RSD 5,255

-35.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$12.06 RSD 1,263

-26.95%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.65 RSD 278

6.79%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.37 RSD 248

-63.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.82 RSD 191

-73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.93 RSD 307

-12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.72 RSD 390

-1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.39 RSD 146

19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.93 RSD 97.5

56.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.65 RSD 278

-43.40%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.67 RSD 280

-21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.46 RSD 1,410

41.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.21 RSD 756

-54.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.06 RSD 1,473

-22.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.76 RSD 184

66.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.90 RSD 199

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.66 RSD 174

35.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.54 RSD 266

-18.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.00 RSD 104

51.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.69 RSD 72.5

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.95 RSD 99.5

12.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.68 RSD 71.5

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.69 RSD 492

-10.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.79 RSD 816

141.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.87 RSD 90.9

109.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.30 RSD 241

23.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.94 RSD 98.4

54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$24.22 RSD 2,537

133.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.31 RSD 242

30.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.92 RSD 96.2

10.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.42 RSD 1,092

-64.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.81 RSD 190

-18.78%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$30.1K RSD 3.2M

-11.10%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$23.8K RSD 2.5M

12.38%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$224 RSD 23.5K

-57.04%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$20.29 RSD 2,125

-44.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$33.84 RSD 3,544

-50.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$34.97 RSD 3,663

92.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$11.12 RSD 1,165

-3.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.88 RSD 721

9.01%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$364 RSD 38.1K

30.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$7,540 RSD 789.7K

49.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$117 RSD 12.3K

-46.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$44.36 RSD 4,647

-35.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$135 RSD 14.1K

-30.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$124 RSD 13.0K

-30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$509 RSD 53.3K

40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$411 RSD 43.0K

19.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,034 RSD 108.3K

86.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$824 RSD 86.3K

73.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,595 RSD 376.5K

16.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,621 RSD 274.6K

16.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,230 RSD 128.9K

-59.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.17

7.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Novi Sad

$411 29.5% 16.3% $80

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Novi Sad

$244 17.5% 8.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Novi Sad

$278 20% 124% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Novi Sad

$189 13.6% 55.3% $67

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Novi Sad

$188 13.5% 54.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Novi Sad

$49 3.5% 40.7% $34

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Novi Sad

$35 2.5% 50.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $509 in Novi Sad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Sad pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $50 in Novi Sad. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $244, with Novi Sad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

14:52 2:52 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

260,438

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Novi Sad 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Novi Sad

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

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

Phuket is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $509 in Novi Sad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $50 in Novi Sad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,393 in Novi Sad – Phuket is about 8% 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, Phuket and Novi Sad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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