Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Subotica and Novi Sad

For one person, living is cheaper in Subotica: $1,095 a month against $1,374 in Novi Sad, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Subotica
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Subotica Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Novi Sad
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Novi Sad Living Index

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Subotica

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,095

/mo nomad

Novi Sad

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Subotica 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 Subotica and in Novi Sad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,095 in Subotica versus $1,374 in Novi Sad.

Subotica $1,095
Novi Sad $1,374

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Subotica versus $2,104 in Novi Sad.

Subotica $1,651
Novi Sad $2,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,208 in Subotica versus $2,833 in Novi Sad.

Subotica $2,208
Novi Sad $2,833

Living in Subotica costs roughly 20% less than in Novi Sad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Subotica is 19% below, Novi Sad is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 RSD 977

$9.79 RSD 1,020

-4.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.62 RSD 3,505

$50.2 RSD 5,232

-33.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 RSD 1,156

$11.82 RSD 1,232

-6.18%

Cappuccino

$1.95 RSD 204

$2.68 RSD 280

-27.24%

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

$1.90 RSD 198

$2.31 RSD 241

-17.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RSD 179

$1.90 RSD 198

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 RSD 260

$2.90 RSD 303

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 RSD 303

$3.73 RSD 388

-22.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RSD 139

$1.37 RSD 143

-2.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RSD 117

$1.01 RSD 105

10.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 RSD 212

$2.63 RSD 274

-22.81%

Eggs

$3.03 RSD 316

$2.66 RSD 278

13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 RSD 1,272

$13.53 RSD 1,410

-9.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 RSD 694

$7.27 RSD 757

-8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 RSD 1,323

$14.26 RSD 1,486

-11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RSD 145

$1.68 RSD 175

-17.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 RSD 204

$1.91 RSD 199

2.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 RSD 148

$1.61 RSD 167

-11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 RSD 226

$2.53 RSD 264

-14.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 RSD 103

$1.05 RSD 110

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RSD 67.7

$0.64 RSD 67.2

1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 RSD 60.8

$1.01 RSD 105

-42.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 RSD 68.0

$0.65 RSD 68.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 RSD 430

$4.75 RSD 496

-13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.35 RSD 558

$7.42 RSD 773

-27.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RSD 87.1

$0.87 RSD 91.1

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RSD 248

$2.29 RSD 238

3.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 RSD 116

$0.93 RSD 97.0

19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 RSD 3,533

$24.13 RSD 2,516

40.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 RSD 203

$2.34 RSD 244

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 RSD 126

$0.92 RSD 96.2

31.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.07 RSD 1,154

$10.60 RSD 1,105

4.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.90 RSD 198

-3.68%

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

$29.9K RSD 3.1M

$30.5K RSD 3.2M

-1.84%

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

$25.3K RSD 2.6M

$26.0K RSD 2.7M

-2.74%

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

$168 RSD 17.5K

$222 RSD 23.1K

-24.22%

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

$15.69 RSD 1,636

$20.42 RSD 2,129

-23.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.29 RSD 3,888

$33.10 RSD 3,450

12.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.23 RSD 3,464

$36.99 RSD 3,856

-10.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.23 RSD 962

$11.28 RSD 1,176

-18.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 RSD 508

$7.39 RSD 771

-34.10%

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

$233 RSD 24.3K

$371 RSD 38.7K

-37.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,484 RSD 780.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.37 RSD 4,521

$118 RSD 12.3K

-63.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.88 RSD 2,281

$44.22 RSD 4,610

-50.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 RSD 9,660

$137 RSD 14.3K

-32.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 RSD 7,333

$127 RSD 13.3K

-44.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 RSD 43.8K

$489 RSD 51.0K

-14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RSD 30.8K

$392 RSD 40.8K

-24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 RSD 62.5K

$951 RSD 99.2K

-36.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 RSD 55.8K

$739 RSD 77.0K

-27.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,445 RSD 254.9K

$3,442 RSD 358.9K

-28.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,616 RSD 168.5K

$2,629 RSD 274.1K

-38.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$903 RSD 94.1K

$1,218 RSD 127.0K

-25.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.21

-8.06%

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

Last update for Subotica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Subotica

$296 27%

Novi Sad

$392 28.5% 32.6% $96

Groceries & Markets

Subotica

$222 20.3%

Novi Sad

$244 17.7% 9.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Subotica

$221 20.2%

Novi Sad

$275 20% 24.5% $54

Eating Out

Subotica

$164 15%

Novi Sad

$185 13.5% 12.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Subotica

$103 9.4%

Novi Sad

$192 14% 87% $89

Getting Around

Subotica

$46 4.2%

Novi Sad

$35 2.5% 24.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Subotica

$43 3.9%

Novi Sad

$52 3.8% 20.5% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $420 in Subotica and $489 in Novi Sad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novi Sad pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Subotica vs $50.0 in Novi Sad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $244 per month, with Subotica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Subotica

🇷🇸 Novi Sad

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

Same time as Subotica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,752

260,438

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Subotica Novi Sad 95 km

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Subotica
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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

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

Subotica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Novi Sad. 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: $420 in Subotica versus $489 in Novi Sad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Subotica – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $50.0 in Novi Sad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,095 per month in Subotica versus $1,374 in Novi Sad – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,095 in Subotica versus $1,374 in Novi Sad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subotica but tight or insufficient in Novi Sad. The gap between the two cities makes Subotica 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, Subotica and Novi Sad 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 Subotica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Novi Sad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.