Novi Sad at a glance
- Novi Sad is the most expensive of Serbia's 5 priced cities: $1,094 a month in essentials, 23% above Kraljevo at $891.
- The average net salary of $1,085 covers that 1.0×.
- 94.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at opština/grad level.
- PM2.5 averages 17.4 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Serbia cities we track, so every row says whether Novi Sad is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,094 | $953 | $141 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $479 | $388 | $90 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $695 | $564 | $132 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $113 | $104 | $10 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $240 | $220 | $20 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $244 | $234 | $10 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $18 | $17 | $1 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,085 | $950 | $136 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $835 | $677 | $158 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,294 | $1,050 | $244 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Novi Sad, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.78 | $9.90 | $0.88 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $52.09 | $47.84 | $4.25 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $12.03 | $11.05 | $0.97 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.89 | $2.66 | $0.23 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.15 | $2.89 | $0.26 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.60 | $3.30 | $0.30 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.58 | $2.37 | $0.21 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.19 | $2.01 | $0.18 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.35 | $1.24 | $0.11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.04 | $0.95 | $0.09 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.40 | $2.21 | $0.19 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.57 | $2.35 | $0.21 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.50 | $9.64 | $0.86 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.57 | $6.04 | $0.54 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.56 | $1.44 | $0.12 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.74 | $1.60 | $0.14 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.84 | $2.62 | $0.22 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.87 | $0.81 | $0.06 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.65 | $0.60 | $0.05 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.64 | $0.59 | $0.05 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.00 | $0.00 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $0.00 | $0.00 | same |
| Taxi start | $3.00 | $2.88 | $0.12 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.99 | $0.95 | $0.04 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.83 | $1.77 | $0.06 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $208.22 | $200.09 | $8.13 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $35.58 | $34.19 | $1.39 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $24.25 | $23.30 | $0.95 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $38.35 | $35.23 | $3.12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.95 | $7.30 | $0.65 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Novi Sad has 94.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (opština/grad level). That is the lowest of the 6 Serbia cities we track. Serbia's national figure is 99.2, so Novi Sad runs 4 below the country as a whole.
Every Serbia region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Novi Sad ranks against every city we track
Novi Sad sits ahead of 79% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On local salary it is ahead of 59% of 999. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 23% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Novi Sad sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Novi Sad on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Novi Sad beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Novi Sad in the research deskOr unlock the Serbia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Nikola Rakic, Unsplash License.
Data updated