Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Bucharest | Novi Sad | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | lei 50$10.8 | RSD 1,200$12 | Bucharest โ10% |
| Street food1 item | lei 30$6.45 | RSD 550$5.5 | Novi Sad โ15% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | lei 125$26.9 | RSD 2,200$22 | Novi Sad โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | lei 17$3.66 | RSD 280$2.8 | Novi Sad โ23% |
| Beerone bottle | lei 15$3.23 | RSD 300$3 | Novi Sad โ7% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | lei 35$7.53 | RSD 700$7 | Novi Sad โ7% |
| Bottled water | lei 3.5$0.75 | RSD 70$0.7 | Novi Sad โ7% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | lei 6$1.29 | RSD 120$1.2 | Novi Sad โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | lei 30$6.45 | RSD 750$7.5 | Bucharest โ14% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | lei 12$2.58 | RSD 480$4.8 | Bucharest โ46% |
| Transitone ride | lei 3$0.65 | RSD 100$1 | Bucharest โ35% |
| Scooter rentalper day | lei 25$5.38 | RSD 1,200$12 | Bucharest โ55% |
| Hotel night3-star | lei 290$62.4 | RSD 7,000$70 | Bucharest โ11% |
| Studio rent (month) | lei 2,200$473 | RSD 45,000$450 | similar |
| Laundry | lei 35$7.53 | RSD 900$9 | Bucharest โ16% |
| SIM card1 week data | lei 25$5.38 | RSD 1,000$10 | Bucharest โ46% |
| Haircutcut | lei 50$10.8 | RSD 650$6.5 | Novi Sad โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | lei 200$43 | RSD 3,500$35 | Novi Sad โ19% |
| Half-day tourper person | lei 150$32.3 | RSD 4,000$40 | Bucharest โ19% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | lei 40$8.6 | RSD 400$4 | Novi Sad โ53% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Bucharest and Novi Sad cost about the same. Daily budget $148 vs $154; a month $2,349 vs $2,333.
About the same: Bucharest 2.0/5, Novi Sad 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bucharest is about $2,349 and Novi Sad about $2,333 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.