Cost of Living in Belgrade, Serbia

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How Much Does It Cost to Live In Belgrade?

Belgrade is an eclectic city, a true capital of Serbia, and the former capital of Yugoslavia.

It boasts tons of urban, vibrant underground happenings and venues – and many people say it is how Berlin was during its best days.

Here, not only food (that is world-famous) and drinks are cheap, but the cost of living in general.

Belgrade is typically on par with many European cities’ prices but once you leave the capital, prices of almost anything are a lot lower than in Belgrade.

The amount of money you spend, however, largely depends on your own preferences.

RESTAURANTS

Serbia is actually world-famous for its delicious kitchen and some of the best restaurants where you can try that delicious cuisine is Belgrade. Though it’s decidedly a non-veg country, it boasts a lot of cheap establishments, and grocery shops, restaurants, cafes etc. where you can try their gorgeous foods. There are international fast-food franchises such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Pizza Hut on every corner where you can eat for 5$.

MARKETS

Markets mostly sell ingredients in Belgrade, and you have to cook: there are far fewer finished products than general groceries. In Belgrade, it’s normal to get the ingredients to cook your own meals. Outside of urban areas you can find large supermarkets with bigger quantity products and lower prices, like DIS, Metro, Velpro, Lidl or Tempo. For fresh products such as fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy, the best ones can be found in small markets called pijaca.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is mostly badly organized and not reliable at all and this is best represented in Belgrade. There are alleged time tables but no vehicle respects it, least of all trains. Buses are often late, and you can wait trams for 20 minutes or so. On top of all this, it’s not that cheap either. A one-way ticket costs 0.85$, while a monthly pass is around 30$. It’s a rather high price for a low service.

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Utilities aren’t cheap either in Belgrade. While it definitely depends on the size of your house/apartment and the amount of electricity you spend, your bills, on average, if you live in a home that’s 85m2 big, will amount to over 140$. Internet is usually of very high speed even for European standards, and it is relatively inexpensive compared to the overall utilities.

SPORTS & LEISURE

Belgrade has some truly amazing places to practice sports outdoors, like its river island Ada Ciganlija where you can hike, jog and swim, but if you prefer practicing sports in a gym or a fitness club, a membership in one will be relatively cheap – around 22$. Entertainment facilities are also aplenty, so if you want to go to the cinema, for instance, a ticket will cost you around 4$.

CLOTHING & SHOES

Prices when it comes to shopping, tend to be on par with the rest of the Balkans, but import taxes make clothes and shoes in Belgrade slightly more expensive. Usually, in the most popular Belgrade shopping malls like Ušće Shopping Center and Delta City, you can find quality jeans for around 65$ and running sneakers for around 80$.

RENT PER MONTH

Rent is relatively inexpensive, but it does depend on the particular area and the city you want to live in. If you want to live in the center of Belgrade, be prepared to pay over 350$. If, however, you’re okay with living on the outskirts of town, which can be beautiful too, the rent price will drop to around 200$.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Belgrade

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Belgrade?

Most people in Belgrade have a problem with groceries costing too much – food will probably be your biggest expense in this country.

There are many statistics that say that on average, the expenses that are needed for food are far bigger than one’s basket of consumer goods.

The next huge expense for the people of Belgrade is the rent, and right behind it is the expense needed for transportation.

Yes, the low quality transportation we mentioned – it is pretty costly and people in Belgrade are very unhappy with it.

The least of all expenses is, no surprise, shopping for clothing and shoes.

Average Costs Breakdown

Belgrade: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Belgrade, the capital city, offers the best opportunities for work and education, as Serbia is very centralized.

However, having said that, many people here are generally not satisfied with their salaries, and the dissatisfaction is almost palpable among the people.

The average monthly net salary is around 440$, but there is a high percentage of people that aren’t registered workers, and they work for private companies where they are staggeringly underpaid.

With a minimum wage of 340$, people can only buy basic things in Belgrade without the option of saving up or spending on pleasure or travel.

Belgrade Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Belgrade Safety Review

Safety Index:

73

• OVERALL RISK: LOW
• TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
• PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
• NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
• MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
• TERRORISM RISK: LOW
• SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
• WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Cost of Living by City in Belgrade