Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alba Iulia and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba Iulia: $902 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Alba Iulia
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Alba Iulia Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Alba Iulia

🇷🇴 Romania

$902

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alba Iulia and in Belgrade

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $902 in Alba Iulia versus $1,554 in Belgrade.

Alba Iulia $902
Belgrade $1,554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Alba Iulia versus $2,337 in Belgrade.

Alba Iulia $1,372
Belgrade $2,337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,841 in Alba Iulia versus $3,121 in Belgrade.

Alba Iulia $1,841
Belgrade $3,121

Living in Alba Iulia costs roughly 42% less than in Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alba Iulia is 33% below, Belgrade is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 RON 39.84

$13.15 RSD 1,371

-35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.94 RON 146

$57.5 RSD 5,999

-46.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 RON 26.85

$13.38 RSD 1,394

-57.62%

Cappuccino

$2.16 RON 10.24

$3.10 RSD 323

-30.32%

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

$1.76 RON 8.32

$2.82 RSD 294

-37.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RON 6.85

$2.22 RSD 231

-34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 RON 9.50

$3.47 RSD 362

-42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 10.10

$3.96 RSD 412

-46.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.38 RSD 144

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 RON 5.15

$1.13 RSD 118

-3.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.07

$2.66 RSD 277

-43.98%

Eggs

$2.67 RON 12.65

$2.78 RSD 290

-3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 RON 35.62

$10.99 RSD 1,146

-31.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 RON 27.54

$6.56 RSD 684

-11.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 RON 50.2

$15.07 RSD 1,571

-29.60%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.52

$1.66 RSD 173

-42.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.38

$1.79 RSD 186

-24.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.77

$1.87 RSD 195

-34.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 RON 11.06

$3.03 RSD 315

-22.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.38

$0.92 RSD 96.3

-22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 RON 2.75

$0.71 RSD 73.8

-18.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 RON 3.89

$0.74 RSD 77.6

10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$0.74 RSD 77.2

-13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 RON 25.13

$4.61 RSD 481

15.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.21 RON 19.90

$8.81 RSD 918

-52.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 5.29

$0.89 RSD 92.7

25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.75

$1.45 RSD 151

-15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.66 RON 78.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.98

$3.02 RSD 315

-79.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 RON 3.21

$0.98 RSD 103

-30.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 RON 21.51

$17.08 RSD 1,780

-73.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.22

$1.91 RSD 199

-19.90%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

-9.27%

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

$24.3K RON 115.1K

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

-1.37%

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

$123 RON 583

$220 RSD 23.0K

-44.11%

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

$7.40 RON 35.00

$24.41 RSD 2,544

-69.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.34 RON 44.20

$35.64 RSD 3,715

-73.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.80 RON 136

$41.20 RSD 4,295

-30.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.03 RON 147

$22.60 RSD 2,356

37.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 RON 23.57

$8.59 RSD 896

-42.03%

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

$442 RON 2,090

$424 RSD 44.2K

4.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,914 RON 32.7K

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

-36.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.88 RON 184

$111 RSD 11.5K

-64.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.97 RON 113

$47.28 RSD 4,929

-49.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 RON 348

$113 RSD 11.8K

-34.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 RON 303

$157 RSD 16.3K

-59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 RON 1,386

$805 RSD 83.9K

-63.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 RON 1,367

$546 RSD 56.9K

-47.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 RON 2,938

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

-57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 RON 2,243

$931 RSD 97.0K

-49.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,602 RON 7,578

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

-70.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,414 RON 6,688

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

-55.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$904 RON 4,278

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

-26.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

4.61

51.19%

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

Last update for Alba Iulia: October 11, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alba Iulia

$289 32%

Belgrade

$546 35.2% 89% $257

Groceries & Markets

Alba Iulia

$184 20.3%

Belgrade

$241 15.5% 31.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alba Iulia

$140 15.5%

Belgrade

$280 18.1% 100% $141

Eating Out

Alba Iulia

$137 15.2%

Belgrade

$228 14.7% 65.7% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Alba Iulia

$90 10%

Belgrade

$192 12.4% 113% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Alba Iulia

$39 4.3%

Belgrade

$58 3.8% 50.6% $20

Getting Around

Alba Iulia

$24 2.6%

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5% 66.3% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $293 in Alba Iulia and $805 in Belgrade. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belgrade pays 37% 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: $31.00 in Alba Iulia vs $58.0 in Belgrade for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $241 per month, with Alba Iulia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Alba Iulia

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

1 h behind Alba Iulia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,536

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alba Iulia Belgrade 280 km

From you

Alba Iulia
Belgrade

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

Alba Iulia vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alba Iulia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Belgrade. 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: $293 in Alba Iulia versus $805 in Belgrade. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Belgrade. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $902 per month in Alba Iulia versus $1,554 in Belgrade – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $902 in Alba Iulia versus $1,554 in Belgrade, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alba Iulia but tight or insufficient in Belgrade. The gap between the two cities makes Alba Iulia 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, Alba Iulia and Belgrade 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 Alba Iulia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Belgrade. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.