Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,400 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,400

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara 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 Ankara and in Belgrade actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,400 per month in Ankara vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Ankara $1,400
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Ankara vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Ankara $2,082
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Ankara vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Ankara $2,763
Belgrade $3,105

Ankara is about 9% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ankara and Belgrade sit above the global median – Ankara by 4%, Belgrade by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.32 ₺509

$13.33 RSD 1,392

-22.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 ₺2,071

$58.4 RSD 6,099

-28.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 ₺479

$13.58 RSD 1,417

-28.42%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₺196

$3.13 RSD 327

27.48%

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

$1.68 ₺82.5

$2.77 RSD 289

-39.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₺37.15

$2.27 RSD 237

-66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 ₺248

$3.75 RSD 391

34.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 ₺297

$4.38 RSD 457

37.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺57.5

$1.40 RSD 146

-16.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₺50.0

$1.17 RSD 122

-12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 ₺117

$2.71 RSD 283

-12.55%

Eggs

$2.64 ₺130

$2.78 RSD 290

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 ₺508

$11.36 RSD 1,186

-9.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 ₺273

$7.01 RSD 732

-20.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.01 ₺986

$15.72 RSD 1,641

27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₺96.1

$1.66 RSD 173

17.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.81 RSD 189

26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺65.3

$1.83 RSD 191

-27.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₺86.8

$3.13 RSD 327

-43.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₺33.51

$0.88 RSD 91.5

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.67 RSD 70.5

-19.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₺50.4

$0.81 RSD 84.6

25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₺33.15

$0.68 RSD 71.1

-1.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 ₺113

$4.78 RSD 500

-52.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 ₺615

$8.54 RSD 891

46.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₺109

$0.94 RSD 97.9

136.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₺158

$1.44 RSD 151

122.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₺34.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 ₺607

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.7

$3.09 RSD 323

-58.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺41.69

$1.02 RSD 107

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 ₺328

$17.18 RSD 1,793

-61.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₺68.1

$1.87 RSD 196

-26.20%

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

$48.9K ₺2.4M

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

58.91%

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

$41.2K ₺2.0M

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

69.67%

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

$95.4 ₺4,700

$218 RSD 22.7K

-56.17%

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

$10.92 ₺538

$25.24 RSD 2,635

-56.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.83 ₺879

$35.35 RSD 3,691

-49.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 ₺3,568

$41.77 RSD 4,361

73.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 ₺746

$22.80 RSD 2,380

-33.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺397

$8.47 RSD 884

-4.96%

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

$1,035 ₺51.0K

$426 RSD 44.5K

142.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K ₺982.1K

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

74.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,646

$111 RSD 11.6K

-51.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 ₺2,349

$45.99 RSD 4,802

3.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,108

$119 RSD 12.4K

-12.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₺4,710

$154 RSD 16.1K

-37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₺37.2K

$821 RSD 85.8K

-8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₺28.4K

$561 RSD 58.5K

2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 ₺57.3K

$1,511 RSD 157.8K

-23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₺43.9K

$942 RSD 98.3K

-5.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,671 ₺82.4K

$5,312 RSD 554.6K

-68.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,171 ₺57.7K

$3,165 RSD 330.4K

-63.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 ₺54.3K

$1,228 RSD 128.2K

-10.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

4.61

845.12%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 3, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$577 41%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 2.8% $16

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$256 18.2%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 3.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Ankara

$207 14.7%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 12.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$135 9.6%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 43.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$124 8.8%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 124% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$89 6.3%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 33.7% $30

Getting Around

Ankara

$21 1.5%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 60.1% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Ankara versus $821 in Belgrade. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Belgrade, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Ankara versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Groceries tell a different story – $256 in Ankara vs $246 in Belgrade – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

1 h behind Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ankara Belgrade 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
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

Ankara vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belgrade costs about 10% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,100 per month in Ankara and $2,307 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ankara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Ankara and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,400, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,400 versus $1,538 in Belgrade. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ankara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.