Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahir Dar and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahir Dar: $368 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Bahir Dar
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$368
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $368 per month in Bahir Dar vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Bahir Dar $368
  • Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $571 per month in Bahir Dar vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Bahir Dar $571
  • Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $774 per month in Bahir Dar vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Bahir Dar $774
  • Belgrade $3,105

Bahir Dar is about 76% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bahir Dar sits 73% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.48 ETB 560
$13.33 RSD 1,389
-73.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$58.4 RSD 6,085
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$13.58 RSD 1,414
-
Cappuccino
$1.02 ETB 163
$3.13 RSD 326
-67.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42 ETB 66.9
$2.77 RSD 288
-84.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ETB 77.4
$2.27 RSD 237
-78.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.78 ETB 125
$3.75 RSD 390
-79.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ETB 319
$4.38 RSD 456
-54.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 ETB 164
$1.40 RSD 146
-27.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 ETB 165
$1.17 RSD 122
-11.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.98 ETB 158
$2.71 RSD 282
-63.84%
Eggs
$1.72 ETB 277
$2.78 RSD 289
-38.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$11.36 RSD 1,184
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.01 RSD 731
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.98 ETB 1,604
$15.72 RSD 1,638
-36.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 ETB 486
$1.66 RSD 173
82.53%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ETB 156
$1.81 RSD 188
-46.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ETB 317
$1.83 RSD 190
7.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.83 ETB 134
$3.13 RSD 326
-73.48%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 ETB 100
$0.88 RSD 91.3
-28.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 ETB 180
$0.67 RSD 70.3
67.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 ETB 157
$0.81 RSD 84.4
20.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ETB 82.7
$0.68 RSD 70.9
-25.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.78 RSD 498
-
Wine (Bottle)
$3.89 ETB 625
$8.54 RSD 889
-54.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ETB 132
$0.94 RSD 97.7
-12.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ETB 314
$1.44 RSD 150
35.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.09 RSD 322
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.48 ETB 77.3
$1.02 RSD 107
-52.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 ETB 324
$17.18 RSD 1,789
-88.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 ETB 158
$1.87 RSD 195
-47.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$30.7K RSD 3.2M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$24.3K RSD 2.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$98.4 ETB 15.8K
$218 RSD 22.7K
-54.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.01 ETB 1,609
$25.24 RSD 2,629
-60.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$35.35 RSD 3,683
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.08 ETB 7,886
$41.77 RSD 4,351
17.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$60.4 ETB 9,710
$22.80 RSD 2,375
165.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.03 ETB 968
$8.47 RSD 882
-28.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$50.3 ETB 8,077
$426 RSD 44.4K
-88.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 ETB 8,099
$111 RSD 11.6K
-54.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$45.99 RSD 4,791
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$119 RSD 12.4K
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$154 RSD 16.0K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$821 RSD 85.6K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$561 RSD 58.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,511 RSD 157.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$942 RSD 98.1K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,002 ETB 321.7K
$5,312 RSD 553.4K
-62.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,488 ETB 239.1K
$3,165 RSD 329.7K
-52.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bahir Dar
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$197 ETB 31.6K
$1,228 RSD 127.9K
-83.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.61
-

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

Last update for Bahir Dar: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bahir Dar
–
Belgrade
$561
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bahir Dar
–
Belgrade
$278
Groceries & Markets
Bahir Dar
–
Belgrade
$246
Eating Out
Bahir Dar
–
Belgrade
$233
Clothing & Footwear
Bahir Dar
–
Belgrade
$194
Sport & Entertainment
Bahir Dar
–
Belgrade
$59
Getting Around
Bahir Dar
–
Belgrade
$8.2 *

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 524% higher in Belgrade, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know
🇪🇹 Bahir Dar
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
11:15 11:15 AM
10:15 10:15 AM
1 h behind Bahir Dar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
350,000
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bahir Dar Belgrade 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bahir Dar
  • 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
Bahir Dar vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bahir Dar or Belgrade?
Belgrade costs about 318% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bahir Dar and in Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $551 per month in Bahir Dar and $2,307 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Bahir Dar compared to Belgrade?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $368 in Bahir Dar and $1,538 in Belgrade. That's a gap of about 318%.
Are groceries more expensive in Bahir Dar or in Belgrade?
Groceries cost about 98% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bahir Dar or in Belgrade?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahir Dar, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Bahir Dar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Bahir Dar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Bahir Dar compared to Belgrade?
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.
Should I move to Bahir Dar or to Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Bahir Dar. 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.

Bahir Dar vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?