Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Adama

For one person, living is cheaper in Adama: $1,021 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,538
/mo nomad
Adama
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$1,021
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Adama

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $1,021 in Adama, rent included.

  • Belgrade $1,538
  • Adama $1,021

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $1,672 in Adama, rent included.

  • Belgrade $2,321
  • Adama $1,672

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $2,323 in Adama, rent included.

  • Belgrade $3,105
  • Adama $2,323

Belgrade costs about 51% more than Adama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Adama is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.33 RSD 1,389
$2.99 ETB 480
345.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.4 RSD 6,085
$42.94 ETB 6,900
36.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.58 RSD 1,414
$4.91 ETB 789
176.58%
Cappuccino
$3.13 RSD 326
$0.91 ETB 146
243.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 RSD 288
$0.59 ETB 94.0
369.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 RSD 237
$0.31 ETB 50.1
632.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 RSD 390
$0.77 ETB 124
387.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 RSD 456
$2.27 ETB 364
92.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 RSD 146
$0.81 ETB 131
72.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 RSD 122
$1.21 ETB 195
-3.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 RSD 282
$2.15 ETB 345
26.05%
Eggs
$2.78 RSD 289
$1.81 ETB 291
53.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.36 RSD 1,184
$7.25 ETB 1,165
56.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.01 RSD 731
$10.12 ETB 1,626
-30.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.72 RSD 1,638
$8.96 ETB 1,440
75.45%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 RSD 173
$5.33 ETB 857
-68.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 RSD 188
$0.63 ETB 101
187.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 RSD 190
$2.12 ETB 340
-13.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.13 RSD 326
$0.65 ETB 105
381.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 RSD 91.3
$0.47 ETB 75.4
87.23%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 RSD 70.3
$1.04 ETB 167
-35.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.81 RSD 84.4
$0.66 ETB 106
22.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 RSD 70.9
$0.57 ETB 91.7
19.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.78 RSD 498
$8.21 ETB 1,320
-41.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.54 RSD 889
$5.74 ETB 922
48.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 RSD 97.7
$0.71 ETB 115
32.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 RSD 150
$1.22 ETB 197
18.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 RSD 322
$1.30 ETB 209
137.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 RSD 107
$0.27 ETB 43.11
277.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.18 RSD 1,789
$1.94 ETB 312
785.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 RSD 195
$0.89 ETB 143
110.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K RSD 3.2M
$54.7K ETB 8.8M
-43.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K RSD 2.5M
$55.4K ETB 8.9M
-56.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 RSD 22.7K
$204 ETB 32.7K
6.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.24 RSD 2,629
$7.21 ETB 1,159
250.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.35 RSD 3,683
$211 ETB 33.8K
-83.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.77 RSD 4,351
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.80 RSD 2,375
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.47 RSD 882
$3.86 ETB 620
119.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$426 RSD 44.4K
$136 ETB 21.9K
212.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
$30.1K ETB 4.8M
-62.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 RSD 11.6K
$33.62 ETB 5,401
230.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.99 RSD 4,791
$70.1 ETB 11.3K
-34.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 RSD 12.4K
$77.6 ETB 12.5K
53.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 RSD 16.0K
$81.9 ETB 13.2K
87.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$821 RSD 85.6K
$350 ETB 56.2K
134.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$561 RSD 58.4K
$199 ETB 32.0K
181.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 RSD 157.4K
$985 ETB 158.3K
53.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$942 RSD 98.1K
$811 ETB 130.3K
16.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,312 RSD 553.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,165 RSD 329.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Adama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,228 RSD 127.9K
$101 ETB 16.3K
1110.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.61
18.5
-75.08%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Adama: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
$561
Adama
$199 64.5% $362
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
$278
Adama
$422 51.5% $143
Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
$246
Adama
$208 15.5% $38
Eating Out
Belgrade
$233
Adama
$62 73.5% $171
Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
$194
Adama
$118 38.8% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
$59
Adama
$7.7 * 86.9% $51
Getting Around
Belgrade
$8.2 *
Adama
$2.6 * 67.8% $5.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $821 in Belgrade versus $350 in Adama. 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 1111% 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 $58.0 in Belgrade versus $43.00 in Adama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $208 – making Adama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🇪🇹 Adama
🕒 Local time
09:02 9:02 AM
10:02 10:02 AM
1 h ahead of Belgrade
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,197,714 Capital
228,623
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belgrade Adama 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belgrade
  • Adama

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
Belgrade vs Adama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and in Adama compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $1,021 in Adama – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Adama?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $1,531 in Adama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Belgrade and Adama?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Adama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $43.00 in Adama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Adama, where all-in costs run around $1,021, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Adama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Belgrade or Adama?
Families tend to lean toward Adama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Belgrade or Adama safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Belgrade and Adama?
If budget matters most, go with Adama. 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.

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