Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Al Kufah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kufah: $711 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Al Kufah
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Al Kufah Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Al Kufah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$711

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Al Kufah

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 Al Kufah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade versus $711 in Al Kufah.

Belgrade $1,554
Al Kufah $711

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,337 in Belgrade versus $1,077 in Al Kufah.

Belgrade $2,337
Al Kufah $1,077

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,121 in Belgrade versus $1,443 in Al Kufah.

Belgrade $3,121
Al Kufah $1,443

Living in Belgrade is roughly 118% more expensive than in Al Kufah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belgrade is 15% above, Al Kufah is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$4.34 IQD 6,560

203.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$29.40 IQD 44.4K

95.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

98.81%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.66 IQD 4,021

16.54%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.32 IQD 489

781.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.22 IQD 333

909.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$3.25 IQD 4,913

6.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$3.27 IQD 4,935

21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$0.89 IQD 1,352

55.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.64 IQD 971

76.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.37 IQD 2,068

94.16%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.62 IQD 2,446

71.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$2.12 IQD 3,197

418.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$3.85 IQD 5,820

70.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$7.88 IQD 11.9K

91.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$0.64 IQD 965

159.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$0.90 IQD 1,359

98.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.61 IQD 918

206.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$0.48 IQD 727

531.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.46 IQD 697

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.32 IQD 488

121.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.15 IQD 226

393.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.50 IQD 760

48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$1.52 IQD 2,299

203.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$11.62 IQD 17.6K

-24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.89 IQD 2,856

-52.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.93 IQD 2,917

-24.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 595

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 IQD 31.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$1.92 IQD 2,903

57.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$1.30 IQD 1,964

-24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$6.55 IQD 9,893

160.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.51 IQD 777

274.51%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

85.79%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

47.97%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$193 IQD 291.7K

14.18%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$17.75 IQD 26.8K

37.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$19.67 IQD 29.7K

81.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$14.79 IQD 22.3K

178.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$9.91 IQD 15.0K

-13.32%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$71.0 IQD 107.2K

497.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$2,184 IQD 3.3M

402.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$9.89 IQD 14.9K

1018.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$28.39 IQD 42.9K

66.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$20.23 IQD 30.6K

458.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$35.29 IQD 53.3K

343.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$174 IQD 262.3K

363.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$126 IQD 190.8K

332.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$378 IQD 571.8K

283.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$309 IQD 466.7K

201.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$1,247 IQD 1.9M

330.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$577 IQD 872.5K

446.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$882 IQD 1.3M

40.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

4.12

11.89%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al Kufah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Al Kufah

$126 17.8% 76.9% $420

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Al Kufah

$230 32.4% 17.8% $50

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Al Kufah

$135 19% 43.8% $105

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Al Kufah

$112 15.7% 50.9% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Al Kufah

$42 5.9% 78.1% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Al Kufah

$35 4.9% 40.7% $24

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Al Kufah

$31 4.3% 288% $23

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 $805 in Belgrade and $174 in Al Kufah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belgrade pays 40% 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: $58.0 in Belgrade vs $29.00 in Al Kufah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $135 per month, with Al Kufah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇮🇶 Al Kufah

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

230,000

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

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).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Al Kufah 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Al Kufah

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 Al Kufah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kufah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Belgrade, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $805 in Belgrade versus $174 in Al Kufah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Belgrade. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,554 per month in Belgrade versus $711 in Al Kufah – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $711 in Al Kufah versus $1,554 in Belgrade, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Kufah but tight or insufficient in Belgrade. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kufah 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, Belgrade and Al Kufah 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 Al Kufah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Belgrade. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.