Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Alba Iulia

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.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Alba Iulia
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Alba Iulia Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Alba Iulia

🇷🇴 Romania

$902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Alba Iulia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Belgrade $1,554
Alba Iulia $902

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

Belgrade $2,337
Alba Iulia $1,372

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

Belgrade $3,121
Alba Iulia $1,841

Living in Belgrade is roughly 72% more expensive than in Alba Iulia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$8.42 RON 39.84

56.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$30.94 RON 146

85.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$5.67 RON 26.85

135.98%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.16 RON 10.24

43.52%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$1.76 RON 8.32

60.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$1.45 RON 6.85

53.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$2.01 RON 9.50

72.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$2.13 RON 10.10

85.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.23 RON 5.80

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$1.09 RON 5.15

3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.49 RON 7.07

78.52%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$2.67 RON 12.65

4.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$7.53 RON 35.62

45.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$5.82 RON 27.54

12.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$10.61 RON 50.2

42.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$0.96 RON 4.52

72.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$1.35 RON 6.38

32.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.22 RON 5.77

53.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$2.34 RON 11.06

29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.71 RON 3.38

29.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.58 RON 2.75

22.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.82 RON 3.89

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.64 RON 3.04

15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$5.31 RON 25.13

-13.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$4.21 RON 19.90

109.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.12 RON 5.29

-20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.22 RON 5.75

18.85%

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)

$3.02 RSD 315

$0.63 RON 2.98

379.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.68 RON 3.21

44.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$4.55 RON 21.51

275.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.53 RON 7.22

24.84%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$28.1K RON 133.1K

10.21%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$24.3K RON 115.1K

1.39%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$123 RON 583

78.91%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$7.40 RON 35.00

229.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$9.34 RON 44.20

281.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$28.80 RON 136

43.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

$31.03 RON 147

-27.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$4.98 RON 23.57

72.49%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$442 RON 2,090

-4.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$6,914 RON 32.7K

58.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$38.88 RON 184

184.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$23.97 RON 113

97.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$73.6 RON 348

53.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$64.0 RON 303

144.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$293 RON 1,386

174.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$289 RON 1,367

89.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$621 RON 2,938

133.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$474 RON 2,243

96.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$1,602 RON 7,578

235.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$1,414 RON 6,688

123.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$904 RON 4,278

36.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

6.97

-33.86%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alba Iulia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Alba Iulia

$289 32% 47.1% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Alba Iulia

$140 15.5% 50.1% $141

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Alba Iulia

$184 20.3% 23.7% $57

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Alba Iulia

$137 15.2% 39.7% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Alba Iulia

$90 10% 53.1% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Alba Iulia

$39 4.3% 33.6% $20

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Alba Iulia

$24 2.6% 197% $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 $805 in Belgrade and $293 in Alba Iulia. 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: $58.0 in Belgrade vs $31.00 in Alba Iulia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $184 per month, with Alba Iulia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇴 Alba Iulia

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

63,536

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

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).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Belgrade Alba Iulia 280 km

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Belgrade
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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 Alba Iulia: 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.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $293 in Alba Iulia. 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 $1,554 per month in Belgrade versus $902 in Alba Iulia – 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, Belgrade and Alba Iulia 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.