Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Ankara

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.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Ankara

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

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

Belgrade $1,538
Ankara $1,400

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

Belgrade $2,321
Ankara $2,082

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

Belgrade $3,105
Ankara $2,763

Belgrade costs about 10% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$10.32 ₺509

29.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

$42.03 ₺2,070

39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

$9.72 ₺479

39.71%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$3.99 ₺196

-21.55%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$1.68 ₺82.5

64.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$0.75 ₺37.15

202.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$5.03 ₺248

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$6.04 ₺297

-27.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.17 ₺57.5

19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$1.02 ₺50.0

14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$2.37 ₺117

14.35%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$2.64 ₺130

5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

$10.31 ₺508

10.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

$5.54 ₺273

26.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$20.01 ₺986

-21.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.95 ₺96.1

-14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$2.29 ₺113

-20.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$1.33 ₺65.3

37.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$1.76 ₺86.7

77.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.68 ₺33.50

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$0.54 ₺26.83

24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

$1.02 ₺50.4

-20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.67 ₺33.14

1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

$2.29 ₺113

108.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$12.47 ₺615

-31.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$2.22 ₺109

-57.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$3.21 ₺158

-55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₺33.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 ₺607

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

$1.29 ₺63.7

139.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$0.85 ₺41.68

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

$6.66 ₺328

157.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.38 ₺68.1

35.51%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$48.9K ₺2.4M

-37.07%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$41.2K ₺2.0M

-41.06%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$95.4 ₺4,699

128.17%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$10.92 ₺538

131.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

$17.83 ₺878

98.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$72.4 ₺3,568

-42.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

$15.15 ₺746

50.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

$8.05 ₺397

5.22%

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

$1,035 ₺51.0K

-58.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$19.9K ₺981.9K

-42.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$53.7 ₺2,645

106.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

$47.68 ₺2,349

-3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$104 ₺5,107

14.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

$95.6 ₺4,709

61.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

$756 ₺37.2K

8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

$577 ₺28.4K

-2.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

$1,162 ₺57.3K

30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

$891 ₺43.9K

5.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

$1,671 ₺82.3K

217.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

$1,171 ₺57.7K

170.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

$1,101 ₺54.2K

11.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

43.57

-89.42%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Ankara

$577 41% 2.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Ankara

$124 8.8% 55.4% $154

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Ankara

$256 18.2% 4% $9.7

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Ankara

$207 14.7% 11.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Ankara

$135 9.6% 30.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Ankara

$89 6.3% 50.8% $30

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Ankara

$21 1.5% 151% $12

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 $756 in Ankara. 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 $58.0 in Belgrade versus $42.00 in Ankara. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Belgrade vs $256 in Ankara – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Belgrade Ankara 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Ankara

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 Ankara: 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 $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $2,100 in Ankara. 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 $58.0 in Belgrade and $42.00 in Ankara. 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.