Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and 'aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
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'aqrah Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in 'aqrah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade versus $661 in 'aqrah.

Belgrade $1,554
'aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,337 in Belgrade versus $1,015 in 'aqrah.

Belgrade $2,337
'aqrah $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,121 in Belgrade versus $1,369 in 'aqrah.

Belgrade $3,121
'aqrah $1,369

Living in Belgrade is roughly 135% more expensive than in 'aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belgrade is 15% above, 'aqrah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$3.62 IQD 5,467

263.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

163.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

96.19%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.38 IQD 3,602

30.25%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.32 IQD 485

781.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.18 IQD 273

1133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$3.11 IQD 4,706

11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$2.61 IQD 3,945

51.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$0.94 IQD 1,416

46.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.72 IQD 1,086

56.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.46 IQD 2,205

82.19%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.70 IQD 2,573

63.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$3.48 IQD 5,252

215.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$4.16 IQD 6,291

57.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$0.92 IQD 1,383

80.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$0.91 IQD 1,375

96.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.77 IQD 1,161

142.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$0.66 IQD 990

359.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.54 IQD 809

70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.64 IQD 965

10.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.51 IQD 776

45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.50 IQD 756

48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$1.57 IQD 2,368

193.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

-19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.33 IQD 2,003

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.85 IQD 2,800

-21.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 IQD 679

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$1.89 IQD 2,859

59.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$1.39 IQD 2,099

-29.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$5.15 IQD 7,788

231.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.48 IQD 727

297.92%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

83.54%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

27.20%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

175.01%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

79.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

30.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

2.38%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$142 IQD 213.9K

199.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

313.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

400.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

98.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

139.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

404.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$184 IQD 277.8K

337.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$141 IQD 213.2K

287.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$358 IQD 541.4K

305.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$278 IQD 419.4K

235.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$779 IQD 1.2M

589.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$642 IQD 970.8K

391.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

3.33

38.44%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

'aqrah

$141 21.4% 74.2% $405

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

'aqrah

$121 18.3% 56.9% $159

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

'aqrah

$160 24.2% 33.5% $81

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

'aqrah

$101 15.3% 55.8% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

'aqrah

$56 8.5% 70.9% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

'aqrah

$54 8.1% 7.9% $4.6

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

'aqrah

$28 4.3% 254% $20

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 $184 in 'aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Belgrade vs $22.00 in 'aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $160 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

68,100

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.52 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 = 8.52 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade 'aqrah 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
'aqrah

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 'aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 135% lower than in Belgrade. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,331 in Belgrade and $991 in 'aqrah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $805 in Belgrade versus $184 in 'aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% 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 $661 in 'aqrah – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $661 in 'aqrah versus $1,554 in Belgrade, a $1,000 budget is realistic in 'aqrah but tight or insufficient in Belgrade. The gap between the two cities makes 'aqrah 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 'aqrah 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 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Belgrade. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.