Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $482 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade versus $482 in Arak.

Belgrade $1,554
Arak $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,337 in Belgrade versus $758 in Arak.

Belgrade $2,337
Arak $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,121 in Belgrade versus $1,034 in Arak.

Belgrade $3,121
Arak $1,034

Living in Belgrade is roughly 222% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belgrade is 15% above, Arak is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$3.71 $3.71

254.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$12.65 $12.65

354.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$4.09 $4.09

227.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$1.36 $1.36

127.94%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.48 $0.48

487.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$1.73 $1.73

28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$0.55 $0.55

150.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.57 $0.57

98.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.90 $1.90

40.00%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.22 $1.22

127.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$2.16 $2.16

408.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$2.56 $2.56

156.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$10.32 $10.32

46.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$0.79 $0.79

110.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$1.02 $1.02

75.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.63 $0.63

196.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$0.51 $0.51

494.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.44 $0.44

109.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.41 $0.41

73.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.48 $0.48

54.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.30 $0.30

146.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$2.54 $2.54

81.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.52 $9.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$0.25 $0.25

1108.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.12 $0.12

716.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$1.03 $1.03

1558.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.09 $0.09

2022.22%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$49.8K $49.8K

-37.75%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$34.4K $34.4K

-28.21%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$9.84 $9.84

2140.04%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$1.49 $1.49

1538.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$3.75 $3.75

850.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$9.87 $9.87

317.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

$24.01 $24.01

-5.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$1.12 $1.12

666.96%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$83.5 $83.5

407.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$2,319 $2,319

373.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$13.43 $13.43

723.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$8.95 $8.95

428.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$80.9 $80.9

39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$51.4 $51.4

204.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$295 $295

172.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$211 $211

159.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$806 $806

80.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$359 $359

159.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$1,354 $1,354

296.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$656 $656

381.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$368 $368

236.04%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Arak

$211 43.7% 61.4% $335

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Arak

$15 3.1% 94.6% $265

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Arak

$97 20.1% 59.8% $144

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Arak

$67 13.9% 70.6% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Arak

$70 14.4% 63.8% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Arak

$12 2.5% 79.3% $46

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Arak

$11 2.2% 35.9% $2.8

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 $295 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belgrade pays 236% 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 $13.00 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $97.0 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

526,200

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.52 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Arak 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Arak

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 Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 222% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 236% 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 $295 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in Belgrade versus $83.5 in Arak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arak – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $58.0 in Belgrade. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $482 in Arak versus $1,554 in Belgrade, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in Belgrade. The gap between the two cities makes Arak 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 Arak 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 Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 222% less than in Belgrade. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.