Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Bahir Dar

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahir Dar: $368 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Bahir Dar

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Bahir Dar

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $368 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Bahir Dar $368

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $571 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Bahir Dar $571

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $774 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Bahir Dar $774

Belgrade costs about 318% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Bahir Dar is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$3.48 ETB 560

283.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$1.02 ETB 163

206.86%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$0.42 ETB 66.9

559.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$0.48 ETB 77.4

372.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$0.78 ETB 125

380.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$1.99 ETB 319

120.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.02 ETB 164

37.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$1.03 ETB 165

13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$0.98 ETB 158

176.53%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$1.72 ETB 277

61.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$9.98 ETB 1,604

57.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$3.03 ETB 486

-45.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$0.97 ETB 156

86.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$1.97 ETB 317

-7.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$0.83 ETB 134

277.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.63 ETB 100

39.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$1.12 ETB 180

-40.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

$0.98 ETB 157

-17.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.51 ETB 82.7

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$3.89 ETB 625

119.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$0.82 ETB 132

14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$1.95 ETB 314

-26.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$0.48 ETB 77.3

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

$2.01 ETB 324

754.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.98 ETB 158

90.82%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$98.4 ETB 15.8K

121.32%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$10.01 ETB 1,609

152.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$49.08 ETB 7,886

-14.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

$60.4 ETB 9,710

-62.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

$6.03 ETB 968

40.46%

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

$50.3 ETB 8,077

747.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$50.4 ETB 8,099

120.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

$2,002 ETB 321.7K

165.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

$1,488 ETB 239.1K

112.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

$197 ETB 31.6K

523.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bahir Dar: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Bahir Dar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Bahir Dar

–

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Bahir Dar

–

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Bahir Dar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Bahir Dar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Bahir Dar

–

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Bahir Dar

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 524% higher in Belgrade, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇪🇹 Bahir Dar

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

13:09 1:09 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

350,000

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, 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 = 8.57 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Bahir Dar 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Bahir Dar

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 Bahir Dar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belgrade costs about 318% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $551 in Bahir Dar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,538 in Belgrade and $368 in Bahir Dar. That's a gap of about 318%.

Groceries cost about 98% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahir Dar, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Bahir Dar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bahir Dar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bahir Dar. 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.