Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Balashikha

For one person, living is cheaper in Balashikha: $1,339 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Balashikha
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Balashikha Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Balashikha

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Balashikha

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $1,339 in Balashikha, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Balashikha $1,339

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $2,114 in Balashikha, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Balashikha $2,114

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $2,889 in Balashikha, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Balashikha $2,889

Belgrade costs about 16% more than Balashikha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Balashikha is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$11.86 ₽990

10.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$59.9 ₽4,998

-3.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$7.24 ₽605

84.81%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$3.70 ₽309

-16.22%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$1.66 ₽138

69.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.84 ₽69.9

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$2.18 ₽182

59.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$2.68 ₽224

47.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.21 ₽101

14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.88 ₽73.3

28.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.68 ₽140

58.33%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.45 ₽121

91.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$11.35 ₽947

-3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$5.13 ₽429

27.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$14.10 ₽1,177

6.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.42 ₽118

16.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$1.63 ₽136

9.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.64 ₽137

14.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$3.28 ₽274

-7.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.70 ₽58.6

31.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.50 ₽42.03

42.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$1.60 ₽134

-53.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.70 ₽58.4

5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$2.17 ₽182

112.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$12.11 ₽1,011

-27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$0.55 ₽45.68

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.53 ₽128

-5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₽85.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.86 ₽3,744

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$1.21 ₽101

149.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.87 ₽72.7

12.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$6.30 ₽526

171.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.77 ₽64.4

148.05%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$35.3K ₽2.9M

-12.27%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$33.2K ₽2.8M

-25.60%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$174 ₽14.5K

26.98%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$8.04 ₽671

203.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$9.86 ₽823

261.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$55.1 ₽4,596

-25.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

$30.56 ₽2,551

-26.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$9.44 ₽788

-9.00%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$358 ₽29.9K

18.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$6,010 ₽501.6K

82.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$109 ₽9,092

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$42.46 ₽3,544

11.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$145 ₽12.1K

-22.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$123 ₽10.3K

26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$525 ₽43.9K

53.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$419 ₽35.0K

30.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$928 ₽77.5K

56.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$785 ₽65.5K

18.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$2,115 ₽176.5K

153.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$1,859 ₽155.1K

69.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$987 ₽82.4K

25.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

19.56

-76.43%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Balashikha: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Balashikha

$419 31.3% 23.3% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Balashikha

$192 14.3% 31.7% $89

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Balashikha

$223 16.7% 7.2% $17

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Balashikha

$187 14% 17.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Balashikha

$189 14.1% 1.7% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Balashikha

$74 5.5% 26.6% $16

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Balashikha

$55 4.1% 587% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Belgrade versus $525 in Balashikha. 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 25% 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 $60.0 in Balashikha. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Belgrade vs $223 in Balashikha – so Balashikha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇺 Balashikha

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

07:57 7:57 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

507,307

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Balashikha 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Balashikha

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 Balashikha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Belgrade is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $2,008 in Balashikha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balashikha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,554 in Belgrade and $1,339 in Balashikha. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $424 per month in Belgrade and $358 in Balashikha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Balashikha, where all-in costs run around $1,339, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Balashikha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Balashikha – 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 Balashikha. 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.