Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $750 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Basra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade versus $750 in Basra.

Belgrade $1,538
Basra $750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,321 in Belgrade versus $1,357 in Basra.

Belgrade $2,321
Basra $1,357

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,105 in Belgrade versus $1,964 in Basra.

Belgrade $3,105
Basra $1,964

Living in Belgrade is roughly 105% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belgrade is 15% above, Basra is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$4.46 IQD 6,745

198.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

$30.01 IQD 45.3K

94.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

$7.50 IQD 11.3K

81.07%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$2.64 IQD 3,982

18.56%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$0.43 IQD 650

544.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$0.32 IQD 483

609.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$3.71 IQD 5,603

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$4.27 IQD 6,450

2.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.11 IQD 1,679

26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$0.68 IQD 1,034

72.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$1.40 IQD 2,120

93.57%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$1.81 IQD 2,732

53.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

$7.57 IQD 11.4K

50.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

$6.27 IQD 9,479

11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$13.99 IQD 21.1K

12.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.03 IQD 1,551

61.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$1.31 IQD 1,981

38.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$1.03 IQD 1,553

77.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$0.64 IQD 973

389.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.72 IQD 1,094

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$0.67 IQD 1,009

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

$0.93 IQD 1,404

-12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.41 IQD 624

65.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

$2.12 IQD 3,204

125.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

-29.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$1.62 IQD 2,453

-41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$1.96 IQD 2,960

-26.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 830

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.42 IQD 29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

$2.24 IQD 3,384

37.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$2.33 IQD 3,518

-56.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

$7.46 IQD 11.3K

130.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.61 IQD 917

206.56%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$13.2K IQD 20.0M

132.28%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$22.5K IQD 34.0M

7.85%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$50.3 IQD 76.1K

332.40%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$25.65 IQD 38.8K

-1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

$38.51 IQD 58.2K

-8.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$36.03 IQD 54.4K

15.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

$13.80 IQD 20.9K

65.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

$7.61 IQD 11.5K

11.30%

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

$128 IQD 192.9K

233.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$3,814 IQD 5.8M

198.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$49.10 IQD 74.2K

126.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

121.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$77.6 IQD 117.3K

53.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

$42.13 IQD 63.7K

265.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

$462 IQD 698.8K

77.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

$151 IQD 227.9K

271.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

$848 IQD 1.3M

78.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

$623 IQD 941.2K

51.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

$1,615 IQD 2.4M

228.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

$800 IQD 1.2M

295.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

$749 IQD 1.1M

63.90%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Basra

$151 20% 73.1% $410

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Basra

$115 15.2% 58.8% $164

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Basra

$196 26% 20.5% $51

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Basra

$120 15.9% 48.5% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Basra

$85 11.3% 55.9% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Basra

$51 6.8% 12.7% $7.5

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Basra

$35 4.7% 332% $27

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 $821 in Belgrade and $462 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belgrade pays 64% 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 $30.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $196 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Basra 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Basra

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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belgrade and Basra differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($1,538 vs $750 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $821 in Belgrade versus $462 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $426 in Belgrade versus $128 in Basra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $58.0 in Belgrade. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $750 in Basra versus $1,538 in Belgrade, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Belgrade. The gap between the two cities makes Basra 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 Basra 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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Belgrade. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.