Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Busia

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $73.2 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 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

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$73.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Busia

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $73.2 in Busia, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Busia $73.2

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $118 in Busia, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Busia $118

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $163 in Busia, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Busia $163

Belgrade costs about 2000% more than Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Busia is 95% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

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

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

$2.77 RSD 288

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$0.29 UGX 1,160

382.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$1.23 UGX 4,972

-4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$1.53 UGX 6,180

81.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$3.78 UGX 15.3K

315.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$2.43 UGX 9,841

-31.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$0.78 UGX 3,140

301.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$1.46 UGX 5,898

-54.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.24 UGX 961

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

$1.15 UGX 4,663

315.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$5.03 UGX 20.3K

69.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$0.98 UGX 3,950

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$1.26 UGX 5,110

14.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

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

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

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

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

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 Busia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Busia

–

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

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

14:46 2:46 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

64,900

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Busia 5,110 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $73.2 in Busia – roughly 2000% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $110 in Busia. 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 $73.2 in Busia. That's a gap of about 2000%.

Groceries cost about 242% 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 Busia, where all-in costs run around $73.2, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Busia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Busia – 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 Busia. 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.