Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Cahul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cahul: $635 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
Learn more

Belgrade Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
Learn more

Cahul Living Index

Jump to prices

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Cahul

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $635 in Cahul, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Cahul $635

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $927 in Cahul, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Cahul $927

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $1,219 in Cahul, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Cahul $1,219

Belgrade costs about 145% more than Cahul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Cahul is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$8.54 MDL 152

53.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$23.42 MDL 416

145.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$10.36 MDL 184

29.15%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$1.67 MDL 29.62

85.63%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$1.10 MDL 19.60

156.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.58 MDL 10.39

282.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$1.97 MDL 35.05

76.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$1.80 MDL 32.05

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.21 MDL 21.41

14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.46 MDL 8.13

145.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.55 MDL 27.58

71.61%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$2.15 MDL 38.13

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$6.65 MDL 118

65.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$4.69 MDL 83.3

39.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$6.09 MDL 108

147.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.00 MDL 17.74

66.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$2.26 MDL 40.16

-20.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.89 MDL 33.62

-1.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$2.28 MDL 40.46

32.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.77 MDL 13.69

19.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.48 MDL 8.51

47.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.46 MDL 8.18

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.55 MDL 9.76

34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$3.31 MDL 58.8

39.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$4.54 MDL 80.7

94.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.41 MDL 25.07

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.94 MDL 34.54

-25.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MDL 4.78

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$2.87 MDL 51.0

5.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.26 MDL 4.62

276.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$5.69 MDL 101

200.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.57 MDL 27.84

21.66%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$33.4K MDL 593.4K

-7.23%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$23.8K MDL 422.6K

3.64%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$225 MDL 3,990

-1.88%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$8.06 MDL 143

202.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$11.01 MDL 196

223.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$7.74 MDL 137

10.98%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$111 MDL 1,978

280.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$5,302 MDL 94.2K

106.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$44.70 MDL 794

147.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$55.5 MDL 985

103.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$51.1 MDL 908

206.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$500 MDL 8,884

147.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

-42.37%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cahul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Cahul

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Cahul

$244 38.4% 13.1% $37

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Cahul

$162 25.6% 32.5% $78

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Cahul

$140 22% 38.7% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Cahul

$68 * 10.7% 64.6% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Cahul

$15 * 2.4% 73.5% $43

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Cahul

$5.3 * 0.8% 33.9% $2.7

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 147% 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 $23.00 in Cahul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $162 – making Cahul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇲🇩 Cahul

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

07:08 7:08 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

39,500

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Cahul 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Cahul

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 Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $635 in Cahul – roughly 145% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $952 in Cahul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $23.00 in Cahul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% 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 Cahul, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Cahul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cahul – 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 Cahul. 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.