Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,187 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Craiova

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $1,187 in Craiova, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Craiova $1,187

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $1,763 in Craiova, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Craiova $1,763

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $2,338 in Craiova, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Craiova $2,338

Belgrade costs about 30% more than Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Craiova is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$7.53 RON 35.62

77.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

$41.41 RON 196

41.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

$7.20 RON 34.05

88.61%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$2.62 RON 12.40

19.47%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$2.21 RON 10.44

25.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$1.80 RON 8.51

26.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$2.36 RON 11.14

58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$3.46 RON 16.35

26.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.32 RON 6.26

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$0.87 RON 4.09

34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$1.38 RON 6.54

96.38%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$3.41 RON 16.12

-18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

$7.11 RON 33.61

59.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

$6.46 RON 30.57

8.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$11.35 RON 53.7

38.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.04 RON 4.90

59.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$1.44 RON 6.82

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$1.46 RON 6.90

25.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$1.83 RON 8.66

71.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.77 RON 3.64

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$0.84 RON 4.00

-20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

$0.69 RON 3.24

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.75 RON 3.56

-9.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

$6.36 RON 30.08

-24.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$6.27 RON 29.66

36.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$1.20 RON 5.66

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$1.47 RON 6.96

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 RON 3.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.32 RON 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

$0.64 RON 3.04

382.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$0.61 RON 2.89

67.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

$6.40 RON 30.25

168.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.92 RON 9.09

-2.60%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$28.0K RON 132.6K

9.70%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$26.2K RON 124.0K

-7.44%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$214 RON 1,011

1.82%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$9.61 RON 45.43

162.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

$11.51 RON 54.5

207.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$44.51 RON 211

-6.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

$21.43 RON 101

6.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

$7.46 RON 35.30

13.54%

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

$421 RON 1,992

1.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$8,039 RON 38.0K

41.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$63.1 RON 298

76.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

$50.9 RON 241

-9.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$82.9 RON 392

43.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

$102 RON 481

51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

$503 RON 2,379

63.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

$391 RON 1,851

43.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

$874 RON 4,132

72.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

$602 RON 2,845

56.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

$2,655 RON 12.6K

100.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

$2,024 RON 9,575

56.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

$941 RON 4,449

30.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

6.84

-32.60%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Craiova

$391 32.7% 30.2% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Craiova

$235 19.7% 15.6% $43

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Craiova

$195 16.3% 20.8% $51

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Craiova

$148 12.4% 36.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Craiova

$134 11.2% 30.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Craiova

$59 5% 1.2% $0.7

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Craiova

$32 2.7% 293% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $821 in Belgrade versus $503 in Craiova. 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 31% 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 $41.00 in Craiova. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $195 – making Craiova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

11:44 11:44 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

269,506

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Belgrade Craiova 270 km

From you

Belgrade
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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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $1,187 in Craiova – roughly 30% 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 $1,780 in Craiova. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $41.00 in Craiova. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% 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 Craiova, where all-in costs run around $1,187, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Craiova it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Craiova – 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 Craiova. 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.