Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Damascus

For one person, living is cheaper in Damascus: $871 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Damascus

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $871 in Damascus, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Damascus $871

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $1,395 in Damascus, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Damascus $1,395

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $1,920 in Damascus, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Damascus $1,920

Belgrade costs about 77% more than Damascus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Damascus is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$9.87 SYP 1,200

35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

$42.24 SYP 5,133

38.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

$6.83 SYP 830

98.83%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$3.75 SYP 456

-16.53%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$2.30 SYP 279

20.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$0.89 SYP 108

155.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$1.98 SYP 241

89.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$3.88 SYP 472

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.08 SYP 132

29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$0.42 SYP 50.9

178.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$1.52 SYP 184

78.29%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$1.63 SYP 198

70.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

$3.93 SYP 478

189.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

$5.84 SYP 709

20.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$13.84 SYP 1,682

13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.03 SYP 125

61.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$1.41 SYP 171

28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$1.10 SYP 134

66.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$1.06 SYP 129

195.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.74 SYP 90.0

18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$0.79 SYP 96.4

-15.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

$0.41 SYP 49.31

97.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.63 SYP 76.0

7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

$2.81 SYP 341

70.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$5.98 SYP 727

42.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$1.10 SYP 134

-14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$2.85 SYP 346

-49.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 SYP 28.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.93 SYP 1,206

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

$1.03 SYP 125

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$1.53 SYP 186

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

$7.59 SYP 923

126.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$3.61 SYP 439

-48.20%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

104.19%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

24.74%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$139 SYP 16.9K

56.78%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$9.84 SYP 1,196

156.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

$45.66 SYP 5,548

-22.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$28.55 SYP 3,470

46.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

$8.47 SYP 1,029

169.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

$5.64 SYP 685

50.18%

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

$67.7 SYP 8,221

530.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$1,816 SYP 220.7K

527.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$28.35 SYP 3,445

292.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

$39.84 SYP 4,841

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$59.5 SYP 7,224

100.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

$57.2 SYP 6,955

168.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

$526 SYP 63.9K

56.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

$186 SYP 22.6K

201.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

$840 SYP 102.1K

79.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

$469 SYP 56.9K

100.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

$1,742 SYP 211.7K

204.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

$607 SYP 73.8K

421.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

$73.4 SYP 8,916

1573.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

14.25

-67.65%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Damascus: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Damascus

$186 21.4% 66.9% $375

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Damascus

$194 22.4% 30.2% $84

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Damascus

$170 19.6% 31.1% $77

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Damascus

$175 20.2% 24.8% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Damascus

$83 9.6% 57% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Damascus

$40 4.6% 32.2% $19

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Damascus

$20 2.3% 138% $11

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 $526 in Damascus. 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 1573% 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 $42.00 in Damascus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $170 – making Damascus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇸🇾 Damascus

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

11:14 11:14 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

1,414,913 Capital

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, 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).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Belgrade Damascus 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Damascus

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 Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $871 in Damascus – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $1,306 in Damascus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Damascus, 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 $42.00 in Damascus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Damascus, where all-in costs run around $871, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Damascus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Damascus – 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 Damascus. 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.