Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $1,096 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $1,096 in Erbil, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Erbil $1,096

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $1,634 in Erbil, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Erbil $1,634

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $2,173 in Erbil, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Erbil $2,173

Belgrade costs about 40% more than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Erbil is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$7.75 IQD 11.7K

72.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

$42.93 IQD 64.9K

36.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

$8.55 IQD 12.9K

58.83%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$3.92 IQD 5,918

-20.15%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$0.98 IQD 1,476

182.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$0.42 IQD 635

440.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$6.10 IQD 9,213

-38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$4.68 IQD 7,074

-6.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.23 IQD 1,866

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$0.82 IQD 1,244

42.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$1.74 IQD 2,626

55.75%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$1.80 IQD 2,716

54.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

$8.03 IQD 12.1K

41.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

$4.96 IQD 7,488

41.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

7.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.09 IQD 1,642

52.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$1.11 IQD 1,679

63.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$1.23 IQD 1,860

48.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$0.76 IQD 1,151

311.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.73 IQD 1,104

20.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$0.73 IQD 1,100

-8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

$0.69 IQD 1,050

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.60 IQD 903

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

$2.44 IQD 3,683

95.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$12.42 IQD 18.8K

-31.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$1.62 IQD 2,449

-41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$2.16 IQD 3,270

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 896

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.79 IQD 64.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

$1.94 IQD 2,934

59.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$1.78 IQD 2,686

-42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

$6.34 IQD 9,572

170.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.68 IQD 1,029

175.00%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$17.7K IQD 26.7M

74.17%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$20.3K IQD 30.6M

19.78%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$131 IQD 197.2K

66.78%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$13.79 IQD 20.8K

83.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

$27.61 IQD 41.7K

28.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$65.3 IQD 98.7K

-36.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

$14.26 IQD 21.6K

59.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

$11.35 IQD 17.2K

-25.37%

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

$326 IQD 493.1K

30.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$3,186 IQD 4.8M

257.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

255.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

$44.50 IQD 67.2K

3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

73.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

$69.0 IQD 104.3K

122.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

$463 IQD 700.1K

77.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

$293 IQD 442.5K

91.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

$725 IQD 1.1M

108.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

$439 IQD 662.8K

114.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

$1,110 IQD 1.7M

378.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

$645 IQD 975.2K

390.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

$590 IQD 891.2K

108.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

2.53

82.21%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Erbil

$293 27% 47.8% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Erbil

$172 15.9% 38.2% $106

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Erbil

$199 18.4% 19.1% $47

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Erbil

$180 16.6% 22.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Erbil

$96 8.9% 50.4% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Erbil

$88 8.1% 49.9% $29

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Erbil

$56 5.2% 582% $48

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 $463 in Erbil. 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 108% 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 $43.00 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $199 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

09:18 9:18 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

1,713,461

💱 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 Erbil 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Erbil

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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $1,096 in Erbil – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $1,644 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, 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 $43.00 in Erbil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Erbil, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Erbil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – 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 Erbil. 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.