Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Grahamstown

For one person, living is cheaper in Grahamstown: $1,120 a month against $1,541 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Belgrade, Serbia
Grahamstown, South Africa
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,541
/mo nomad
Grahamstown
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,120
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Grahamstown

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

A single person spends $1,541 per month in Belgrade vs $1,120 in Grahamstown, rent included.

  • Belgrade $1,541
  • Grahamstown $1,120

A couple spends around $2,351 per month in Belgrade vs $1,775 in Grahamstown, rent included.

  • Belgrade $2,351
  • Grahamstown $1,775

A family of three spends $3,161 per month in Belgrade vs $2,430 in Grahamstown, rent included.

  • Belgrade $3,161
  • Grahamstown $2,430

Belgrade costs about 38% more than Grahamstown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 14% above the global median, while Grahamstown is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.43 RSD 1,398
$10.93 R 180
22.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.0 RSD 6,036
$41.85 R 690
38.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.30 RSD 1,384
$6.04 R 99.6
120.20%
Cappuccino
$3.05 RSD 317
$2.17 R 35.79
40.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 RSD 293
$1.05 R 17.26
168.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 RSD 238
$0.72 R 11.84
216.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.66 RSD 381
$2.75 R 45.29
33.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 RSD 435
$3.10 R 51.1
34.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 RSD 147
$1.17 R 19.33
20.51%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 RSD 121
$1.00 R 16.49
16.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 RSD 263
$1.49 R 24.47
69.80%
Eggs
$2.80 RSD 292
$2.72 R 44.85
2.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.93 RSD 1,137
$8.51 R 140
28.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.80 RSD 708
$5.34 R 88.1
27.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.40 RSD 1,603
$8.25 R 136
86.67%
Apples (1kg)
$1.63 RSD 170
$2.16 R 35.52
-24.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 RSD 182
$1.52 R 25.03
15.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 RSD 186
$1.63 R 26.88
9.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.04 RSD 316
$1.79 R 29.43
69.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 RSD 101
$1.68 R 27.70
-42.26%
Onion (1kg)
$0.65 RSD 67.7
$1.37 R 22.64
-52.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 RSD 77.2
$1.22 R 20.16
-39.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 RSD 75.3
$1.01 R 16.65
-28.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.53 RSD 471
$3.26 R 53.7
38.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.25 RSD 858
$4.74 R 78.2
74.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 RSD 89.8
$1.27 R 20.93
-32.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 RSD 148
$1.79 R 29.53
-20.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.49 R 24.56
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.10 RSD 323
$0.85 R 14.02
264.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 RSD 102
$0.46 R 7.58
113.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.10 RSD 1,780
$8.54 R 141
100.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 RSD 195
$1.49 R 24.59
25.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K RSD 3.2M
$34.6K R 570.5K
-10.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.1K RSD 2.5M
$35.2K R 580.7K
-31.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 RSD 22.4K
$121 R 1,991
77.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.55 RSD 2,659
$34.27 R 565
-25.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.40 RSD 3,685
$44.91 R 740
-21.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.62 RSD 4,228
$35.56 R 586
14.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 RSD 2,367
$11.03 R 182
106.17%
Cinema Ticket
$7.99 RSD 832
$10.48 R 173
-23.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$453 RSD 47.2K
$175 R 2,891
158.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K RSD 1.3M
$5,021 R 82.7K
146.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$112 RSD 11.6K
$71.2 R 1,173
56.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.56 RSD 4,951
$38.95 R 642
22.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 RSD 11.8K
$111 R 1,829
2.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 RSD 15.3K
$97.8 R 1,612
50.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$829 RSD 86.3K
$395 R 6,504
110.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$540 RSD 56.2K
$357 R 5,878
51.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 RSD 157.0K
$742 R 12.2K
103.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$975 RSD 101.5K
$743 R 12.2K
31.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,059 RSD 526.6K
$727 R 12.0K
595.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,171 RSD 330.1K
$741 R 12.2K
328.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Grahamstown
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,276 RSD 132.8K
$1,205 R 19.8K
5.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.5
11.94
-62.31%

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

Last update for Belgrade: November 1, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
$540
Grahamstown
$357 34% $184
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
$276
Grahamstown
$200 27.5% $76
Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
$241
Grahamstown
$195 18.9% $45
Eating Out
Belgrade
$231
Grahamstown
$159 31.3% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
$189
Grahamstown
$144 24% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
$57
Grahamstown
$57 0.1% $0.1
Getting Around
Belgrade
$8 *
Grahamstown
$9.1 * 14% $1.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Belgrade versus $395 in Grahamstown. 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 6% 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 in Belgrade versus $42 in Grahamstown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $195 – making Grahamstown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🇿🇦 Grahamstown
🕒 Local time
04:00 4:00 AM
05:00 5:00 AM
1 h ahead of Belgrade
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,197,714 Capital
67,264
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.61 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belgrade Grahamstown 8,710 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belgrade
  • Grahamstown

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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and in Grahamstown compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,541 in Belgrade, $1,120 in Grahamstown – Grahamstown comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Grahamstown?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,312 per month in Belgrade and $1,679 in Grahamstown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Belgrade and Grahamstown?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Grahamstown, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $395 there versus $829 in Belgrade.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Belgrade and $42 in Grahamstown. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 23% more in Belgrade, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,541 in Belgrade and $1,120 in Grahamstown. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Belgrade or Grahamstown?
Families tend to lean toward Grahamstown – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Belgrade or Grahamstown safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Belgrade and Grahamstown?
If budget matters most, go with Grahamstown. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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