Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,057 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Belgrade outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
Learn more

Belgrade Living Index

Jump to prices

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Jimma

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $1,057 in Jimma, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Jimma $1,057

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $1,424 in Jimma, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Jimma $1,424

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $1,792 in Jimma, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Jimma $1,792

Belgrade costs about 46% more than Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Jimma is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$4.65 ETB 747

186.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$1.17 ETB 188

167.52%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$0.59 ETB 95.2

369.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$0.44 ETB 70.0

415.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$2.81 ETB 452

33.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$1.43 ETB 230

206.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.15 ETB 185

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$0.36 ETB 58.1

225.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$1.12 ETB 180

141.96%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$4.02 ETB 646

-30.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

$11.49 ETB 1,847

-38.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$11.42 ETB 1,835

37.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$2.30 ETB 370

-27.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$1.12 ETB 180

61.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$3.45 ETB 555

-46.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$0.58 ETB 93.8

439.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.55 ETB 87.7

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$3.35 ETB 538

-80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.58 ETB 93.7

17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$6.63 ETB 1,065

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$1.16 ETB 187

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$1.45 ETB 234

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ETB 35.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ETB 2,150

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

$1.72 ETB 276

898.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.74 ETB 279

7.47%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

-40.00%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

-58.13%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

243.11%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$36.28 ETB 5,829

-30.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

$313 ETB 50.3K

-88.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$34.06 ETB 5,474

22.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

-50.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$139 ETB 22.3K

-14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

$115 ETB 18.5K

33.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

$208 ETB 33.4K

295.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

$160 ETB 25.7K

250.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

$415 ETB 66.7K

264.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

$310 ETB 49.9K

203.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

138.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

183.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

$227 ETB 36.5K

440.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

-48.78%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Jimma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Jimma

–

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Jimma

–

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Jimma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Jimma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Jimma

–

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Jimma

–

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 $208 in Jimma. 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 441% higher in Belgrade, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇪🇹 Jimma

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

07:46 7:46 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

207,573

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, 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).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Jimma 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $1,057 in Jimma – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $1,585 in Jimma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,538 in Belgrade and $1,057 in Jimma. That's a gap of about 46%.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 Jimma, where all-in costs run around $1,057, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Jimma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jimma – 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 Jimma. 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.