Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Kaluga

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaluga: $988 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Kaluga
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Kaluga Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Kaluga

🇷🇺 Russia

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Kaluga

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $988 in Kaluga, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Kaluga $988

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,541 in Kaluga, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Kaluga $1,541

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $2,093 in Kaluga, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Kaluga $2,093

Belgrade costs about 57% more than Kaluga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Kaluga is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$10.00 ₽835

31.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$35.78 ₽2,986

60.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$4.66 ₽389

187.12%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.66 ₽222

16.54%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.96 ₽80.0

193.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.61 ₽51.0

263.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$1.39 ₽116

149.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$1.75 ₽146

126.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.22 ₽102

13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.94 ₽78.4

20.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$2.32 ₽194

14.66%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.99 ₽166

39.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$13.13 ₽1,096

-16.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$6.64 ₽554

-1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$13.85 ₽1,156

8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.77 ₽148

-6.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$1.59 ₽133

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.56 ₽131

19.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$2.79 ₽233

8.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.52 ₽43.44

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.49 ₽40.89

44.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$1.39 ₽116

-46.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.84 ₽70.3

-11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$3.12 ₽261

47.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$8.57 ₽716

2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.16 ₽96.8

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$2.62 ₽219

-44.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₽33.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.67 ₽1,475

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$0.93 ₽77.2

224.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$6.34 ₽529

169.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.77 ₽64.3

148.05%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$49.2K ₽4.1M

-36.96%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$23.8K ₽2.0M

3.51%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$120 ₽10.1K

82.97%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$5.85 ₽488

317.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$9.19 ₽767

287.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$46.94 ₽3,918

-12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

$23.36 ₽1,950

-3.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$3.60 ₽301

138.61%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$327 ₽27.3K

29.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$95.1 ₽7,939

16.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$35.34 ₽2,950

33.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$180 ₽15.0K

-37.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$90.4 ₽7,548

73.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$293 ₽24.5K

174.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$218 ₽18.2K

150.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$598 ₽49.9K

142.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$355 ₽29.6K

162.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$1,474 ₽123.0K

264.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$1,261 ₽105.2K

150.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$639 ₽53.3K

93.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

23.12

-80.06%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kaluga: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Kaluga

$218 22% 60.1% $328

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Kaluga

$136 13.7% 51.7% $145

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Kaluga

$238 24.1% 1.1% $2.6

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Kaluga

$143 14.4% 37.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Kaluga

$180 18.3% 6.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Kaluga

$54 5.5% 7.3% $4.2

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Kaluga

$20 * 2.1% 155% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Belgrade versus $293 in Kaluga. 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 94% 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 $36.00 in Kaluga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $238 – making Kaluga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇺 Kaluga

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

331,842

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Kaluga 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Kaluga

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 Kaluga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $988 in Kaluga – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,483 in Kaluga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kaluga, 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 $36.00 in Kaluga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 Kaluga, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Kaluga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kaluga – 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 Kaluga. 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.