Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $653 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
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Kardzhali Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Kardzhali

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $653 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Kardzhali $653

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,071 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Kardzhali $1,071

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $1,489 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Kardzhali $1,489

Belgrade costs about 138% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Kardzhali is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$11.22 BGN 19.52

17.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$22.74 BGN 39.57

153.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$9.05 BGN 15.75

47.85%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$1.11 BGN 1.92

179.28%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$1.04 BGN 1.80

171.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.70 BGN 1.21

217.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$1.62 BGN 2.82

114.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$1.33 BGN 2.31

197.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.74 BGN 1.29

52.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.43 BGN 2.49

86.01%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$2.81 BGN 4.89

-1.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$10.16 BGN 17.68

8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$5.60 BGN 9.75

17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$6.74 BGN 11.73

123.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$0.90 BGN 1.56

84.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$2.04 BGN 3.55

-12.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.93 BGN 3.35

-3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$2.13 BGN 3.71

42.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.65 BGN 1.13

41.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$1.27 BGN 2.22

-44.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.72 BGN 1.26

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.80 BGN 1.39

-7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$3.59 BGN 6.25

28.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$4.56 BGN 7.94

93.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.05 BGN 1.83

-15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.42 BGN 2.46

2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 BGN 19.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$1.69 BGN 2.94

78.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.70 BGN 1.23

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$5.65 BGN 9.83

202.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.70 BGN 2.97

12.35%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$29.7K BGN 51.7K

4.31%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$22.4K BGN 39.0K

10.09%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$60.9 BGN 106

261.70%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$5.73 BGN 9.97

326.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$7.65 BGN 13.30

365.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$23.14 BGN 40.26

78.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$8.43 BGN 14.67

1.90%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$230 BGN 401

84.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$14.5K BGN 25.2K

-24.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$22.87 BGN 39.79

383.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$12.49 BGN 21.73

278.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$45.07 BGN 78.4

150.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$75.0 BGN 130

108.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$114 BGN 198

607.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$114 BGN 198

378.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$228 BGN 396

537.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$275 BGN 479

238.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$1,145 BGN 1,993

368.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$858 BGN 1,493

267.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$1,281 BGN 2,229

-3.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

3.25

41.85%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 79.1% $432

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Kardzhali

$74 11.4% 73.5% $206

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Kardzhali

$189 28.9% 21.5% $52

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Kardzhali

$148 22.6% 35.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Kardzhali

$70 10.7% 63.7% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Kardzhali

$40 6.1% 31.5% $18

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Kardzhali

$19 2.8% 133% $11

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 $114 in Kardzhali. 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 4% higher in Kardzhali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade versus $23.00 in Kardzhali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $189 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

49,421

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Kardzhali 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Kardzhali

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 Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $653 in Kardzhali – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $980 in Kardzhali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, 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 $23.00 in Kardzhali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kardzhali – 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 Kardzhali. 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.