Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Kirkuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $540 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Kirkuk

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $540 in Kirkuk, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Kirkuk $540

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $868 in Kirkuk, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Kirkuk $868

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $1,197 in Kirkuk, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Kirkuk $1,197

Belgrade costs about 188% more than Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Kirkuk is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$3.58 IQD 5,403

267.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$23.24 IQD 35.1K

147.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$5.40 IQD 8,162

147.78%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.46 IQD 3,716

26.02%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.36 IQD 537

683.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.16 IQD 238

1287.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$2.62 IQD 3,963

32.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$3.37 IQD 5,087

17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$0.95 IQD 1,433

45.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.60 IQD 911

88.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.31 IQD 1,984

103.05%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.27 IQD 1,915

118.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$3.42 IQD 5,160

221.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$3.13 IQD 4,735

109.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$11.18 IQD 16.9K

34.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$0.79 IQD 1,198

110.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$0.83 IQD 1,254

115.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.80 IQD 1,209

133.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$0.60 IQD 906

405.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.48 IQD 730

91.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.48 IQD 730

47.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.57 IQD 854

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.32 IQD 477

131.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$1.61 IQD 2,430

186.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$11.55 IQD 17.4K

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.29 IQD 1,950

-31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.61 IQD 2,434

-9.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 482

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$2.01 IQD 3,034

50.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$1.34 IQD 2,028

-26.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$6.42 IQD 9,693

166.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.47 IQD 712

306.38%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

85.12%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

50.01%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$51.6 IQD 78.0K

327.01%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$17.64 IQD 26.6K

38.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$9.82 IQD 14.8K

319.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$9.80 IQD 14.8K

-12.35%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$143 IQD 215.9K

196.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$2,984 IQD 4.5M

267.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$25.27 IQD 38.2K

337.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

189.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

93.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$29.54 IQD 44.6K

430.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$162 IQD 245.2K

396.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$78.1 IQD 118.1K

598.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$198 IQD 299.8K

632.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$201 IQD 304.3K

362.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$490 IQD 740.7K

995.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$259 IQD 391.8K

1116.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$379 IQD 572.3K

226.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

4.12

11.89%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Kirkuk

$78 14.5% 85.7% $468

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Kirkuk

$106 19.7% 62.1% $174

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Kirkuk

$142 26.2% 41.1% $99

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Kirkuk

$96 17.8% 57.8% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Kirkuk

$58 10.8% 69.7% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Kirkuk

$29 5.4% 49.6% $29

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Kirkuk

$30 5.6% 282% $22

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 $162 in Kirkuk. 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 227% 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 $23.00 in Kirkuk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $142 – making Kirkuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

09:47 9:47 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

850,787

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.52 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.52 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Kirkuk 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Kirkuk

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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $540 in Kirkuk – roughly 188% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $810 in Kirkuk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 70% 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 Kirkuk, where all-in costs run around $540, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Kirkuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kirkuk – 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 Kirkuk. 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.