Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,049 a month against $1,574 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,574

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Makhachkala

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

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Belgrade vs $1,049 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Belgrade $1,574
Makhachkala $1,049

A couple spends around $2,376 per month in Belgrade vs $1,635 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Belgrade $2,376
Makhachkala $1,635

A family of three spends $3,178 per month in Belgrade vs $2,222 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Belgrade $3,178
Makhachkala $2,222

Belgrade costs about 50% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 16% above the global median, while Makhachkala is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.44 RSD 1,401

$10.80 ₽902

24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RSD 6,029

$36.26 ₽3,026

59.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 RSD 1,380

$6.40 ₽534

106.72%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$3.05 ₽255

1.64%

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

$2.73 RSD 285

$1.25 ₽104

118.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RSD 241

$0.51 ₽42.98

352.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 RSD 369

$1.98 ₽165

78.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 RSD 430

$2.83 ₽236

45.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.12 ₽93.1

29.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 RSD 123

$0.72 ₽60.3

63.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 RSD 272

$1.44 ₽120

81.25%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$1.63 ₽136

70.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 RSD 1,171

$11.49 ₽959

-2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 RSD 701

$5.42 ₽453

23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 RSD 1,586

$11.18 ₽933

36.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 RSD 166

$1.79 ₽149

-11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 RSD 191

$1.78 ₽148

3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.84 ₽153

-0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 RSD 324

$2.69 ₽225

15.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RSD 98.8

$0.84 ₽69.8

13.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RSD 75.1

$0.61 ₽51.2

18.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 RSD 77.8

$1.44 ₽120

-47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 72.4

$0.71 ₽59.2

-2.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 RSD 496

$3.39 ₽283

40.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 RSD 878

$7.84 ₽654

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.8

$1.04 ₽87.1

-9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RSD 159

$1.78 ₽149

-14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₽39.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 RSD 312

$2.12 ₽177

41.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 106

$0.34 ₽28.11

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.54 RSD 1,828

$6.02 ₽503

191.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RSD 193

$0.84 ₽70.3

120.24%

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

$30.5K RSD 3.2M

$57.5K ₽4.8M

-47.03%

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

$23.7K RSD 2.5M

$37.4K ₽3.1M

-36.62%

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

$219 RSD 22.9K

$121 ₽10.1K

81.00%

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

$24.82 RSD 2,588

$5.46 ₽455

354.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.79 RSD 3,731

$8.46 ₽706

323.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 RSD 4,313

$35.95 ₽3,001

15.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 RSD 2,394

$23.54 ₽1,964

-2.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 RSD 867

$6.23 ₽520

33.55%

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

$423 RSD 44.1K

$343 ₽28.7K

23.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$6,198 ₽517.3K

84.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$87.1 ₽7,266

27.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 RSD 4,950

$60.4 ₽5,044

-21.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 RSD 12.1K

$119 ₽9,895

-2.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 RSD 16.4K

$109 ₽9,073

45.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 RSD 85.8K

$467 ₽39.0K

76.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 RSD 58.3K

$317 ₽26.5K

76.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 RSD 154.8K

$916 ₽76.4K

62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 RSD 101.1K

$571 ₽47.7K

69.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,489 RSD 572.2K

$2,241 ₽187.0K

144.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 RSD 332.8K

$1,521 ₽126.9K

109.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,214 RSD 126.5K

$614 ₽51.3K

97.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

21.45

-78.51%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 19, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$560 35.6%

Makhachkala

$317 30.3% 43.3% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 17.8%

Makhachkala

$135 12.9% 51.7% $145

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$243 15.4%

Makhachkala

$209 19.9% 14.1% $34

Eating Out

Belgrade

$231 14.7%

Makhachkala

$165 15.7% 28.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$195 12.4%

Makhachkala

$169 16.1% 13.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.7%

Makhachkala

$48 4.6% 16.5% $9.6

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.1 * 0.5%

Makhachkala

$5.7 * 0.5% 29.8% $2.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $823 in Belgrade versus $467 in Makhachkala. 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 98% 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 Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $209 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

604,266

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Makhachkala 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,574 in Belgrade, $1,049 in Makhachkala – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,360 per month in Belgrade and $1,573 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 16% 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 Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,049, than in Belgrade at $1,574. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – 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 Makhachkala. 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.