Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Manakara

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $397 in Manakara, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Manakara $397

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $609 in Manakara, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Manakara $609

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $821 in Manakara, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Manakara $821

Belgrade costs about 292% more than Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Manakara is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

489.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$14.63 MGA 66.8K

293.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$3.44 MGA 15.7K

288.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$1.15 MGA 5,250

169.57%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.62 MGA 2,806

354.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.57 MGA 2,584

289.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$1.14 MGA 5,215

204.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$1.43 MGA 6,505

176.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.80 MGA 8,189

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$1.01 MGA 4,627

11.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$0.69 MGA 3,140

285.51%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$2.34 MGA 10.7K

18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$6.40 MGA 29.2K

71.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$3.31 MGA 15.1K

98.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$3.51 MGA 16.0K

329.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$0.95 MGA 4,313

74.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$0.72 MGA 3,268

148.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.35 MGA 1,586

434.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$0.72 MGA 3,294

320.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.54 MGA 2,456

70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.75 MGA 3,433

-5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.34 MGA 1,566

117.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.63 MGA 2,887

17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$1.43 MGA 6,513

222.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$4.52 MGA 20.6K

94.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.02 MGA 4,660

-12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.30 MGA 5,918

11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,051

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.89 MGA 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$1.10 MGA 4,995

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$2.20 MGA 10.0K

-55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$3.34 MGA 15.2K

411.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.14 MGA 5,215

67.54%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$15.7K MGA 71.5M

97.74%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$20.1K MGA 91.6M

22.89%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$42.27 MGA 192.8K

421.46%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$53.3 MGA 243.0K

-33.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$11.44 MGA 52.2K

260.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$22.50 MGA 102.6K

1783.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$16.28 MGA 74.2K

579.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$20.38 MGA 93.0K

131.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$44.83 MGA 204.5K

152.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$45.59 MGA 208.0K

243.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$115 MGA 524.9K

974.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

-80.79%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manakara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Manakara

$96 * 24.1% 65.9% $185

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Manakara

$129 32.6% 46.2% $111

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Manakara

$55 13.9% 75.7% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Manakara

$57 14.4% 70.3% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 80.4% $47

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Manakara

$48 12.1% 503% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 975% 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 $15.00 in Manakara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $129 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

44,237

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, 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).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Manakara 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Manakara

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 Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $397 in Manakara – roughly 292% 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 $595 in Manakara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $15.00 in Manakara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% 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 Manakara, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Manakara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manakara – 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 Manakara. 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.