Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $745 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Mashhad

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $745 in Mashhad, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Mashhad $745

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,114 in Mashhad, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Mashhad $1,114

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $1,483 in Mashhad, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Mashhad $1,483

Belgrade costs about 108% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Mashhad is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$4.17 IQD 6,301

215.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$29.37 IQD 44.4K

95.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

98.81%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.67 IQD 4,034

16.10%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.33 IQD 492

754.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.22 IQD 333

909.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$3.26 IQD 4,921

6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$3.37 IQD 5,091

17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$0.89 IQD 1,346

55.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.68 IQD 1,035

66.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.33 IQD 2,005

100.00%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$0.82 IQD 1,242

239.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$3.36 IQD 5,071

227.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$1.97 IQD 2,981

232.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$3.09 IQD 4,668

387.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.01 IQD 1,521

64.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$0.92 IQD 1,385

94.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$0.91 IQD 1,373

105.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$0.68 IQD 1,026

345.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.56 IQD 845

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.60 IQD 900

18.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$0.29 IQD 432

155.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.21 IQD 322

252.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$0.83 IQD 1,254

455.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$11.88 IQD 17.9K

-25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$1.98 IQD 2,989

-55.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.96 IQD 2,965

-26.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 IQD 690

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.64 IQD 32.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$2.01 IQD 3,031

50.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$1.30 IQD 1,965

-24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$6.39 IQD 9,659

167.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.53 IQD 805

260.38%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

84.58%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

47.50%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$192 IQD 289.6K

14.99%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$17.37 IQD 26.2K

40.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$36.33 IQD 54.9K

-1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$34.10 IQD 51.5K

20.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

-14.27%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$147 IQD 221.6K

188.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$2,968 IQD 4.5M

269.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$25.05 IQD 37.9K

341.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$28.34 IQD 42.8K

66.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

88.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$41.28 IQD 62.4K

279.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$150 IQD 226.4K

437.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$118 IQD 178.6K

361.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$402 IQD 606.7K

261.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$286 IQD 432.6K

225.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$717 IQD 1.1M

648.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$639 IQD 965.4K

393.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

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 Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Mashhad

$118 15.9% 78.4% $428

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Mashhad

$245 32.9% 12.5% $35

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Mashhad

$115 15.5% 52.1% $125

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Mashhad

$111 14.9% 51.4% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Mashhad

$70 9.3% 63.8% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Mashhad

$54 7.3% 7.3% $4.2

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Mashhad

$32 4.3% 303% $24

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 $150 in Mashhad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade versus $29.00 in Mashhad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $115 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

20:21 8:21 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

13,000

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 = 8.53 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Belgrade Mashhad 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Mashhad

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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $745 in Mashhad – roughly 108% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,118 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, 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 $29.00 in Mashhad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 109% 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 Mashhad, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mashhad – 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 Mashhad. 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.