Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Medina

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina: $1,364 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Belgrade despite lower rent and utilities.

Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,538
/mo nomad
Medina
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,364
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Medina

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $1,364 in Medina, rent included.

  • Belgrade $1,538
  • Medina $1,364

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $1,816 in Medina, rent included.

  • Belgrade $2,321
  • Medina $1,816

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $2,268 in Medina, rent included.

  • Belgrade $3,105
  • Medina $2,268

Belgrade costs about 13% more than Medina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Belgrade and Medina sit above the global median – Belgrade by 15%, Medina by 2%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.33 RSD 1,389
$5.53 SAR 20.75
141.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.4 RSD 6,085
$32.09 SAR 120
82.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.58 RSD 1,414
$8.20 SAR 30.78
65.61%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.58 SAR 5.93
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.76 SAR 6.62
-
Cappuccino
$3.13 RSD 326
$2.70 SAR 10.15
15.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 RSD 288
$0.76 SAR 2.84
264.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 RSD 237
$0.25 SAR 0.95
808.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 RSD 390
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 RSD 456
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 RSD 146
$1.49 SAR 5.61
-6.04%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 RSD 122
$0.92 SAR 3.44
27.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 RSD 282
$2.32 SAR 8.70
16.81%
Eggs
$2.78 RSD 289
$2.09 SAR 7.84
33.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.36 RSD 1,184
$5.44 SAR 20.44
108.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.01 RSD 731
$7.03 SAR 26.39
-0.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.72 RSD 1,638
$12.49 SAR 46.90
25.86%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 RSD 173
$2.42 SAR 9.10
-31.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 RSD 188
$1.98 SAR 7.42
-8.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 RSD 190
$2.29 SAR 8.60
-20.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.13 RSD 326
$1.55 SAR 5.83
101.94%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 RSD 91.3
$1.36 SAR 5.12
-35.29%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 RSD 70.3
$1.37 SAR 5.14
-51.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.81 RSD 84.4
$0.93 SAR 3.49
-12.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 RSD 70.9
$0.71 SAR 2.68
-4.23%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.29 SAR 4.85
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.48 SAR 5.55
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.55 SAR 5.83
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.78 RSD 498
$7.54 SAR 28.32
-36.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.54 RSD 889
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 RSD 97.7
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 RSD 150
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.05 SAR 3.94
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$36.80 SAR 138
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 RSD 322
$1.36 SAR 5.12
127.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 RSD 107
$1.68 SAR 6.32
-39.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.18 RSD 1,789
$5.71 SAR 21.44
200.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 RSD 195
$0.64 SAR 2.41
192.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K RSD 3.2M
$41.8K SAR 157.0K
-26.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K RSD 2.5M
$20.7K SAR 77.5K
17.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 RSD 22.7K
$149 SAR 558
46.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.24 RSD 2,629
$27.41 SAR 103
-7.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.35 RSD 3,683
$90.7 SAR 341
-61.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.77 RSD 4,351
$78.9 SAR 296
-47.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.80 RSD 2,375
$9.01 SAR 33.83
153.05%
Cinema Ticket
$8.47 RSD 882
$13.51 SAR 50.7
-37.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$426 RSD 44.4K
$294 SAR 1,103
45.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
$5,483 SAR 20.6K
107.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 RSD 11.6K
$36.85 SAR 138
201.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.99 RSD 4,791
$54.4 SAR 204
-15.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 RSD 12.4K
$67.0 SAR 252
77.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 RSD 16.0K
$70.0 SAR 263
119.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$821 RSD 85.6K
$570 SAR 2,139
44.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$561 RSD 58.4K
$529 SAR 1,988
5.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 RSD 157.4K
$779 SAR 2,926
93.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$942 RSD 98.1K
$573 SAR 2,151
64.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,312 RSD 553.4K
$2,309 SAR 8,670
130.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,165 RSD 329.7K
$1,356 SAR 5,091
133.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Medina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,228 RSD 127.9K
$1,244 SAR 4,671
-1.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.61
4.17
10.55%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Medina: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
$561
Medina
$529 5.6% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
$278
Medina
$267 4.1% $12
Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
$246
Medina
$191 22.5% $55
Eating Out
Belgrade
$233
Medina
$105 54.7% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
$194
Medina
$103 46.9% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
$59
Medina
$106 80.3% $47
Getting Around
Belgrade
$8.2 *
Medina
$51 518% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $821 in Belgrade versus $570 in Medina. 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 1% higher in Medina, 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 $32.00 in Medina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $191 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🇸🇦 Medina
🕒 Local time
12:27 12:27 PM
13:27 1:27 PM
1 h ahead of Belgrade
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,197,714 Capital
1,100,093
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belgrade Medina 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belgrade
  • Medina

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 Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and in Medina compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $1,364 in Medina – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Medina?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $2,047 in Medina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Belgrade and Medina?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $32.00 in Medina. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Medina, where all-in costs run around $1,364, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Medina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Belgrade or Medina?
Families tend to lean toward Medina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Belgrade or Medina safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Belgrade and Medina?
If budget matters most, go with Medina. 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.

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