Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Meru

For one person, living is cheaper in Meru: $518 a month against $1,574 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,574
/mo nomad
Meru
🇰🇪 Kenya
$518
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Meru

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

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Belgrade vs $518 in Meru, rent included.

  • Belgrade $1,574
  • Meru $518

A couple spends around $2,376 per month in Belgrade vs $846 in Meru, rent included.

  • Belgrade $2,376
  • Meru $846

A family of three spends $3,178 per month in Belgrade vs $1,174 in Meru, rent included.

  • Belgrade $3,178
  • Meru $1,174

Belgrade costs about 204% more than Meru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 16% above the global median, while Meru is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.44 RSD 1,401
$6.21 KES 806
116.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.8 RSD 6,029
$34.25 KES 4,440
68.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.23 RSD 1,380
$6.44 KES 835
105.43%
Cappuccino
$3.10 RSD 323
$2.56 KES 332
21.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 RSD 285
$0.67 KES 86.7
307.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 RSD 241
$0.56 KES 72.9
312.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.54 RSD 369
$2.36 KES 306
50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.13 RSD 430
$2.67 KES 346
54.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 RSD 151
$0.89 KES 115
62.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.18 RSD 123
$0.37 KES 48.50
218.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.61 RSD 272
$1.11 KES 144
135.14%
Eggs
$2.78 RSD 289
$1.43 KES 186
94.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.23 RSD 1,171
$10.70 KES 1,387
4.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.72 RSD 701
$6.32 KES 819
6.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.22 RSD 1,586
$5.04 KES 653
201.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.59 RSD 166
$3.28 KES 425
-51.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 RSD 191
$0.78 KES 102
135.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 RSD 191
$0.73 KES 95.3
150.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.10 RSD 324
$0.80 KES 103
287.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 RSD 98.8
$1.06 KES 137
-10.38%
Onion (1kg)
$0.72 RSD 75.1
$0.98 KES 127
-26.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 RSD 77.8
$0.24 KES 31.13
212.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 RSD 72.4
$0.44 KES 56.9
56.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.76 RSD 496
$3.52 KES 456
35.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.43 RSD 878
$11.37 KES 1,474
-25.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 RSD 97.8
$2.29 KES 297
-58.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 RSD 159
$2.78 KES 361
-44.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 RSD 312
$1.58 KES 205
89.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 RSD 106
$1.50 KES 195
-32.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.54 RSD 1,828
$2.95 KES 383
494.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 RSD 193
$1.60 KES 207
15.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.5K RSD 3.2M
$21.4K KES 2.8M
42.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K RSD 2.5M
$20.0K KES 2.6M
18.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 RSD 22.9K
$56.0 KES 7,261
291.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.82 RSD 2,588
$15.36 KES 1,991
61.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.79 RSD 3,731
$35.09 KES 4,549
1.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.37 RSD 4,313
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.96 RSD 2,394
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.32 RSD 867
$7.88 KES 1,022
5.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$423 RSD 44.1K
$251 KES 32.5K
68.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
$12.5K KES 1.6M
-8.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 RSD 11.6K
$27.67 KES 3,588
302.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.48 RSD 4,950
$28.83 KES 3,737
64.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 RSD 12.1K
$70.0 KES 9,081
65.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$158 RSD 16.4K
$59.7 KES 7,743
164.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$823 RSD 85.8K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$560 RSD 58.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,485 RSD 154.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$969 RSD 101.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,489 RSD 572.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,193 RSD 332.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Meru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,214 RSD 126.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.61
14.71
-68.66%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 19, 2026

Last update for Meru: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
$560
Meru
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
$280
Meru
$106 62% $173
Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
$243
Meru
$181 25.6% $62
Eating Out
Belgrade
$231
Meru
$122 47.2% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
$195
Meru
$84 56.9% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
$58
Meru
$16 * 72.8% $42
Getting Around
Belgrade
$8.1 *
Meru
$9.1 * 12.4% $1

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade versus $34.00 in Meru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $181 – making Meru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🇰🇪 Meru
🕒 Local time
12:54 12:54 PM
13:54 1:54 PM
1 h ahead of Belgrade
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,197,714 Capital
1,833,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belgrade Meru 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belgrade
  • Meru

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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and in Meru compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,574 in Belgrade, $518 in Meru – roughly 204% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Meru?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,360 per month in Belgrade and $776 in Meru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $34.00 in Meru. 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 34% 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 Meru, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Belgrade at $1,574. In Meru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Belgrade or Meru?
Families tend to lean toward Meru – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Belgrade or Meru 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 Meru?
If budget matters most, go with Meru. 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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