Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Nis

For one person, living is cheaper in Nis: $1,029 a month against $1,541 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,541

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Nis

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

A single person spends $1,541 per month in Belgrade vs $1,029 in Nis, rent included.

Belgrade $1,541
Nis $1,029

A couple spends around $2,343 per month in Belgrade vs $1,526 in Nis, rent included.

Belgrade $2,343
Nis $1,526

A family of three spends $3,146 per month in Belgrade vs $2,022 in Nis, rent included.

Belgrade $3,146
Nis $2,022

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

Belgrade sits 13% above the global median, while Nis is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.09 RSD 1,373

$8.71 RSD 913

50.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 RSD 5,887

$33.20 RSD 3,482

69.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 RSD 1,400

$9.73 RSD 1,020

37.20%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 325

$1.93 RSD 203

60.62%

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

$2.72 RSD 286

$2.28 RSD 239

19.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 RSD 235

$1.80 RSD 189

24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 RSD 368

$3.71 RSD 389

-5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 RSD 426

$4.36 RSD 457

-6.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 RSD 146

$1.08 RSD 114

28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RSD 117

$0.72 RSD 75.8

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 RSD 278

$1.68 RSD 176

57.74%

Eggs

$2.69 RSD 282

$2.32 RSD 244

15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 RSD 1,145

$7.41 RSD 777

47.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 RSD 684

$5.77 RSD 605

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 RSD 1,631

$10.97 RSD 1,151

41.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 RSD 167

$1.08 RSD 114

47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 192

$1.70 RSD 178

7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 RSD 189

$1.42 RSD 149

26.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 RSD 325

$2.07 RSD 217

49.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 RSD 90.8

$0.79 RSD 82.7

10.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 RSD 68.8

$0.74 RSD 77.2

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 RSD 80.5

$0.64 RSD 67.6

20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 72.3

$0.57 RSD 60.0

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 RSD 496

$4.46 RSD 467

6.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 RSD 903

$5.58 RSD 585

54.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 98.8

$0.69 RSD 71.9

36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 RSD 159

$1.36 RSD 142

11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 316

$1.86 RSD 195

62.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 RSD 104

$0.69 RSD 72.0

43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.07 RSD 1,791

$8.28 RSD 868

106.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 196

$1.86 RSD 195

0.54%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.3M

$30.6K RSD 3.2M

1.51%

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

$23.4K RSD 2.5M

$23.2K RSD 2.4M

0.86%

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

$212 RSD 22.3K

$156 RSD 16.4K

35.72%

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

$24.87 RSD 2,609

$19.16 RSD 2,009

29.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 RSD 3,633

$22.67 RSD 2,378

52.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 RSD 4,197

$29.61 RSD 3,106

35.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.70 RSD 2,381

$15.29 RSD 1,604

48.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 RSD 841

$4.62 RSD 484

73.59%

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

$439 RSD 46.0K

$247 RSD 25.9K

77.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K RSD 1.2M

$4,809 RSD 504.4K

135.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$86.5 RSD 9,072

27.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 RSD 4,932

$39.99 RSD 4,194

17.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$100 RSD 10.5K

12.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 RSD 15.9K

$109 RSD 11.5K

39.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 RSD 84.5K

$418 RSD 43.9K

92.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 RSD 57.3K

$290 RSD 30.4K

88.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 RSD 162.6K

$626 RSD 65.7K

147.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 RSD 102.9K

$450 RSD 47.2K

118.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,342 RSD 560.3K

$2,650 RSD 278.0K

101.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,117 RSD 326.9K

$1,862 RSD 195.3K

67.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,217 RSD 127.6K

$922 RSD 96.7K

32.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

5.11

-9.78%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$547 35.5%

Nis

$290 28.2% 47% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$272 17.6%

Nis

$198 19.3% 27.1% $74

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$240 15.6%

Nis

$180 17.5% 25% $60

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.8%

Nis

$166 16.1% 27.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$190 12.3%

Nis

$151 14.7% 20.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$56 3.6%

Nis

$39 3.8% 30.7% $17

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8 * 0.5%

Nis

$5.3 * 0.5% 33.5% $2.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $806 in Belgrade versus $418 in Nis. 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 32% 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 $56 in Belgrade versus $33 in Nis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $180 – making Nis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

Same time as Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

78,470

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.53 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.53 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,541 in Belgrade, $1,029 in Nis – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,311 per month in Belgrade and $1,544 in Nis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $806 in Belgrade.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Belgrade and $33 in Nis. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,541 in Belgrade and $1,029 in Nis. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Nis – 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 Nis. 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.