Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Penza

For one person, living is cheaper in Penza: $774 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Penza
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Penza Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Penza

🇷🇺 Russia

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Penza

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $774 in Penza, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Penza $774

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,219 in Penza, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Penza $1,219

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $1,664 in Penza, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Penza $1,664

Belgrade costs about 101% more than Penza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Penza is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$8.50 ₽709

54.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$35.64 ₽2,974

61.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$7.47 ₽623

79.12%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$3.42 ₽286

-9.36%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$1.02 ₽85.4

176.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.69 ₽57.6

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$2.20 ₽184

57.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$2.71 ₽226

46.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.03 ₽86.2

33.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.50 ₽41.35

126.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.48 ₽123

87.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$13.31 ₽1,111

-17.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$4.08 ₽341

60.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.87 ₽72.5

-14.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$2.44 ₽203

88.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$9.08 ₽758

-2.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$0.99 ₽82.5

-10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$2.43 ₽203

-40.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₽28.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$2.48 ₽207

21.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.23 ₽19.05

326.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$14.24 ₽1,189

19.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.88 ₽73.3

117.05%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$36.9K ₽3.1M

-16.00%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$41.2K ₽3.4M

-40.12%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$81.8 ₽6,825

169.56%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$6.46 ₽539

277.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$10.89 ₽909

227.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$82.8 ₽6,906

-50.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$6.34 ₽529

35.49%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$353 ₽29.5K

20.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$157 ₽13.1K

-29.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$72.1 ₽6,017

-34.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$334 ₽27.8K

141.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$196 ₽16.4K

178.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$474 ₽39.6K

206.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$380 ₽31.7K

144.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$2,226 ₽185.8K

141.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$1,072 ₽89.4K

194.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$601 ₽50.2K

105.79%

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 Penza: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Penza

$196 25.4% 64.1% $350

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Penza

$99 12.8% 64.7% $181

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Penza

$120 * 15.5% 50.1% $121

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Penza

$155 20% 32.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Penza

$103 * 13.3% 46.4% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Penza

$95 12.3% 63.4% $37

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Penza

$5 * 0.6% 37.2% $3

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 $334 in Penza. 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 106% 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 $36.00 in Penza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $120 – making Penza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇺 Penza

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

509,513

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Penza 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Penza

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 Penza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $774 in Penza – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,160 in Penza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penza, 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 $36.00 in Penza. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% 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 Penza, where all-in costs run around $774, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Penza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Penza – 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 Penza. 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.