Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 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 Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,541

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Pietermaritzburg

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

A single person spends $1,541 per month in Belgrade vs $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Belgrade $1,541
Pietermaritzburg $1,033

A couple spends around $2,351 per month in Belgrade vs $1,559 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Belgrade $2,351
Pietermaritzburg $1,559

A family of three spends $3,161 per month in Belgrade vs $2,084 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Belgrade $3,161
Pietermaritzburg $2,084

Belgrade costs about 49% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 14% above the global median, while Pietermaritzburg is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.43 RSD 1,398

$7.80 R 129

72.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 RSD 6,036

$36.52 R 602

58.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.30 RSD 1,384

$5.76 R 94.8

130.90%

Cappuccino

$3.05 RSD 317

$2.29 R 37.76

33.19%

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

$2.82 RSD 293

$1.17 R 19.22

141.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 RSD 238

$0.98 R 16.07

132.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 RSD 381

$2.22 R 36.60

64.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 RSD 435

$2.60 R 42.85

60.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 RSD 147

$1.39 R 22.96

1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 RSD 121

$1.00 R 16.47

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 RSD 263

$1.73 R 28.52

46.24%

Eggs

$2.80 RSD 292

$3.21 R 52.9

-12.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 RSD 1,137

$6.91 R 114

58.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RSD 708

$4.90 R 80.8

38.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 RSD 1,603

$6.45 R 106

138.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 RSD 170

$1.98 R 32.56

-17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 RSD 182

$1.90 R 31.24

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 RSD 186

$2.24 R 36.83

-20.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 RSD 316

$2.04 R 33.58

49.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 RSD 101

$1.75 R 28.87

-44.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RSD 67.7

$1.83 R 30.10

-64.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$1.48 R 24.36

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RSD 75.3

$1.05 R 17.23

-31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 RSD 471

$3.03 R 49.99

49.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 RSD 858

$4.12 R 67.8

100.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RSD 89.8

$1.35 R 22.28

-36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 RSD 148

$1.73 R 28.54

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 R 48.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 R 327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 RSD 323

$1.60 R 26.41

93.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 102

$1.03 R 17.05

-4.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.10 RSD 1,780

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.39 R 22.94

34.53%

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

$30.9K RSD 3.2M

$27.0K R 445.0K

14.38%

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

$24.1K RSD 2.5M

$26.2K R 431.2K

-8.04%

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

$215 RSD 22.4K

$205 R 3,381

4.66%

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

$25.55 RSD 2,659

$31.45 R 518

-18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.40 RSD 3,685

$37.25 R 614

-4.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 RSD 4,228

$42.88 R 707

-5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 RSD 2,367

$3.02 R 49.77

652.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 RSD 832

$4.94 R 81.4

61.74%

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

$453 RSD 47.2K

$182 R 2,994

149.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K RSD 1.3M

$5,251 R 86.5K

135.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 RSD 11.6K

$56.3 R 927

98.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.56 RSD 4,951

$34.23 R 564

38.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 RSD 11.8K

$114 R 1,885

-0.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 RSD 15.3K

$70.3 R 1,158

108.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 RSD 86.3K

$222 R 3,662

273.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 RSD 56.2K

$218 R 3,584

148.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 RSD 157.0K

$583 R 9,599

158.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 RSD 101.5K

$410 R 6,753

137.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,059 RSD 526.6K

$6,013 R 99.1K

-15.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,171 RSD 330.1K

$150 R 2,470

2015.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,276 RSD 132.8K

$1,084 R 17.9K

17.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.67

-61.44%

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

Last update for Belgrade: November 1, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$540 35.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$218 21.1% 59.7% $323

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$276 17.9%

Pietermaritzburg

$274 26.5% 0.7% $1.8

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.6%

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8% 19.1% $46

Eating Out

Belgrade

$231 15%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 42.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$189 12.3%

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12% 34.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$57 3.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.1% 6.8% $3.9

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8 * 0.5%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 381% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Belgrade versus $222 in Pietermaritzburg. 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 18% 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 in Belgrade versus $37 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $194 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

11:33 11:33 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

618,536

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.61 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.61 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Pietermaritzburg 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Pietermaritzburg

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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,541 in Belgrade, $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg – Pietermaritzburg comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,312 per month in Belgrade and $1,549 in Pietermaritzburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $829 in Belgrade.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Belgrade and $37 in Pietermaritzburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Belgrade, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,541 in Belgrade and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pietermaritzburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Pietermaritzburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.