Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Plovdiv: $1,212 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Plovdiv

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $1,212 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Plovdiv $1,212

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $1,850 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Plovdiv $1,850

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $2,489 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Plovdiv $2,489

Belgrade costs about 27% more than Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Plovdiv is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,392

$9.12 BGN 15.96

46.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,099

$44.93 BGN 78.6

30.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,417

$9.39 BGN 16.43

44.62%

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 327

$2.78 BGN 4.86

12.59%

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

$2.77 RSD 289

$1.77 BGN 3.09

56.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$1.58 BGN 2.76

43.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 391

$2.53 BGN 4.43

48.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 457

$4.14 BGN 7.25

5.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.76 BGN 3.07

-20.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$1.16 BGN 2.03

0.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 283

$2.24 BGN 3.93

20.98%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$3.64 BGN 6.37

-23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,186

$11.42 BGN 19.98

-0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 732

$8.46 BGN 14.81

-17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,641

$14.11 BGN 24.70

11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.67 BGN 2.92

-0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 189

$1.82 BGN 3.18

-0.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.90 BGN 3.33

-3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 327

$2.58 BGN 4.51

21.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.5

$1.04 BGN 1.83

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.5

$1.06 BGN 1.85

-36.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.6

$1.16 BGN 2.04

-30.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 71.1

$0.73 BGN 1.27

-6.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 500

$4.06 BGN 7.11

17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 891

$6.17 BGN 10.79

38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.9

$1.12 BGN 1.96

-16.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 151

$2.03 BGN 3.56

-29.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.99 BGN 50.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 323

$1.29 BGN 2.27

139.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

$0.61 BGN 1.06

67.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,793

$10.13 BGN 17.73

69.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 196

$1.70 BGN 2.98

10.00%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$30.0K BGN 52.4K

2.62%

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

$25.1K BGN 43.8K

-3.13%

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$114 BGN 200

90.34%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,635

$18.53 BGN 32.43

36.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,691

$15.25 BGN 26.69

131.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,361

$40.23 BGN 70.4

3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,380

$20.30 BGN 35.52

12.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 884

$9.01 BGN 15.76

-5.99%

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

$426 RSD 44.5K

$515 BGN 901

-17.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$5,450 BGN 9,537

109.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$67.3 BGN 118

65.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,802

$42.10 BGN 73.7

9.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

$96.0 BGN 168

24.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.1K

$103 BGN 181

48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.8K

$530 BGN 928

54.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.5K

$388 BGN 679

44.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.8K

$878 BGN 1,536

72.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.3K

$670 BGN 1,173

40.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 554.6K

$2,226 BGN 3,896

138.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 330.4K

$1,572 BGN 2,751

101.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 128.2K

$1,161 BGN 2,032

5.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

3.1

48.71%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Plovdiv

$388 32.6% 30.8% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Plovdiv

$148 12.5% 46.8% $130

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Plovdiv

$252 21.2% 2.4% $5.8

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Plovdiv

$169 14.2% 27.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Plovdiv

$139 11.7% 28.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Plovdiv

$58 4.9% 0.8% $0.5

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Plovdiv

$36 3% 333% $27

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 $530 in Plovdiv. 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 6% 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 $45.00 in Plovdiv. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Belgrade vs $252 in Plovdiv – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

13:24 1:24 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

368,983

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Plovdiv 460 km

From you

Belgrade
Plovdiv

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 Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $1,212 in Plovdiv – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $1,817 in Plovdiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Plovdiv, 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 $45.00 in Plovdiv. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Plovdiv, where all-in costs run around $1,212, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Plovdiv it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Plovdiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,212 in Plovdiv to $1,538 in Belgrade. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Plovdiv. 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.