Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Smolensk

For one person, living is cheaper in Smolensk: $1,068 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Smolensk
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Smolensk Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Smolensk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Smolensk

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $1,068 in Smolensk, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Smolensk $1,068

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,602 in Smolensk, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Smolensk $1,602

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $2,137 in Smolensk, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Smolensk $2,137

Belgrade costs about 45% more than Smolensk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Smolensk is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,371

$10.38 ₽867

26.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 5,999

$32.07 ₽2,677

79.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,394

$6.92 ₽577

93.35%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.53 ₽211

22.53%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$0.95 ₽79.6

196.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 231

$0.55 ₽46.12

303.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 362

$1.74 ₽145

99.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 412

$2.97 ₽248

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.15 ₽96.0

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.76 ₽63.3

48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

$1.36 ₽114

95.59%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$1.53 ₽128

81.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,146

$11.28 ₽942

-2.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 684

$5.13 ₽428

27.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

$11.03 ₽921

36.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.78 ₽149

-6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

$1.84 ₽154

-2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.75 ₽146

6.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

$2.72 ₽227

11.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

$0.82 ₽68.3

12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

$0.56 ₽46.80

26.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

$1.30 ₽108

-43.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.2

$0.67 ₽56.3

10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 481

$3.10 ₽259

48.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 918

$7.18 ₽599

22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.7

$0.98 ₽81.5

-9.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.87 ₽156

-22.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 ₽47.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 315

$2.13 ₽178

41.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.33 ₽27.20

196.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

$4.97 ₽415

243.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$0.84 ₽69.9

127.38%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$32.4K ₽2.7M

-4.31%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$34.7K ₽2.9M

-28.94%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$135 ₽11.3K

63.06%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,544

$5.99 ₽500

307.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,715

$9.07 ₽757

292.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,295

$31.80 ₽2,654

29.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

$23.76 ₽1,983

-4.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 896

$6.34 ₽529

35.49%

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

$424 RSD 44.2K

$338 ₽28.2K

25.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$6,938 ₽579.0K

58.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.5K

$90.7 ₽7,567

22.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,929

$51.4 ₽4,292

-8.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$132 ₽11.0K

-14.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

$103 ₽8,590

52.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 83.9K

$487 ₽40.6K

65.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 56.9K

$339 ₽28.3K

61.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

$789 ₽65.8K

84.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.0K

$527 ₽44.0K

76.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

$2,481 ₽207.1K

116.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

$1,309 ₽109.2K

141.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

$753 ₽62.9K

64.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

21.45

-78.51%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Smolensk: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Smolensk

$339 31.8% 37.9% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Smolensk

$150 14.1% 46.4% $130

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Smolensk

$204 19.1% 15.3% $37

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Smolensk

$155 14.5% 32% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Smolensk

$170 15.9% 11.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Smolensk

$44 4.2% 23.8% $14

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Smolensk

$6 * 0.6% 24.2% $1.9

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 $487 in Smolensk. 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 64% 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 $32.00 in Smolensk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $204 – making Smolensk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇺 Smolensk

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

325,495

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Smolensk 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
Smolensk

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 Smolensk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $1,068 in Smolensk – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,602 in Smolensk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Smolensk, 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 $32.00 in Smolensk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Smolensk, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Smolensk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Smolensk – 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 Smolensk. 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.