Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Sumy

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumy: $973 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,554
/mo nomad
Sumy
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$973
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Sumy

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $973 in Sumy, rent included.

  • Belgrade $1,554
  • Sumy $973

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,669 in Sumy, rent included.

  • Belgrade $2,337
  • Sumy $1,669

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $2,365 in Sumy, rent included.

  • Belgrade $3,121
  • Sumy $2,365

Belgrade costs about 60% more than Sumy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Sumy is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.15 RSD 1,371
$11.13 ₴500
18.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.5 RSD 5,999
$33.38 ₴1,498
72.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 RSD 1,394
$7.95 ₴357
68.30%
Cappuccino
$3.10 RSD 323
$1.69 ₴75.7
83.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 RSD 294
$0.75 ₴33.57
276.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 RSD 231
$0.55 ₴24.78
303.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.47 RSD 362
$1.35 ₴60.8
157.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 RSD 412
$1.96 ₴87.8
102.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 RSD 144
$1.35 ₴60.6
2.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 RSD 118
$0.83 ₴37.37
36.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 RSD 277
$1.45 ₴64.9
83.45%
Eggs
$2.78 RSD 290
$2.06 ₴92.3
34.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.99 RSD 1,146
$10.31 ₴463
6.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.56 RSD 684
$5.36 ₴241
22.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.07 RSD 1,571
$8.79 ₴395
71.44%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 RSD 173
$1.20 ₴53.9
38.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 RSD 186
$1.55 ₴69.5
15.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 RSD 195
$1.88 ₴84.2
-0.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 RSD 315
$2.81 ₴126
7.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 RSD 96.3
$0.65 ₴29.22
41.54%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 RSD 73.8
$0.46 ₴20.52
54.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 RSD 77.6
$1.39 ₴62.3
-46.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 RSD 77.2
$0.66 ₴29.53
12.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.61 RSD 481
$2.86 ₴128
61.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 RSD 918
$5.63 ₴253
56.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 RSD 92.7
$0.90 ₴40.26
-1.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 RSD 151
$0.90 ₴40.28
61.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.34 ₴15.38
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.44 ₴379
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 RSD 315
$2.23 ₴100
35.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 RSD 103
$0.46 ₴20.57
113.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.08 RSD 1,780
$4.37 ₴196
290.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 RSD 199
$1.51 ₴67.9
26.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K RSD 3.2M
$29.1K ₴1.3M
6.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K RSD 2.6M
$22.2K ₴996.4K
11.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 RSD 23.0K
$100.0 ₴4,488
120.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.41 RSD 2,544
$7.01 ₴315
248.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.64 RSD 3,715
$6.54 ₴293
444.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.20 RSD 4,295
$46.50 ₴2,087
-11.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.60 RSD 2,356
$21.44 ₴962
5.41%
Cinema Ticket
$8.59 RSD 896
$3.56 ₴160
141.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$424 RSD 44.2K
$238 ₴10.7K
78.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K RSD 1.1M
$15.3K ₴686.2K
-28.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 RSD 11.5K
$74.6 ₴3,346
48.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.28 RSD 4,929
$31.08 ₴1,395
52.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 RSD 11.8K
$97.4 ₴4,372
16.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 RSD 16.3K
$121 ₴5,432
29.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 RSD 83.9K
$545 ₴24.4K
47.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$546 RSD 56.9K
$306 ₴13.7K
78.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,452 RSD 151.4K
$998 ₴44.8K
45.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$931 RSD 97.0K
$845 ₴37.9K
10.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,368 RSD 559.6K
$1,641 ₴73.6K
227.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,155 RSD 328.9K
$1,360 ₴61.0K
132.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Sumy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,237 RSD 128.9K
$380 ₴17.1K
225.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.61
15.9
-71.01%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sumy: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
$546
Sumy
$306 44% $240
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
$280
Sumy
$114 59.5% $167
Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
$241
Sumy
$191 20.8% $50
Eating Out
Belgrade
$228
Sumy
$149 34.6% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
$192
Sumy
$146 24.2% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
$58
Sumy
$54 8.2% $4.8
Getting Around
Belgrade
$7.9 *
Sumy
$14 80.5% $6.4

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 $545 in Sumy. 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 225% 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 $33.00 in Sumy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $191 – making Sumy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🇺🇦 Sumy
🕒 Local time
13:43 1:43 PM
14:43 2:43 PM
1 h ahead of Belgrade
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,197,714 Capital
267,633
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

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).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belgrade Sumy 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belgrade
  • Sumy

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 Sumy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and in Sumy compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $973 in Sumy – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Sumy?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,459 in Sumy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Belgrade and Sumy?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sumy, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $33.00 in Sumy. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sumy, where all-in costs run around $973, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Sumy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Belgrade or Sumy?
Families tend to lean toward Sumy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Belgrade or Sumy safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Belgrade and Sumy?
If budget matters most, go with Sumy. 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.

Belgrade vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?