Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Sunny Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunny Beach: $1,038 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,554
/mo nomad
Sunny Beach
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,038
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Sunny Beach

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $1,038 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

  • Belgrade $1,554
  • Sunny Beach $1,038

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,578 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

  • Belgrade $2,337
  • Sunny Beach $1,578

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $2,117 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

  • Belgrade $3,121
  • Sunny Beach $2,117

Belgrade costs about 50% more than Sunny Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Sunny Beach is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.15 RSD 1,377
$8.39 BGN 14.68
56.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.5 RSD 6,026
$44.87 BGN 78.5
28.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 RSD 1,401
$9.63 BGN 16.85
38.94%
Cappuccino
$3.10 RSD 324
$2.86 BGN 5.01
8.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 RSD 295
$1.74 BGN 3.04
62.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 RSD 232
$1.56 BGN 2.73
42.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.47 RSD 364
$2.31 BGN 4.05
50.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 RSD 414
$1.73 BGN 3.03
128.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 RSD 145
$1.76 BGN 3.08
-21.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 RSD 119
$0.75 BGN 1.31
50.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 RSD 279
$2.18 BGN 3.81
22.02%
Eggs
$2.78 RSD 291
$3.69 BGN 6.46
-24.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.99 RSD 1,151
$8.40 BGN 14.70
30.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.56 RSD 687
$8.56 BGN 14.99
-23.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.07 RSD 1,578
$14.28 BGN 24.99
5.53%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 RSD 174
$1.70 BGN 2.97
-2.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 RSD 187
$1.77 BGN 3.09
1.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 RSD 196
$1.91 BGN 3.34
-2.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 RSD 317
$2.63 BGN 4.60
15.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 RSD 96.7
$1.07 BGN 1.88
-14.02%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 RSD 74.2
$1.05 BGN 1.84
-32.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 RSD 78.0
$1.16 BGN 2.03
-36.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 RSD 77.5
$0.71 BGN 1.24
4.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.61 RSD 483
$4.10 BGN 7.17
12.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 RSD 922
$6.27 BGN 10.98
40.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 RSD 93.1
$1.13 BGN 1.97
-21.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 RSD 152
$2.06 BGN 3.60
-29.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.13 BGN 1.98
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 RSD 316
$1.27 BGN 2.22
137.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 RSD 103
$0.65 BGN 1.13
50.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.08 RSD 1,789
$10.32 BGN 18.06
65.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 RSD 200
$1.58 BGN 2.76
20.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K RSD 3.2M
$29.6K BGN 51.8K
4.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K RSD 2.6M
$24.4K BGN 42.7K
1.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 RSD 23.1K
$114 BGN 200
92.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.41 RSD 2,556
$18.46 BGN 32.31
32.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.64 RSD 3,732
$15.66 BGN 27.41
127.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.20 RSD 4,315
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.60 RSD 2,367
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.59 RSD 900
$8.90 BGN 15.57
-3.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$424 RSD 44.4K
$519 BGN 907
-18.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K RSD 1.1M
$5,550 BGN 9,713
97.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 RSD 11.6K
$33.86 BGN 59.3
226.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.28 RSD 4,951
$41.32 BGN 72.3
14.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 RSD 11.8K
$95.8 BGN 168
18.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 RSD 16.4K
$103 BGN 181
51.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 RSD 84.3K
$565 BGN 989
42.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$546 RSD 57.2K
$341 BGN 597
60.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,452 RSD 152.1K
$679 BGN 1,188
113.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$931 RSD 97.5K
$513 BGN 898
81.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,368 RSD 562.2K
$1,328 BGN 2,323
304.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,155 RSD 330.4K
$1,135 BGN 1,987
177.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Sunny Beach
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,237 RSD 129.5K
$920 BGN 1,611
34.36%
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 12, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
$546
Sunny Beach
$341 37.6% $205
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
$280
Sunny Beach
$148 47.1% $132
Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
$241
Sunny Beach
$240 0.2% $0.5
Eating Out
Belgrade
$228
Sunny Beach
$159 30.4% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
$192
Sunny Beach
$123 35.8% $69
Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
$58
Sunny Beach
$18 * 69.5% $41
Getting Around
Belgrade
$7.9 *
Sunny Beach
$9 * 13.6% $1.1

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 $565 in Sunny Beach. 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 34% 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 Sunny Beach. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $240 – making Sunny Beach the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🇧🇬 Sunny Beach
🕒 Local time
21:52 9:52 PM
22:52 10:52 PM
1 h ahead of Belgrade
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,197,714 Capital
13,347
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.52 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belgrade Sunny Beach 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Belgrade
  • Sunny Beach

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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and in Sunny Beach compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $1,038 in Sunny Beach – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Sunny Beach?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,557 in Sunny Beach. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Belgrade and Sunny Beach?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunny Beach, 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 $45.00 in Sunny Beach. 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 0% 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 Sunny Beach, where all-in costs run around $1,038, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Sunny Beach it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Belgrade or Sunny Beach?
Families tend to lean toward Sunny Beach – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Belgrade or Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach?
If budget matters most, go with Sunny Beach. 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?