Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Vratsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Vratsa: $821 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Vratsa
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Vratsa Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Vratsa

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Vratsa

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $821 in Vratsa, rent included.

Belgrade $1,554
Vratsa $821

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,244 in Vratsa, rent included.

Belgrade $2,337
Vratsa $1,244

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $1,667 in Vratsa, rent included.

Belgrade $3,121
Vratsa $1,667

Belgrade costs about 89% more than Vratsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Vratsa is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 RSD 1,373

$8.42 BGN 14.73

56.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 RSD 6,009

$28.50 BGN 49.88

101.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 RSD 1,397

$5.55 BGN 9.72

141.08%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.29 BGN 4.01

35.37%

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

$2.82 RSD 294

$1.55 BGN 2.70

81.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RSD 232

$0.82 BGN 1.44

170.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RSD 363

$1.74 BGN 3.05

99.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 RSD 413

$1.98 BGN 3.47

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RSD 144

$1.31 BGN 2.30

5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RSD 118

$0.81 BGN 1.43

39.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 278

$1.28 BGN 2.25

107.81%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 290

$2.32 BGN 4.06

19.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 RSD 1,148

$8.93 BGN 15.63

23.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 RSD 685

$5.71 BGN 10.00

14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,574

$8.27 BGN 14.47

82.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 174

$1.25 BGN 2.19

32.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 187

$1.70 BGN 2.98

5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 196

$1.11 BGN 1.94

68.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 316

$1.68 BGN 2.94

80.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.5

$0.99 BGN 1.73

-7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 74.0

$0.73 BGN 1.27

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.7

$0.55 BGN 0.96

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RSD 77.3

$0.60 BGN 1.05

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 RSD 482

$3.49 BGN 6.11

32.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 RSD 920

$5.03 BGN 8.81

75.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RSD 92.9

$1.13 BGN 1.98

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 RSD 152

$1.67 BGN 2.92

-13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.70 BGN 41.47

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 RSD 316

$0.83 BGN 1.45

263.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.64 BGN 1.13

53.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,784

$6.43 BGN 11.26

165.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RSD 199

$1.54 BGN 2.70

24.03%

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

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

$29.4K BGN 51.4K

5.58%

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

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

$21.9K BGN 38.2K

12.85%

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

$220 RSD 23.0K

$93.8 BGN 164

134.96%

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

$24.41 RSD 2,549

$12.70 BGN 22.23

92.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.64 RSD 3,722

$12.37 BGN 21.65

188.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.20 RSD 4,303

$22.91 BGN 40.10

79.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,361

$14.93 BGN 26.13

51.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 RSD 897

$5.73 BGN 10.03

49.91%

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

$424 RSD 44.3K

$227 BGN 397

86.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

$2,325 BGN 4,069

371.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$30.38 BGN 53.2

264.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 RSD 4,938

$19.31 BGN 33.79

144.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

$63.6 BGN 111

77.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.4K

$51.9 BGN 90.8

201.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 RSD 84.1K

$332 BGN 581

142.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 RSD 57.0K

$251 BGN 440

117.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 RSD 151.7K

$552 BGN 967

162.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 RSD 97.2K

$393 BGN 687

136.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 RSD 560.6K

$1,311 BGN 2,294

309.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,155 RSD 329.5K

$1,080 BGN 1,889

192.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 RSD 129.1K

$1,077 BGN 1,885

14.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

2.99

54.18%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vratsa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$546 35.2%

Vratsa

$251 30.6% 54% $295

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 18.1%

Vratsa

$119 14.5% 57.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$241 15.5%

Vratsa

$178 21.7% 26% $63

Eating Out

Belgrade

$228 14.7%

Vratsa

$134 16.3% 41.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$192 12.4%

Vratsa

$74 9.1% 61.4% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.8%

Vratsa

$34 4.2% 41.1% $24

Getting Around

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5%

Vratsa

$31 3.8% 291% $23

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 $332 in Vratsa. 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 15% 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 $29.00 in Vratsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $178 – making Vratsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇧🇬 Vratsa

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

20:57 8:57 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

60,877

💱 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 14, 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 14, 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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Belgrade Vratsa 310 km

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Belgrade
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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 Vratsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $821 in Vratsa – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,232 in Vratsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vratsa, 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 $29.00 in Vratsa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 Vratsa, where all-in costs run around $821, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Vratsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vratsa – 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 Vratsa. 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.