Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Zahlah

For one person, living is cheaper in Zahlah: $997 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,554
/mo nomad
Zahlah
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$997
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Zahlah

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

A single person spends $1,554 per month in Belgrade vs $997 in Zahlah, rent included.

  • Belgrade $1,554
  • Zahlah $997

A couple spends around $2,337 per month in Belgrade vs $1,599 in Zahlah, rent included.

  • Belgrade $2,337
  • Zahlah $1,599

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Belgrade vs $2,201 in Zahlah, rent included.

  • Belgrade $3,121
  • Zahlah $2,201

Belgrade costs about 56% more than Zahlah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Zahlah is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.15 RSD 1,371
$11.97 LBP 1.1M
9.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.5 RSD 5,999
$69.5 LBP 6.2M
-17.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 RSD 1,394
$9.85 LBP 881.9K
35.84%
Cappuccino
$3.10 RSD 323
$4.50 LBP 402.9K
-31.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 RSD 294
$2.40 LBP 214.6K
17.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 RSD 231
$0.91 LBP 81.3K
143.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.47 RSD 362
$5.01 LBP 448.5K
-30.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 RSD 412
$4.83 LBP 432.6K
-18.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 RSD 144
$1.94 LBP 173.8K
-28.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 RSD 118
$0.87 LBP 77.6K
29.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 RSD 277
$2.24 LBP 200.7K
18.75%
Eggs
$2.78 RSD 290
$3.55 LBP 317.8K
-21.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.99 RSD 1,146
$11.24 LBP 1.0M
-2.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.56 RSD 684
$10.46 LBP 935.8K
-37.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.07 RSD 1,571
$14.81 LBP 1.3M
1.76%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 RSD 173
$3.01 LBP 269.1K
-44.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 RSD 186
$1.65 LBP 147.4K
8.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 RSD 195
$1.62 LBP 144.8K
15.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 RSD 315
$1.48 LBP 132.1K
104.73%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 RSD 96.3
$1.26 LBP 112.9K
-26.98%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 RSD 73.8
$1.61 LBP 143.7K
-55.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 RSD 77.6
$1.16 LBP 104.2K
-36.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 RSD 77.2
$0.71 LBP 63.8K
4.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.61 RSD 481
$2.93 LBP 262.0K
57.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 RSD 918
$10.80 LBP 966.9K
-18.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 RSD 92.7
$1.27 LBP 113.3K
-29.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 RSD 151
$2.47 LBP 220.9K
-41.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 RSD 315
$4.86 LBP 435.3K
-37.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 RSD 103
$2.24 LBP 200.1K
-56.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.08 RSD 1,780
$22.27 LBP 2.0M
-23.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 RSD 199
$1.04 LBP 93.3K
83.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K RSD 3.2M
$54.2K LBP 4.8B
-42.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K RSD 2.6M
$32.3K LBP 2.9B
-23.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 RSD 23.0K
$233 LBP 20.9M
-5.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.41 RSD 2,544
$22.43 LBP 2.0M
8.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.64 RSD 3,715
$37.64 LBP 3.4M
-5.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.20 RSD 4,295
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.60 RSD 2,356
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.59 RSD 896
$9.81 LBP 878.1K
-12.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$424 RSD 44.2K
$675 LBP 60.4M
-37.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K RSD 1.1M
$10.5K LBP 936.1M
4.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 RSD 11.5K
$67.0 LBP 6.0M
65.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.28 RSD 4,929
$48.56 LBP 4.3M
-2.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 RSD 11.8K
$138 LBP 12.3M
-17.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 RSD 16.3K
$119 LBP 10.6M
31.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 RSD 83.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$546 RSD 56.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,452 RSD 151.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$931 RSD 97.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,368 RSD 559.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,155 RSD 328.9K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Zahlah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,237 RSD 128.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.61
11
-58.09%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zahlah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
$546
Zahlah
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
$280
Zahlah
$294 4.7% $13
Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
$241
Zahlah
$274 13.7% $33
Eating Out
Belgrade
$228
Zahlah
$227 0.3% $0.6
Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
$192
Zahlah
$167 13% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
$58
Zahlah
$20 * 66.4% $39
Getting Around
Belgrade
$7.9 *
Zahlah
$16 * 102% $8.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade versus $70.0 in Zahlah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $274 – making Belgrade the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🇱🇧 Zahlah
🕒 Local time
18:37 6:37 PM
19:37 7:37 PM
1 h ahead of Belgrade
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,197,714 Capital
78,145
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

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).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belgrade Zahlah 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Belgrade
  • Zahlah

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 Zahlah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and in Zahlah compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,554 in Belgrade, $997 in Zahlah – roughly 56% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Zahlah?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,331 per month in Belgrade and $1,496 in Zahlah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $70.0 in Zahlah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zahlah, where all-in costs run around $997, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Zahlah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Belgrade or Zahlah?
Families tend to lean toward Zahlah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Belgrade or Zahlah 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 Zahlah?
If budget matters most, go with Zahlah. 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.

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