Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Zalau

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalau: $871 a month against $1,574 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
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Zalau Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,574

/mo nomad

Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Zalau

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

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Belgrade vs $871 in Zalau, rent included.

Belgrade $1,574
Zalau $871

A couple spends around $2,376 per month in Belgrade vs $1,327 in Zalau, rent included.

Belgrade $2,376
Zalau $1,327

A family of three spends $3,178 per month in Belgrade vs $1,783 in Zalau, rent included.

Belgrade $3,178
Zalau $1,783

Belgrade costs about 81% more than Zalau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 16% above the global median, while Zalau is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.44 RSD 1,401

$7.52 RON 35.59

78.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RSD 6,029

$35.18 RON 166

64.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 RSD 1,380

$5.25 RON 24.83

152.00%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.18 RON 10.30

42.20%

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

$2.73 RSD 285

$1.49 RON 7.07

83.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RSD 241

$1.24 RON 5.86

86.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 RSD 369

$1.87 RON 8.83

89.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 RSD 430

$2.37 RON 11.19

74.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.38 RON 6.53

5.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 RSD 123

$1.13 RON 5.34

4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 RSD 272

$1.23 RON 5.84

112.20%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$1.97 RON 9.31

41.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 RSD 1,171

$7.88 RON 37.28

42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 RSD 701

$5.50 RON 26.01

22.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 RSD 1,586

$10.45 RON 49.45

45.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 RSD 166

$0.80 RON 3.79

98.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 RSD 191

$1.29 RON 6.09

42.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.44 RON 6.83

27.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 RSD 324

$1.89 RON 8.96

64.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RSD 98.8

$0.66 RON 3.13

43.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RSD 75.1

$0.56 RON 2.63

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 RSD 77.8

$0.61 RON 2.89

22.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 72.4

$0.73 RON 3.44

-5.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 RSD 496

$4.94 RON 23.39

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 RSD 878

$5.20 RON 24.59

62.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.8

$1.07 RON 5.06

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RSD 159

$1.14 RON 5.40

34.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 RON 101

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 RSD 312

$0.82 RON 3.89

264.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 106

$0.82 RON 3.86

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.54 RSD 1,828

$7.61 RON 36.03

130.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RSD 193

$1.50 RON 7.08

23.33%

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

$30.5K RSD 3.2M

$28.5K RON 135.0K

6.74%

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

$23.7K RSD 2.5M

$25.7K RON 121.8K

-7.91%

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

$219 RSD 22.9K

$102 RON 481

115.56%

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

$24.82 RSD 2,588

$4.27 RON 20.22

481.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.79 RSD 3,731

$6.29 RON 29.74

469.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 RSD 4,313

$33.09 RON 157

25.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 RSD 2,394

$21.48 RON 102

6.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 RSD 867

$5.38 RON 25.46

54.65%

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

$423 RSD 44.1K

$420 RON 1,985

0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$7,019 RON 33.2K

62.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$52.5 RON 248

112.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 RSD 4,950

$30.12 RON 143

57.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 RSD 12.1K

$56.8 RON 269

104.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 RSD 16.4K

$62.1 RON 294

154.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 RSD 85.8K

$383 RON 1,812

114.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 RSD 58.3K

$288 RON 1,362

94.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 RSD 154.8K

$586 RON 2,772

153.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 RSD 101.1K

$445 RON 2,104

117.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,489 RSD 572.2K

$1,818 RON 8,602

201.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 RSD 332.8K

$1,323 RON 6,257

141.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,214 RSD 126.5K

$621 RON 2,936

95.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

6.85

-32.70%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zalau: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$560 35.6%

Zalau

$288 33.1% 48.5% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 17.8%

Zalau

$112 12.9% 59.9% $168

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$243 15.4%

Zalau

$180 20.6% 26% $63

Eating Out

Belgrade

$231 14.7%

Zalau

$127 14.6% 44.9% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$195 12.4%

Zalau

$91 10.4% 53.4% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.7%

Zalau

$44 5% 24.4% $14

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.1 * 0.5%

Zalau

$30 3.4% 265% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $823 in Belgrade versus $383 in Zalau. 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 96% 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 $35.00 in Zalau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $180 – making Zalau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇴 Zalau

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

20:46 8:46 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

56,202

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Belgrade Zalau 330 km

From you

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 Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,574 in Belgrade, $871 in Zalau – roughly 81% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,360 per month in Belgrade and $1,307 in Zalau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zalau, 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 $35.00 in Zalau. 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 Zalau, where all-in costs run around $871, than in Belgrade at $1,574. In Zalau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zalau – 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 Zalau. 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.