Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Zărnești

For one person, living is cheaper in Zărnești: $889 a month against $1,574 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
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Zărnești Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,574

/mo nomad

Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade and in Zărnești

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

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Belgrade vs $889 in Zărnești, rent included.

Belgrade $1,574
Zărnești $889

A couple spends around $2,376 per month in Belgrade vs $1,383 in Zărnești, rent included.

Belgrade $2,376
Zărnești $1,383

A family of three spends $3,178 per month in Belgrade vs $1,877 in Zărnești, rent included.

Belgrade $3,178
Zărnești $1,877

Belgrade costs about 77% more than Zărnești, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 16% above the global median, while Zărnești is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.44 RSD 1,401

$9.00 RON 42.60

49.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 RSD 6,029

$42.40 RON 201

36.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 RSD 1,380

$8.36 RON 39.57

58.25%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RSD 323

$2.18 RON 10.34

42.20%

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

$2.73 RSD 285

$1.46 RON 6.90

86.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RSD 241

$1.20 RON 5.66

92.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 RSD 369

$1.90 RON 9.00

86.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 RSD 430

$2.28 RON 10.79

81.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RSD 151

$1.27 RON 6.02

14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 RSD 123

$1.07 RON 5.06

10.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 RSD 272

$1.44 RON 6.81

81.25%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$2.79 RON 13.20

-0.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 RSD 1,171

$7.89 RON 37.33

42.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 RSD 701

$4.74 RON 22.42

41.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 RSD 1,586

$10.40 RON 49.21

46.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 RSD 166

$0.93 RON 4.41

70.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 RSD 191

$1.33 RON 6.30

38.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.27 RON 6.02

44.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 RSD 324

$1.28 RON 6.06

142.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RSD 98.8

$0.78 RON 3.67

21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RSD 75.1

$0.52 RON 2.45

38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 RSD 77.8

$0.80 RON 3.80

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 72.4

$0.77 RON 3.63

-10.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 RSD 496

$5.15 RON 24.37

-7.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 RSD 878

$7.42 RON 35.09

13.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.8

$1.07 RON 5.08

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RSD 159

$1.29 RON 6.12

18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 RON 101

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 RSD 312

$0.88 RON 4.15

239.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 106

$0.86 RON 4.05

18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.54 RSD 1,828

$7.45 RON 35.26

135.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RSD 193

$1.51 RON 7.16

22.52%

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

$30.5K RSD 3.2M

$28.5K RON 134.9K

6.83%

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

$23.7K RSD 2.5M

$26.0K RON 122.9K

-8.73%

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

$219 RSD 22.9K

$99.0 RON 468

121.66%

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

$24.82 RSD 2,588

$9.28 RON 43.89

167.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.79 RSD 3,731

$8.00 RON 37.86

347.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 RSD 4,313

$37.82 RON 179

9.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 RSD 2,394

$19.41 RON 91.9

18.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 RSD 867

$6.24 RON 29.55

33.33%

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

$423 RSD 44.1K

$429 RON 2,031

-1.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

$7,733 RON 36.6K

47.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

$44.43 RON 210

150.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 RSD 4,950

$27.26 RON 129

74.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 RSD 12.1K

$68.9 RON 326

68.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 RSD 16.4K

$76.8 RON 363

105.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 RSD 85.8K

$434 RON 2,054

89.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 RSD 58.3K

$266 RON 1,258

110.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 RSD 154.8K

$576 RON 2,727

157.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 RSD 101.1K

$424 RON 2,008

128.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,489 RSD 572.2K

$1,751 RON 8,283

213.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 RSD 332.8K

$1,329 RON 6,288

140.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,214 RSD 126.5K

$510 RON 2,415

137.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

7.47

-38.29%

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$560 35.6%

Zărnești

$266 29.9% 52.5% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$280 17.8%

Zărnești

$116 13.1% 58.5% $164

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$243 15.4%

Zărnești

$182 20.4% 25.2% $61

Eating Out

Belgrade

$231 14.7%

Zărnești

$148 16.7% 35.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$195 12.4%

Zărnești

$98 11% 49.8% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$58 3.7%

Zărnești

$50 5.7% 13.3% $7.7

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.1 * 0.5%

Zărnești

$29 3.3% 262% $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 $434 in Zărnești. 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 138% 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 $42.00 in Zărnești. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $182 – making Zărnești the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

01:39 1:39 AM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

24,926

💱 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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Belgrade Zărnești 390 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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,574 in Belgrade, $889 in Zărnești – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,360 per month in Belgrade and $1,334 in Zărnești. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zărnești, 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 $42.00 in Zărnești. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zărnești, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Belgrade at $1,574. In Zărnești it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zărnești – 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 Zărnești. 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.