Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Blantyre and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Blantyre: $601 a month against $1,541 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Blantyre, Malawi
Belgrade, Serbia
Blantyre
🇲🇼 Malawi
$601
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,541
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Blantyre and in Belgrade

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Blantyre and in Belgrade actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $601 per month in Blantyre vs $1,541 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Blantyre $601
  • Belgrade $1,541

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Blantyre vs $2,351 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Blantyre $1,037
  • Belgrade $2,351

A family of three spends $1,473 per month in Blantyre vs $3,161 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Blantyre $1,473
  • Belgrade $3,161

Blantyre is about 61% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Blantyre sits 56% below the global median, while Belgrade is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.03 MWK 6,912
$13.43 RSD 1,398
-69.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.22 MWK 22.7K
$58.0 RSD 6,036
-77.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.88 MWK 11.8K
$13.30 RSD 1,384
-48.27%
Cappuccino
$2.66 MWK 4,567
$3.05 RSD 317
-12.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 MWK 1,455
$2.82 RSD 293
-69.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 MWK 829
$2.28 RSD 238
-78.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.11 MWK 1,903
$3.66 RSD 381
-69.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 MWK 3,001
$4.18 RSD 435
-58.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 MWK 1,821
$1.41 RSD 147
-24.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.30 MWK 2,236
$1.16 RSD 121
12.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MWK 3,458
$2.53 RSD 263
-20.55%
Eggs
$1.74 MWK 2,983
$2.80 RSD 292
-37.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.54 MWK 6,070
$10.93 RSD 1,137
-67.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.51 MWK 9,454
$6.80 RSD 708
-18.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.58 MWK 11.3K
$15.40 RSD 1,603
-57.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 MWK 3,844
$1.63 RSD 170
37.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 MWK 3,956
$1.75 RSD 182
31.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 MWK 4,298
$1.78 RSD 186
40.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.11 MWK 1,906
$3.04 RSD 316
-63.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 MWK 2,264
$0.97 RSD 101
36.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 MWK 2,339
$0.65 RSD 67.7
109.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.31 MWK 525
$0.74 RSD 77.2
-58.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 MWK 1,414
$0.72 RSD 75.3
13.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.33 MWK 4,007
$4.53 RSD 471
-48.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.79 MWK 23.7K
$8.25 RSD 858
67.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 MWK 1,579
$0.86 RSD 89.8
6.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MWK 2,852
$1.43 RSD 148
16.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 MWK 816
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.56 MWK 970
$3.10 RSD 323
-81.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 MWK 2,556
$0.98 RSD 102
52.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 MWK 6,541
$17.10 RSD 1,780
-77.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 MWK 2,681
$1.87 RSD 195
-16.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K MWK 60.5M
$30.9K RSD 3.2M
14.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K MWK 66.3M
$24.1K RSD 2.5M
60.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$26.75 MWK 45.9K
$215 RSD 22.4K
-87.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.02 MWK 13.8K
$25.55 RSD 2,659
-68.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$35.40 RSD 3,685
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.3 MWK 100.1K
$40.62 RSD 4,228
43.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.92 MWK 25.6K
$22.74 RSD 2,367
-34.39%
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.99 RSD 832
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$385 MWK 661.1K
$453 RSD 47.2K
-15.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$594 MWK 1.0M
$12.4K RSD 1.3M
-95.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.92 MWK 73.7K
$112 RSD 11.6K
-61.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.62 MWK 69.8K
$47.56 RSD 4,951
-14.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$49.74 MWK 85.4K
$114 RSD 11.8K
-56.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.3 MWK 118.9K
$147 RSD 15.3K
-52.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$228 MWK 391.2K
$829 RSD 86.3K
-72.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$117 MWK 200.9K
$540 RSD 56.2K
-78.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$606 MWK 1.0M
$1,508 RSD 157.0K
-59.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MWK 660.2K
$975 RSD 101.5K
-60.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,059 RSD 526.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$394 MWK 676.9K
$3,171 RSD 330.1K
-87.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Blantyre
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$331 MWK 567.8K
$1,276 RSD 132.8K
-74.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.5
-

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

Last update for Blantyre: November 3, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Blantyre
$190
Belgrade
$241 26.4% $50
Accommodation & Living
Blantyre
$117
Belgrade
$540 362% $423
Eating Out
Blantyre
$99
Belgrade
$231 133% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Blantyre
$91
Belgrade
$189 107% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Blantyre
$58 *
Belgrade
$57 2.9% $1.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Blantyre
$35 *
Belgrade
$276 693% $241
Getting Around
Blantyre
$9.9 *
Belgrade
$8 * 19.4% $1.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $228 in Blantyre versus $829 in Belgrade. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Belgrade are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Blantyre versus $58 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $241 – making Blantyre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇼 Blantyre
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
05:47 5:47 AM
04:47 4:47 AM
1 h behind Blantyre
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
994,500
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to MWK – Malawian Kwacha Converter

Malawian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,717 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD). 1 EUR = 1,928 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.19 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.61 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Blantyre Belgrade 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Blantyre
  • Belgrade

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
Blantyre vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Blantyre and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $601 in Blantyre, $1,541 in Belgrade – Blantyre comes out roughly 61% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Blantyre compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $901 per month in Blantyre and $2,312 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Blantyre and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Blantyre, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $228 there versus $829 in Belgrade.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Blantyre and $58 in Belgrade. 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 26% more in Belgrade, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Blantyre, where all-in costs run around $601, than in Belgrade at $1,541. In Blantyre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Blantyre or Belgrade?
Families tend to lean toward Blantyre – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Blantyre and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Blantyre. If higher salaries 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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