Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Damascus: $871 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
Learn more

Damascus Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
Learn more

Belgrade Living Index

Jump to prices

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$871

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Damascus 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 Damascus and in Belgrade actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $871 per month in Damascus vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Damascus $871
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Damascus vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Damascus $1,395
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $1,920 per month in Damascus vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Damascus $1,920
Belgrade $3,105

Damascus is about 43% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Damascus sits 35% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.87 SYP 1,200

$13.33 RSD 1,389

-25.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.24 SYP 5,133

$58.4 RSD 6,085

-27.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 SYP 830

$13.58 RSD 1,414

-49.71%

Cappuccino

$3.75 SYP 456

$3.13 RSD 326

19.81%

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

$2.30 SYP 279

$2.77 RSD 288

-16.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SYP 108

$2.27 RSD 237

-60.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 SYP 241

$3.75 RSD 390

-47.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 SYP 472

$4.38 RSD 456

-11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 SYP 132

$1.40 RSD 146

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 SYP 50.9

$1.17 RSD 122

-64.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 SYP 184

$2.71 RSD 282

-43.91%

Eggs

$1.63 SYP 198

$2.78 RSD 289

-41.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.93 SYP 478

$11.36 RSD 1,184

-65.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 SYP 709

$7.01 RSD 731

-16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 SYP 1,682

$15.72 RSD 1,638

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 SYP 125

$1.66 RSD 173

-37.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 SYP 171

$1.81 RSD 188

-22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 SYP 134

$1.83 RSD 190

-39.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 SYP 129

$3.13 RSD 326

-66.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 SYP 90.0

$0.88 RSD 91.3

-15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.4

$0.67 RSD 70.3

17.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 SYP 49.31

$0.81 RSD 84.4

-49.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SYP 76.0

$0.68 RSD 70.9

-7.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 SYP 341

$4.78 RSD 498

-41.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 SYP 727

$8.54 RSD 889

-29.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 SYP 134

$0.94 RSD 97.7

17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 SYP 346

$1.44 RSD 150

97.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 SYP 28.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.93 SYP 1,206

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 SYP 125

$3.09 RSD 322

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SYP 186

$1.02 RSD 107

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 SYP 923

$17.18 RSD 1,789

-55.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.61 SYP 439

$1.87 RSD 195

93.05%

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

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-51.03%

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

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

-19.83%

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

$139 SYP 16.9K

$218 RSD 22.7K

-36.22%

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

$9.84 SYP 1,196

$25.24 RSD 2,629

-61.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.66 SYP 5,548

$35.35 RSD 3,683

29.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.55 SYP 3,470

$41.77 RSD 4,351

-31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 SYP 1,029

$22.80 RSD 2,375

-62.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 SYP 685

$8.47 RSD 882

-33.41%

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

$67.7 SYP 8,221

$426 RSD 44.4K

-84.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,816 SYP 220.7K

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

-84.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.35 SYP 3,445

$111 RSD 11.6K

-74.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 SYP 4,841

$45.99 RSD 4,791

-13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 SYP 7,224

$119 RSD 12.4K

-50.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 SYP 6,955

$154 RSD 16.0K

-62.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 SYP 63.9K

$821 RSD 85.6K

-35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 SYP 22.6K

$561 RSD 58.4K

-66.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 SYP 102.1K

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

-44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 SYP 56.9K

$942 RSD 98.1K

-50.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,742 SYP 211.7K

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

-67.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$607 SYP 73.8K

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

-80.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$73.4 SYP 8,916

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

-94.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

4.61

209.11%

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

Last update for Damascus: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Damascus

$194 22.4%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 43.2% $84

Accommodation & Living

Damascus

$186 21.4%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 202% $375

Eating Out

Damascus

$175 20.2%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 33% $58

Groceries & Markets

Damascus

$170 19.6%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 45.2% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Damascus

$83 9.6%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 133% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Damascus

$40 4.6%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 47.4% $19

Getting Around

Damascus

$20 2.3%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 58% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Damascus versus $821 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 run about 1573% 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 $42.00 in Damascus versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $246 – making Damascus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Damascus

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

1 h behind Damascus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,414,913 Capital

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to SYP – Syrian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇾 Syrian Pound (£)

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

USD to SYP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Damascus Belgrade 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Damascus
Belgrade

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Damascus vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $871 in Damascus, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,306 per month in Damascus and $2,307 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Damascus, 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 $42.00 in Damascus and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Damascus, where all-in costs run around $871, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Damascus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Damascus – 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 Damascus. 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.