Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $1,096 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,096

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,096 per month in Erbil vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Erbil $1,096
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $1,634 per month in Erbil vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Erbil $1,634
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $2,173 per month in Erbil vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Erbil $2,173
Belgrade $3,105

Erbil is about 29% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Erbil sits 18% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 IQD 11.7K

$13.33 RSD 1,389

-41.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.93 IQD 64.9K

$58.4 RSD 6,085

-26.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 IQD 12.9K

$13.58 RSD 1,414

-37.04%

Cappuccino

$3.92 IQD 5,918

$3.13 RSD 326

25.24%

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

$0.98 IQD 1,476

$2.77 RSD 288

-64.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 635

$2.27 RSD 237

-81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 IQD 9,213

$3.75 RSD 390

62.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 IQD 7,074

$4.38 RSD 456

6.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,866

$1.40 RSD 146

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 IQD 1,244

$1.17 RSD 122

-29.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 IQD 2,626

$2.71 RSD 282

-35.79%

Eggs

$1.80 IQD 2,716

$2.78 RSD 289

-35.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 IQD 12.1K

$11.36 RSD 1,184

-29.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,488

$7.01 RSD 731

-29.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

$15.72 RSD 1,638

-7.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,642

$1.66 RSD 173

-34.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,679

$1.81 RSD 188

-38.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,860

$1.83 RSD 190

-32.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 1,151

$3.13 RSD 326

-75.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,104

$0.88 RSD 91.3

-17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,100

$0.67 RSD 70.3

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$0.81 RSD 84.4

-14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.68 RSD 70.9

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 IQD 3,683

$4.78 RSD 498

-48.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 IQD 18.8K

$8.54 RSD 889

45.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,449

$0.94 RSD 97.7

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 3,270

$1.44 RSD 150

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 896

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.79 IQD 64.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 IQD 2,934

$3.09 RSD 322

-37.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 IQD 2,686

$1.02 RSD 107

74.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,572

$17.18 RSD 1,789

-63.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 IQD 1,029

$1.87 RSD 195

-63.64%

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

$17.7K IQD 26.7M

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-42.59%

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

$20.3K IQD 30.6M

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

-16.52%

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

$131 IQD 197.2K

$218 RSD 22.7K

-40.04%

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

$13.79 IQD 20.8K

$25.24 RSD 2,629

-45.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 IQD 41.7K

$35.35 RSD 3,683

-21.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 IQD 98.7K

$41.77 RSD 4,351

56.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.26 IQD 21.6K

$22.80 RSD 2,375

-37.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 IQD 17.2K

$8.47 RSD 882

34.00%

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

$326 IQD 493.1K

$426 RSD 44.4K

-23.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,186 IQD 4.8M

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

-72.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

$111 RSD 11.6K

-71.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 IQD 67.2K

$45.99 RSD 4,791

-3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$119 RSD 12.4K

-42.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 IQD 104.3K

$154 RSD 16.0K

-55.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 IQD 700.1K

$821 RSD 85.6K

-43.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 IQD 442.5K

$561 RSD 58.4K

-47.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 IQD 1.1M

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

-52.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 IQD 662.8K

$942 RSD 98.1K

-53.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 IQD 1.7M

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

-79.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$645 IQD 975.2K

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

-79.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 IQD 891.2K

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

-51.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

4.61

-45.12%

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

Last update for Erbil: October 5, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$293 27%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 91.4% $268

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$199 18.4%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 23.7% $47

Eating Out

Erbil

$180 16.6%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 29.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$172 15.9%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 61.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$96 8.9%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 102% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$88 8.1%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 33.3% $29

Getting Around

Erbil

$56 5.2%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 85.3% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Erbil 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 108% 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 $43.00 in Erbil versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $246 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Erbil Belgrade 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
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

Erbil vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,096 in Erbil, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,644 per month in Erbil 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 Erbil, 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 $43.00 in Erbil 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 24% 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 Erbil, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Erbil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – 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 Erbil. 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.