Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Serbia Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Serbia

Name: Serbia
Address: RS

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,074 in Serbia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $1,580 in Serbia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $2,086 in Serbia.

Living in Italy is roughly 60% more expensive than Serbia on average.

Italy (28% above) and Serbia (20% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $871–$1,517 in Serbia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$10.09 RSD 1,015

72.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$48.57 RSD 4,884

63.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$10.52 RSD 1,058

11.79%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$2.34 RSD 236

-14.53%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$2.19 RSD 221

36.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.67 RSD 167

-19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$3.03 RSD 304

96.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$3.55 RSD 357

50.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.46 RSD 147

12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.84 RSD 84.2

186.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$2.59 RSD 260

15.44%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$2.75 RSD 277

44.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$10.29 RSD 1,035

63.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$7.10 RSD 714

75.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$12.54 RSD 1,261

61.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.30 RSD 131

90.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.90 RSD 191

13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.82 RSD 183

45.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$2.44 RSD 246

39.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.06 RSD 106

81.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.89 RSD 90.0

103.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.82 RSD 82.3

89.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.73 RSD 73.0

-26.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$4.55 RSD 458

49.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$6.86 RSD 690

4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.82 RSD 82.9

119.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.72 RSD 173

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.82 RSD 82.1

143.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$19.72 RSD 1,983

114.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$1.93 RSD 194

207.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.88 RSD 88.2

71.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$11.81 RSD 1,187

188.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.78 RSD 179

15.17%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$31.1K RSD 3.1M

5.56%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$27.3K RSD 2.7M

23.21%

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

$225 €194

$192 RSD 19.3K

17.66%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$20.23 RSD 2,034

-34.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$30.89 RSD 3,106

0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$35.47 RSD 3,567

57.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$18.29 RSD 1,839

37.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$6.76 RSD 680

51.63%

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

$576 €495

$365 RSD 36.7K

57.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$8,538 RSD 858.6K

22.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$98.0 RSD 9,854

-6.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$43.24 RSD 4,348

-5.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$110 RSD 11.0K

-10.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$119 RSD 12.0K

9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$596 RSD 59.9K

44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$428 RSD 43.1K

55.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$1,032 RSD 103.8K

42.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$746 RSD 75.0K

45.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$3,205 RSD 322.3K

20.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,274 RSD 228.7K

3.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$966 RSD 97.1K

100.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

6.95

-36.55%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Serbia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $377 in Serbia. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $852 in Belgrade.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $787 in Serbia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 97% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 111% more in Italy.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 148% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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

Italy vs Serbia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,194 in Serbia, there's a 54% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Serbia is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats Serbia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Serbia, $1,500 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Serbia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.