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: $1,792 in Italy versus $1,079 in Serbia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,735 in Italy versus $1,607 in Serbia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,678 in Italy versus $2,134 in Serbia.

Living in Italy is roughly 66% more expensive than in Serbia on average.

Italy (30% above) and Serbia (21% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,168 to $2,645, compared to $786–$1,641 in Serbia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 €18.39

$10.16 RSD 1,027

109.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 €70.4

$49.95 RSD 5,048

63.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.04

$11.91 RSD 1,204

-2.27%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.75

$2.45 RSD 248

-17.55%

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

$3.15 €2.72

$2.27 RSD 229

38.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.91 RSD 193

-24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.91

$2.93 RSD 296

94.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.13

$3.38 RSD 342

75.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.41 RSD 143

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.14

$0.89 RSD 89.7

178.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.38 RSD 241

24.79%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.73

$2.69 RSD 271

60.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.04

$10.34 RSD 1,045

68.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.04

$7.05 RSD 712

81.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.28 €18.36

$13.67 RSD 1,382

55.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.44 RSD 146

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.83 RSD 185

20.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.41

$1.81 RSD 183

54.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.91

$2.44 RSD 247

38.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.91 RSD 92.3

130.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.71 RSD 71.7

177.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.79 RSD 80.1

102.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$0.70 RSD 71.1

-18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.15

$4.53 RSD 458

57.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.55

$6.85 RSD 692

10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.83 RSD 84.0

122.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.57 RSD 159

59.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.75 RSD 76.3

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.09 €38.91

$14.58 RSD 1,473

209.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.00

$2.03 RSD 205

185.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.98 RSD 98.7

82.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 €30.16

$10.50 RSD 1,061

232.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.90 RSD 192

12.11%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$32.2K RSD 3.3M

16.17%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$25.7K RSD 2.6M

41.17%

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

$239 €206

$195 RSD 19.7K

22.58%

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

$12.14 €10.48

$22.48 RSD 2,272

-46.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.42 €27.11

$31.21 RSD 3,155

0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 €47.40

$35.55 RSD 3,593

54.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 €21.44

$14.75 RSD 1,491

68.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 €9.43

$6.97 RSD 705

56.67%

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

$568 €490

$342 RSD 34.6K

65.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.6K

$9,020 RSD 911.6K

35.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €80.8

$102 RSD 10.3K

-7.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.71 €35.13

$43.69 RSD 4,416

-6.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.5

$112 RSD 11.3K

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$132 RSD 13.4K

5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 €740

$521 RSD 52.6K

64.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 €567

$385 RSD 38.9K

70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 €1,274

$874 RSD 88.4K

68.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €943

$672 RSD 67.9K

62.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,786 €3,267

$3,132 RSD 316.6K

20.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 €2,012

$2,168 RSD 219.2K

7.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,928 €1,664

$985 RSD 99.5K

95.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

4.86

-26.54%

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

Last update for Italy: August 31, 2026

Last update for Serbia: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $758 in Italy, $346 in Serbia. Capital cities: $1,244 in Rome vs $874 in Belgrade.

National salary averages: $1,967 in Italy, $798 in Serbia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 119% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 95% more in Italy.

Public transport is 291% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 146% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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 $1,907 per month in Italy and $1,214 in Serbia, there's a 57% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Serbia: 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 is consistently higher than in 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, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and 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.