Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kardzhali and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $653 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
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Kardzhali Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$653

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $653 per month in Kardzhali vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

Kardzhali $653
Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $1,071 per month in Kardzhali vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

Kardzhali $1,071
Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $1,489 per month in Kardzhali vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

Kardzhali $1,489
Belgrade $3,121

Kardzhali is about 58% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kardzhali sits 52% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 BGN 19.52

$13.15 RSD 1,371

-14.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 BGN 39.57

$57.5 RSD 5,999

-60.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 BGN 15.75

$13.38 RSD 1,394

-32.36%

Cappuccino

$1.11 BGN 1.92

$3.10 RSD 323

-64.19%

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

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$2.82 RSD 294

-63.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 BGN 1.21

$2.22 RSD 231

-68.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$3.47 RSD 362

-53.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 BGN 2.31

$3.96 RSD 412

-66.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$1.38 RSD 144

18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 BGN 1.29

$1.13 RSD 118

-34.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 BGN 2.49

$2.66 RSD 277

-46.24%

Eggs

$2.81 BGN 4.89

$2.78 RSD 290

1.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 BGN 17.68

$10.99 RSD 1,146

-7.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 BGN 9.75

$6.56 RSD 684

-14.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 BGN 11.73

$15.07 RSD 1,571

-55.28%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

$1.66 RSD 173

-45.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.55

$1.79 RSD 186

13.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.35

$1.87 RSD 195

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.71

$3.03 RSD 315

-29.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 BGN 1.13

$0.92 RSD 96.3

-29.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 BGN 2.22

$0.71 RSD 73.8

78.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.74 RSD 77.6

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 BGN 1.39

$0.74 RSD 77.2

8.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 BGN 6.25

$4.61 RSD 481

-22.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 BGN 7.94

$8.81 RSD 918

-48.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 BGN 1.83

$0.89 RSD 92.7

17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BGN 2.46

$1.45 RSD 151

-2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 BGN 19.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$3.02 RSD 315

-44.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 BGN 1.23

$0.98 RSD 103

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 BGN 9.83

$17.08 RSD 1,780

-66.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$1.91 RSD 199

-10.99%

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

$29.7K BGN 51.7K

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

-4.13%

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

$22.4K BGN 39.0K

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

-9.16%

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

$60.9 BGN 106

$220 RSD 23.0K

-72.35%

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

$5.73 BGN 9.97

$24.41 RSD 2,544

-76.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.65 BGN 13.30

$35.64 RSD 3,715

-78.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.14 BGN 40.26

$41.20 RSD 4,295

-43.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 BGN 14.67

$8.59 RSD 896

-1.86%

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

$230 BGN 401

$424 RSD 44.2K

-45.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K BGN 25.2K

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

32.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.87 BGN 39.79

$111 RSD 11.5K

-79.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.49 BGN 21.73

$47.28 RSD 4,929

-73.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.07 BGN 78.4

$113 RSD 11.8K

-60.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 BGN 130

$157 RSD 16.3K

-52.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 BGN 198

$805 RSD 83.9K

-85.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 BGN 198

$546 RSD 56.9K

-79.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 BGN 396

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

-84.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 BGN 479

$931 RSD 97.0K

-70.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,145 BGN 1,993

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

-78.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$858 BGN 1,493

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

-72.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,281 BGN 2,229

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

3.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.61

-29.50%

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

Last update for Kardzhali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kardzhali

$189 28.9%

Belgrade

$241 15.5% 27.4% $52

Eating Out

Kardzhali

$148 22.6%

Belgrade

$228 14.7% 54.1% $80

Accommodation & Living

Kardzhali

$114 17.5%

Belgrade

$546 35.2% 379% $432

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kardzhali

$74 11.4%

Belgrade

$280 18.1% 277% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Kardzhali

$70 10.7%

Belgrade

$192 12.4% 175% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Kardzhali

$40 6.1%

Belgrade

$58 3.8% 46% $18

Getting Around

Kardzhali

$19 2.8%

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5% 57.1% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $114 in Kardzhali versus $805 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 4% higher in Kardzhali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Kardzhali versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $241 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

1 h behind Kardzhali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,421

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kardzhali Belgrade 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kardzhali
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

Kardzhali vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $653 in Kardzhali, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $980 per month in Kardzhali and $2,331 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, 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 $23.00 in Kardzhali 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 27% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kardzhali – 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 Kardzhali. 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.