Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $540 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kirkuk
🇮🇶 Iraq
$540
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,554
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $540 per month in Kirkuk vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Kirkuk $540
  • Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $868 per month in Kirkuk vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Kirkuk $868
  • Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $1,197 per month in Kirkuk vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Kirkuk $1,197
  • Belgrade $3,121

Kirkuk is about 65% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kirkuk sits 60% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.58 IQD 5,403
$13.15 RSD 1,371
-72.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.24 IQD 35.1K
$57.5 RSD 5,999
-59.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.40 IQD 8,162
$13.38 RSD 1,394
-59.64%
Cappuccino
$2.46 IQD 3,716
$3.10 RSD 323
-20.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 IQD 537
$2.82 RSD 294
-87.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 IQD 238
$2.22 RSD 231
-92.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 IQD 3,963
$3.47 RSD 362
-24.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 IQD 5,087
$3.96 RSD 412
-14.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 IQD 1,433
$1.38 RSD 144
-31.16%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 IQD 911
$1.13 RSD 118
-46.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 IQD 1,984
$2.66 RSD 277
-50.75%
Eggs
$1.27 IQD 1,915
$2.78 RSD 290
-54.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.42 IQD 5,160
$10.99 RSD 1,146
-68.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.13 IQD 4,735
$6.56 RSD 684
-52.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.18 IQD 16.9K
$15.07 RSD 1,571
-25.81%
Apples (1kg)
$0.79 IQD 1,198
$1.66 RSD 173
-52.41%
Banana (1kg)
$0.83 IQD 1,254
$1.79 RSD 186
-53.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.80 IQD 1,209
$1.87 RSD 195
-57.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.60 IQD 906
$3.03 RSD 315
-80.20%
Potato (1kg)
$0.48 IQD 730
$0.92 RSD 96.3
-47.83%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 IQD 730
$0.71 RSD 73.8
-32.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 IQD 854
$0.74 RSD 77.6
-22.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.32 IQD 477
$0.74 RSD 77.2
-56.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.61 IQD 2,430
$4.61 RSD 481
-65.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.55 IQD 17.4K
$8.81 RSD 918
31.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 IQD 1,950
$0.89 RSD 92.7
44.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 IQD 2,434
$1.45 RSD 151
11.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 IQD 482
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.32 IQD 30.7K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 IQD 3,034
$3.02 RSD 315
-33.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 IQD 2,028
$0.98 RSD 103
36.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.42 IQD 9,693
$17.08 RSD 1,780
-62.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.47 IQD 712
$1.91 RSD 199
-75.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.7K IQD 25.3M
$31.0K RSD 3.2M
-45.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.4K IQD 24.8M
$24.7K RSD 2.6M
-33.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.6 IQD 78.0K
$220 RSD 23.0K
-76.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.64 IQD 26.6K
$24.41 RSD 2,544
-27.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.97 IQD 55.9K
$35.64 RSD 3,715
3.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.82 IQD 14.8K
$41.20 RSD 4,295
-76.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.60 RSD 2,356
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.80 IQD 14.8K
$8.59 RSD 896
14.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$143 IQD 215.9K
$424 RSD 44.2K
-66.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,984 IQD 4.5M
$11.0K RSD 1.1M
-72.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.27 IQD 38.2K
$111 RSD 11.5K
-77.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.32 IQD 24.7K
$47.28 RSD 4,929
-65.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$58.3 IQD 88.1K
$113 RSD 11.8K
-48.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.54 IQD 44.6K
$157 RSD 16.3K
-81.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$162 IQD 245.2K
$805 RSD 83.9K
-79.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$78.1 IQD 118.1K
$546 RSD 56.9K
-85.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$198 IQD 299.8K
$1,452 RSD 151.4K
-86.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$201 IQD 304.3K
$931 RSD 97.0K
-78.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$490 IQD 740.7K
$5,368 RSD 559.6K
-90.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$259 IQD 391.8K
$3,155 RSD 328.9K
-91.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kirkuk
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$379 IQD 572.3K
$1,237 RSD 128.9K
-69.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.12
4.61
-10.63%

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

Last update for Kirkuk: 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
Kirkuk
$142
Belgrade
$241 69.8% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kirkuk
$106
Belgrade
$280 164% $174
Eating Out
Kirkuk
$96
Belgrade
$228 137% $132
Accommodation & Living
Kirkuk
$78
Belgrade
$546 599% $468
Clothing & Footwear
Kirkuk
$58
Belgrade
$192 230% $134
Getting Around
Kirkuk
$30
Belgrade
$7.9 * 73.8% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Kirkuk
$29
Belgrade
$58 98.5% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $162 in Kirkuk 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 227% 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 $23.00 in Kirkuk versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $241 – making Kirkuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Kirkuk
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
08:56 8:56 AM
07:56 7:56 AM
1 h behind Kirkuk
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
850,787
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.52 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kirkuk Belgrade 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kirkuk
  • 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
Kirkuk vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kirkuk and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $540 in Kirkuk, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 188% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Kirkuk compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $810 per month in Kirkuk and $2,331 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kirkuk and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kirkuk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Kirkuk and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 70% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kirkuk, where all-in costs run around $540, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Kirkuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Kirkuk or Belgrade?
Families tend to lean toward Kirkuk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Kirkuk or Belgrade safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Kirkuk and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Kirkuk. 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.

Kirkuk vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?