Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $745 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mashhad
🇮🇶 Iraq
$745
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,554
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $745 per month in Mashhad vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mashhad $745
  • Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $1,114 per month in Mashhad vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mashhad $1,114
  • Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $1,483 per month in Mashhad vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mashhad $1,483
  • Belgrade $3,121

Mashhad is about 52% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mashhad sits 45% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.17 IQD 6,301
$13.15 RSD 1,371
-68.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.37 IQD 44.4K
$57.5 RSD 5,999
-48.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.73 IQD 10.2K
$13.38 RSD 1,394
-49.70%
Cappuccino
$2.67 IQD 4,034
$3.10 RSD 323
-13.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 IQD 492
$2.82 RSD 294
-88.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 IQD 333
$2.22 RSD 231
-90.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.26 IQD 4,921
$3.47 RSD 362
-6.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 IQD 5,091
$3.96 RSD 412
-14.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 IQD 1,346
$1.38 RSD 144
-35.51%
White Bread (500g)
$0.68 IQD 1,035
$1.13 RSD 118
-39.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 IQD 2,005
$2.66 RSD 277
-50.00%
Eggs
$0.82 IQD 1,242
$2.78 RSD 290
-70.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.36 IQD 5,071
$10.99 RSD 1,146
-69.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$1.97 IQD 2,981
$6.56 RSD 684
-69.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.09 IQD 4,668
$15.07 RSD 1,571
-79.50%
Apples (1kg)
$1.01 IQD 1,521
$1.66 RSD 173
-39.16%
Banana (1kg)
$0.92 IQD 1,385
$1.79 RSD 186
-48.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.91 IQD 1,373
$1.87 RSD 195
-51.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.68 IQD 1,026
$3.03 RSD 315
-77.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.56 IQD 845
$0.92 RSD 96.3
-39.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.60 IQD 900
$0.71 RSD 73.8
-15.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.29 IQD 432
$0.74 RSD 77.6
-60.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 IQD 322
$0.74 RSD 77.2
-71.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$0.83 IQD 1,254
$4.61 RSD 481
-82.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.88 IQD 17.9K
$8.81 RSD 918
34.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 IQD 2,989
$0.89 RSD 92.7
122.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 IQD 2,965
$1.45 RSD 151
35.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.46 IQD 690
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.64 IQD 32.7K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 IQD 3,031
$3.02 RSD 315
-33.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 IQD 1,965
$0.98 RSD 103
32.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.39 IQD 9,659
$17.08 RSD 1,780
-62.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.53 IQD 805
$1.91 RSD 199
-72.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.8K IQD 25.4M
$31.0K RSD 3.2M
-45.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.7K IQD 25.3M
$24.7K RSD 2.6M
-32.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 IQD 289.6K
$220 RSD 23.0K
-13.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.37 IQD 26.2K
$24.41 RSD 2,544
-28.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.33 IQD 54.9K
$35.64 RSD 3,715
1.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.10 IQD 51.5K
$41.20 RSD 4,295
-17.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.60 RSD 2,356
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.02 IQD 15.1K
$8.59 RSD 896
16.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$147 IQD 221.6K
$424 RSD 44.2K
-65.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,968 IQD 4.5M
$11.0K RSD 1.1M
-72.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.05 IQD 37.9K
$111 RSD 11.5K
-77.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.34 IQD 42.8K
$47.28 RSD 4,929
-40.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.1 IQD 90.8K
$113 RSD 11.8K
-46.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.28 IQD 62.4K
$157 RSD 16.3K
-73.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$150 IQD 226.4K
$805 RSD 83.9K
-81.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$118 IQD 178.6K
$546 RSD 56.9K
-78.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$402 IQD 606.7K
$1,452 RSD 151.4K
-72.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$286 IQD 432.6K
$931 RSD 97.0K
-69.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$717 IQD 1.1M
$5,368 RSD 559.6K
-86.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$639 IQD 965.4K
$3,155 RSD 328.9K
-79.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mashhad
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,237 RSD 128.9K
-
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 Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mashhad
$245
Belgrade
$280 14.3% $35
Accommodation & Living
Mashhad
$118
Belgrade
$546 362% $428
Groceries & Markets
Mashhad
$115
Belgrade
$241 109% $125
Eating Out
Mashhad
$111
Belgrade
$228 106% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Mashhad
$70
Belgrade
$192 176% $123
Sport & Entertainment
Mashhad
$54
Belgrade
$58 7.8% $4.2
Getting Around
Mashhad
$32
Belgrade
$7.9 * 75.2% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $150 in Mashhad 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Mashhad versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $241 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Mashhad
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
21:59 9:59 PM
20:59 8:59 PM
1 h behind Mashhad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,000
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 = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 = 8.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mashhad Belgrade 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mashhad
  • 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
Mashhad vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mashhad and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $745 in Mashhad, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 108% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Mashhad compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,118 per month in Mashhad 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 Mashhad and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, 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 $29.00 in Mashhad 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 109% 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 $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mashhad, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Mashhad or Belgrade?
Families tend to lean toward Mashhad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Mashhad 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 Mashhad and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Mashhad. 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.

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