Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbeya and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $419 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mbeya
🇹🇿 Tanzania
$419
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $419 per month in Mbeya vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mbeya $419
  • Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $653 per month in Mbeya vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mbeya $653
  • Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $888 per month in Mbeya vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mbeya $888
  • Belgrade $3,105

Mbeya is about 73% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mbeya sits 69% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$13.33 RSD 1,389
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.66 TZS 59.5K
$58.4 RSD 6,085
-61.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.48 TZS 19.6K
$13.58 RSD 1,414
-44.92%
Cappuccino
$1.54 TZS 4,050
$3.13 RSD 326
-50.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 TZS 961
$2.77 RSD 288
-86.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 TZS 1,033
$2.27 RSD 237
-82.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.72 TZS 1,899
$3.75 RSD 390
-80.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.38 RSD 456
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.55 TZS 1,441
$1.40 RSD 146
-60.71%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 TZS 2,578
$1.17 RSD 122
-16.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 TZS 2,545
$2.71 RSD 282
-64.21%
Eggs
$2.22 TZS 5,821
$2.78 RSD 289
-20.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.70 TZS 9,713
$11.36 RSD 1,184
-67.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.74 TZS 9,806
$7.01 RSD 731
-46.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.49 TZS 9,148
$15.72 RSD 1,638
-77.80%
Apples (1kg)
$1.11 TZS 2,924
$1.66 RSD 173
-33.13%
Banana (1kg)
$0.78 TZS 2,056
$1.81 RSD 188
-56.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.99 TZS 2,610
$1.83 RSD 190
-45.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.74 TZS 1,954
$3.13 RSD 326
-76.36%
Potato (1kg)
$0.93 TZS 2,439
$0.88 RSD 91.3
5.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 TZS 1,928
$0.67 RSD 70.3
8.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 TZS 1,529
$0.81 RSD 84.4
-28.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 TZS 2,048
$0.68 RSD 70.9
14.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.12 TZS 2,943
$4.78 RSD 498
-76.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.82 TZS 10.0K
$8.54 RSD 889
-55.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 TZS 1,908
$0.94 RSD 97.7
-22.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 TZS 2,923
$1.44 RSD 150
-22.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 TZS 957
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.11 TZS 2,906
$3.09 RSD 322
-64.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 TZS 5,024
$1.02 RSD 107
87.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 TZS 7,031
$17.18 RSD 1,789
-84.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 TZS 3,111
$1.87 RSD 195
-36.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$30.7K RSD 3.2M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$24.3K RSD 2.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$23.67 TZS 62.1K
$218 RSD 22.7K
-89.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.99 TZS 49.8K
$25.24 RSD 2,629
-24.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.78 TZS 117.5K
$35.35 RSD 3,683
26.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.23 TZS 100.3K
$41.77 RSD 4,351
-8.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.80 RSD 2,375
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.65 TZS 25.3K
$8.47 RSD 882
13.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$186 TZS 487.8K
$426 RSD 44.4K
-56.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,137 TZS 3.0M
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
-90.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$11.26 TZS 29.6K
$111 RSD 11.6K
-89.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$9.75 TZS 25.6K
$45.99 RSD 4,791
-78.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$18.97 TZS 49.8K
$119 RSD 12.4K
-84.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$26.24 TZS 68.8K
$154 RSD 16.0K
-82.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$112 TZS 294.2K
$821 RSD 85.6K
-86.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$76.4 TZS 200.5K
$561 RSD 58.4K
-86.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$190 TZS 497.9K
$1,511 RSD 157.4K
-87.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$114 TZS 299.3K
$942 RSD 98.1K
-87.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,312 RSD 553.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,165 RSD 329.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mbeya
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$191 TZS 501.0K
$1,228 RSD 127.9K
-84.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13
4.61
182.00%

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

Last update for Mbeya: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Mbeya
$116
Belgrade
$246 113% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mbeya
$87
Belgrade
$278 218% $191
Accommodation & Living
Mbeya
$76
Belgrade
$561 634% $484
Sport & Entertainment
Mbeya
$58
Belgrade
$59 2.1% $1.2
Eating Out
Mbeya
$48 *
Belgrade
$233 389% $185
Clothing & Footwear
Mbeya
$30
Belgrade
$194 550% $164
Getting Around
Mbeya
$12 *
Belgrade
$8.2 * 32.4% $3.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $112 in Mbeya versus $821 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 543% 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 Mbeya versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $246 – making Mbeya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇿 Mbeya
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
08:25 8:25 AM
07:25 7:25 AM
1 h behind Mbeya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
541,603
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,943 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mbeya Belgrade 6,110 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mbeya
  • 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
Mbeya vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mbeya and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $419 in Mbeya, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 267% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mbeya compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $628 per month in Mbeya and $2,307 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mbeya and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, 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 Mbeya 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 113% 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 Mbeya, where all-in costs run around $419, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Mbeya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Mbeya or Belgrade?
Families tend to lean toward Mbeya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Mbeya 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 Mbeya and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Mbeya. 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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