Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mecca
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$936
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,554
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Mecca vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mecca $936
  • Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $1,453 per month in Mecca vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mecca $1,453
  • Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $1,970 per month in Mecca vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Mecca $1,970
  • Belgrade $3,121

Mecca is about 40% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mecca sits 31% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.57 SAR 17.14
$13.15 RSD 1,371
-65.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.89 SAR 101
$57.5 RSD 5,999
-53.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.07 SAR 26.52
$13.38 RSD 1,394
-47.16%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.55 SAR 5.81
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 SAR 5.61
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.61 SAR 9.79
$3.10 RSD 323
-15.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 SAR 2.51
$2.82 RSD 294
-76.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 SAR 0.86
$2.22 RSD 231
-89.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.47 RSD 362
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.96 RSD 412
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 SAR 6.57
$1.38 RSD 144
26.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 SAR 3.85
$1.13 RSD 118
-8.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 SAR 7.91
$2.66 RSD 277
-20.68%
Eggs
$2.52 SAR 9.46
$2.78 RSD 290
-9.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.92 SAR 22.20
$10.99 RSD 1,146
-46.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.08 SAR 30.33
$6.56 RSD 684
23.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 SAR 48.59
$15.07 RSD 1,571
-14.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.09 SAR 7.84
$1.66 RSD 173
25.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 SAR 5.94
$1.79 RSD 186
-11.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 SAR 6.05
$1.87 RSD 195
-13.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 SAR 5.52
$3.03 RSD 315
-51.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 SAR 4.21
$0.92 RSD 96.3
21.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 SAR 4.87
$0.71 RSD 73.8
83.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 SAR 3.94
$0.74 RSD 77.6
41.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 SAR 1.86
$0.74 RSD 77.2
-32.43%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.06 SAR 15.24
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 SAR 6.95
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 SAR 5.97
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.81 SAR 25.56
$4.61 RSD 481
47.72%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$8.81 RSD 918
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.89 RSD 92.7
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.45 RSD 151
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 SAR 5.03
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.43 SAR 9.11
$3.02 RSD 315
-19.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.75 SAR 6.57
$0.98 RSD 103
78.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.15 SAR 49.33
$17.08 RSD 1,780
-23.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.63 SAR 2.38
$1.91 RSD 199
-67.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.5K SAR 178.2K
$31.0K RSD 3.2M
53.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K SAR 79.3K
$24.7K RSD 2.6M
-14.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$66.9 SAR 251
$220 RSD 23.0K
-69.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.35 SAR 133
$24.41 RSD 2,544
44.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.2 SAR 237
$35.64 RSD 3,715
77.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.7 SAR 303
$41.20 RSD 4,295
95.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.52 SAR 160
$22.60 RSD 2,356
88.14%
Cinema Ticket
$11.96 SAR 44.88
$8.59 RSD 896
39.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$775 SAR 2,907
$424 RSD 44.2K
82.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K SAR 60.8K
$11.0K RSD 1.1M
47.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.57 SAR 50.9
$111 RSD 11.5K
-87.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 SAR 214
$47.28 RSD 4,929
20.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$39.67 SAR 149
$113 RSD 11.8K
-64.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.3 SAR 200
$157 RSD 16.3K
-65.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$533 SAR 2,001
$805 RSD 83.9K
-33.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$290 SAR 1,088
$546 RSD 56.9K
-46.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 SAR 3,114
$1,452 RSD 151.4K
-42.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$523 SAR 1,963
$931 RSD 97.0K
-43.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,375 SAR 23.9K
$5,368 RSD 559.6K
18.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,298 SAR 8,624
$3,155 RSD 328.9K
-27.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mecca
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,083 SAR 4,063
$1,237 RSD 128.9K
-12.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
4.61
13.88%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mecca
$290
Belgrade
$546 88.3% $256
Groceries & Markets
Mecca
$193
Belgrade
$241 24.5% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mecca
$165
Belgrade
$280 69.6% $115
Sport & Entertainment
Mecca
$105
Belgrade
$58 44.2% $46
Eating Out
Mecca
$93
Belgrade
$228 146% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Mecca
$74
Belgrade
$192 162% $119
Getting Around
Mecca
$17 *
Belgrade
$7.9 * 52% $8.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Mecca 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 14% 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 $27.00 in Mecca versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $241 – making Mecca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Mecca
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
04:41 4:41 AM
03:41 3:41 AM
1 h behind Mecca
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,675,368
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Mecca Belgrade 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mecca
  • 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
Mecca vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mecca and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Mecca, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mecca compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,404 per month in Mecca 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 Mecca and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mecca, 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 $27.00 in Mecca 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 25% 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 Mecca, where all-in costs run around $936, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Mecca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Mecca or Belgrade?
Families tend to lean toward Mecca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Mecca 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 Mecca and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Mecca. 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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