Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Belgrade: $1,538 a month against $1,793 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moscow
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,793
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,793 per month in Moscow vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Moscow $1,793
  • Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $2,813 per month in Moscow vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Moscow $2,813
  • Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $3,833 per month in Moscow vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Moscow $3,833
  • Belgrade $3,105

Moscow costs about 17% more than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Moscow and Belgrade sit above the global median – Moscow by 34%, Belgrade by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₽1,004
$13.33 RSD 1,392
-11.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.9 ₽4,925
$58.4 RSD 6,099
-0.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.25 ₽617
$13.58 RSD 1,417
-46.61%
Cappuccino
$3.64 ₽310
$3.13 RSD 327
16.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 ₽140
$2.77 RSD 289
-40.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₽68.7
$2.27 RSD 237
-64.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.72 ₽401
$3.75 RSD 391
25.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.42 ₽461
$4.38 RSD 457
23.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₽106
$1.40 RSD 146
-10.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.00 ₽85.4
$1.17 RSD 122
-14.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 ₽146
$2.71 RSD 283
-36.90%
Eggs
$1.91 ₽163
$2.78 RSD 290
-31.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.59 ₽1,241
$11.36 RSD 1,186
28.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.65 ₽566
$7.01 RSD 732
-5.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.46 ₽1,229
$15.72 RSD 1,641
-8.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.03 ₽173
$1.66 RSD 173
22.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 ₽158
$1.81 RSD 189
2.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ₽173
$1.83 RSD 191
10.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.93 ₽334
$3.13 RSD 327
25.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.93 ₽78.7
$0.88 RSD 91.5
5.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.70 ₽59.8
$0.67 RSD 70.5
4.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 ₽132
$0.81 RSD 84.6
91.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ₽81.4
$0.68 RSD 71.1
41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.41 ₽290
$4.78 RSD 500
-28.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.56 ₽983
$8.54 RSD 891
35.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 ₽102
$0.94 RSD 97.9
27.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 ₽212
$1.44 RSD 151
72.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.95 ₽80.9
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.22 ₽3,419
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.56 ₽302
$3.09 RSD 323
15.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 ₽72.9
$1.02 RSD 107
-15.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.77 ₽1,001
$17.18 RSD 1,793
-31.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 ₽76.1
$1.87 RSD 196
-51.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K ₽3.3M
$30.7K RSD 3.2M
25.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.0K ₽3.2M
$24.3K RSD 2.5M
56.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 ₽16.2K
$218 RSD 22.7K
-12.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.72 ₽741
$25.24 RSD 2,635
-65.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.98 ₽848
$35.35 RSD 3,691
-71.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.15 ₽3,584
$41.77 RSD 4,361
0.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$45.14 ₽3,838
$22.80 RSD 2,380
97.98%
Cinema Ticket
$9.31 ₽792
$8.47 RSD 884
9.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$811 ₽68.9K
$426 RSD 44.5K
90.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.0K ₽2.3M
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
136.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 ₽9,356
$111 RSD 11.6K
-0.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.4 ₽5,386
$45.99 RSD 4,802
37.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$146 ₽12.4K
$119 RSD 12.4K
22.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$184 ₽15.6K
$154 RSD 16.1K
19.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 ₽124.9K
$821 RSD 85.8K
78.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$820 ₽69.7K
$561 RSD 58.5K
46.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,026 ₽257.3K
$1,511 RSD 157.8K
100.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,494 ₽127.1K
$942 RSD 98.3K
58.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,853 ₽837.7K
$5,312 RSD 554.6K
85.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,613 ₽392.2K
$3,165 RSD 330.4K
45.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moscow
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,741 ₽148.0K
$1,228 RSD 128.2K
41.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.56
4.61
324.30%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 5, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moscow
$820
Belgrade
$561 31.6% $259
Groceries & Markets
Moscow
$263
Belgrade
$246 6.2% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Moscow
$226
Belgrade
$194 14.5% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moscow
$210
Belgrade
$278 32.8% $69
Eating Out
Moscow
$204
Belgrade
$233 13.9% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Moscow
$61
Belgrade
$59 3.4% $2.1
Getting Around
Moscow
$52
Belgrade
$8.2 * 84.2% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Moscow 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 42% higher in Moscow, 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 $58.0 in Moscow versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Moscow vs $246 in Belgrade – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Moscow
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
09:20 9:20 AM
08:20 8:20 AM
1 h behind Moscow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,700,000 Capital
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moscow Belgrade 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Moscow
  • Belgrade

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Moscow vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Moscow and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,793 in Moscow, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Moscow compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,690 per month in Moscow 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 Moscow and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Belgrade, 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 $58.0 in Moscow 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 7% more in Moscow, 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 Belgrade, where all-in costs run around $1,538, than in Moscow at $1,793. In Belgrade it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moscow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Moscow and Belgrade?
It depends on your priorities. Moscow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,538 in Belgrade to $1,793 in Moscow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Moscow 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 Moscow and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Belgrade. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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