Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penza and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Penza: $774 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Penza
Learn more

Penza Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
Learn more

Belgrade Living Index

Jump to prices

Penza

🇷🇺 Russia

$774

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $774 per month in Penza vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

Penza $774
Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $1,219 per month in Penza vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

Penza $1,219
Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $1,664 per month in Penza vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

Penza $1,664
Belgrade $3,121

Penza is about 50% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Penza sits 43% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 ₽709

$13.15 RSD 1,371

-35.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 ₽2,974

$57.5 RSD 5,999

-38.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 ₽623

$13.38 RSD 1,394

-44.17%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ₽286

$3.10 RSD 323

10.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽85.4

$2.82 RSD 294

-63.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₽57.6

$2.22 RSD 231

-68.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 ₽184

$3.47 RSD 362

-36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₽226

$3.96 RSD 412

-31.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ₽86.2

$1.38 RSD 144

-25.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₽41.35

$1.13 RSD 118

-55.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 RSD 277

Eggs

$1.48 ₽123

$2.78 RSD 290

-46.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 ₽1,111

$10.99 RSD 1,146

21.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.08 ₽341

$6.56 RSD 684

-37.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 RSD 1,571

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 186

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 RSD 315

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RSD 96.3

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RSD 73.8

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RSD 77.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₽72.5

$0.74 RSD 77.2

17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₽203

$4.61 RSD 481

-47.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 ₽758

$8.81 RSD 918

3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₽82.5

$0.89 RSD 92.7

11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₽203

$1.45 RSD 151

67.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₽28.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ₽207

$3.02 RSD 315

-17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₽19.05

$0.98 RSD 103

-76.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.24 ₽1,189

$17.08 RSD 1,780

-16.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₽73.3

$1.91 RSD 199

-53.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.9K ₽3.1M

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

19.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.2K ₽3.4M

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

67.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$81.8 ₽6,825

$220 RSD 23.0K

-62.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.46 ₽539

$24.41 RSD 2,544

-73.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.89 ₽909

$35.64 RSD 3,715

-69.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.8 ₽6,906

$41.20 RSD 4,295

100.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 RSD 2,356

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 ₽529

$8.59 RSD 896

-26.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$353 ₽29.5K

$424 RSD 44.2K

-16.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$157 ₽13.1K

$111 RSD 11.5K

42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.1 ₽6,017

$47.28 RSD 4,929

52.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 RSD 11.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 RSD 16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 ₽27.8K

$805 RSD 83.9K

-58.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₽16.4K

$546 RSD 56.9K

-64.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ₽39.6K

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

-67.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ₽31.7K

$931 RSD 97.0K

-59.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ₽185.8K

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

-58.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 ₽89.4K

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

-66.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₽50.2K

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

-51.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

420.61%

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

Last update for Penza: October 12, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Penza

$196 25.4%

Belgrade

$546 35.2% 178% $350

Eating Out

Penza

$155 20%

Belgrade

$228 14.7% 47.3% $73

Groceries & Markets

Penza

$120 * 15.5%

Belgrade

$241 15.5% 101% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Penza

$103 * 13.3%

Belgrade

$192 12.4% 86.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penza

$99 12.8%

Belgrade

$280 18.1% 183% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Penza

$95 12.3%

Belgrade

$58 3.8% 38.8% $37

Getting Around

Penza

$5 * 0.6%

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5% 59.1% $3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $334 in Penza 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 106% 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 $36.00 in Penza versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $120 vs $241 – making Penza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Penza

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

1 h behind Penza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

509,513

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penza Belgrade 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Penza
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

Penza vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $774 in Penza, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,160 per month in Penza and $2,331 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penza, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Penza and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Belgrade, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Penza, where all-in costs run around $774, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Penza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Penza – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Penza. 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.