Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,541 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,541

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $1,541 in Belgrade, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,033
Belgrade $1,541

A couple spends around $1,559 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,351 in Belgrade, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,559
Belgrade $2,351

A family of three spends $2,084 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $3,161 in Belgrade, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $2,084
Belgrade $3,161

Pietermaritzburg is about 33% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Pietermaritzburg sits 24% below the global median, while Belgrade is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 R 129

$13.43 RSD 1,406

-41.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.52 R 604

$58.0 RSD 6,071

-37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 95.1

$13.30 RSD 1,392

-56.69%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R 37.87

$3.05 RSD 319

-24.92%

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

$1.17 R 19.28

$2.82 RSD 295

-58.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.12

$2.28 RSD 239

-57.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R 36.71

$3.66 RSD 383

-39.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 R 42.98

$4.18 RSD 437

-37.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.03

$1.41 RSD 148

-1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.52

$1.16 RSD 122

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.61

$2.53 RSD 264

-31.62%

Eggs

$3.21 R 53.1

$2.80 RSD 293

14.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 R 114

$10.93 RSD 1,144

-36.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 R 81.0

$6.80 RSD 712

-27.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.45 R 107

$15.40 RSD 1,613

-58.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 R 32.66

$1.63 RSD 170

21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.34

$1.75 RSD 183

8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 R 36.95

$1.78 RSD 187

25.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 R 33.68

$3.04 RSD 318

-32.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.96

$0.97 RSD 102

80.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.19

$0.65 RSD 68.1

181.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 R 24.44

$0.74 RSD 77.6

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 R 17.28

$0.72 RSD 75.8

45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 50.1

$4.53 RSD 474

-33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.12 R 68.0

$8.25 RSD 863

-50.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 22.35

$0.86 RSD 90.3

56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 28.63

$1.43 RSD 149

20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 R 48.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 R 328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 R 26.49

$3.10 RSD 325

-48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 R 17.10

$0.98 RSD 102

5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.10 RSD 1,790

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.01

$1.87 RSD 196

-25.67%

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

$27.0K R 446.4K

$30.9K RSD 3.2M

-12.57%

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

$26.2K R 432.6K

$24.1K RSD 2.5M

8.74%

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

$205 R 3,392

$215 RSD 22.5K

-4.46%

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

$31.45 R 520

$25.55 RSD 2,675

23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.25 R 616

$35.40 RSD 3,706

5.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.88 R 709

$40.62 RSD 4,252

5.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.02 R 49.92

$22.74 RSD 2,381

-86.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 R 81.6

$7.99 RSD 837

-38.17%

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

$182 R 3,004

$453 RSD 47.5K

-59.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,251 R 86.8K

$12.4K RSD 1.3M

-57.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 R 930

$112 RSD 11.7K

-49.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 R 566

$47.56 RSD 4,979

-28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,891

$114 RSD 11.9K

0.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 R 1,161

$147 RSD 15.4K

-52.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 R 3,673

$829 RSD 86.8K

-73.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 R 3,596

$540 RSD 56.6K

-59.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 R 9,629

$1,508 RSD 157.9K

-61.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 R 6,774

$975 RSD 102.0K

-57.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,013 R 99.4K

$5,059 RSD 529.6K

18.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$150 R 2,478

$3,171 RSD 332.0K

-95.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 R 17.9K

$1,276 RSD 133.6K

-15.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

4.5

159.33%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pietermaritzburg

$274 26.5%

Belgrade

$276 17.9% 0.7% $1.8

Accommodation & Living

Pietermaritzburg

$218 21.1%

Belgrade

$540 35.1% 148% $323

Groceries & Markets

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8%

Belgrade

$241 15.6% 23.7% $46

Eating Out

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8%

Belgrade

$231 15% 74.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12%

Belgrade

$189 12.3% 52.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.1%

Belgrade

$57 3.7% 7.3% $3.9

Getting Around

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7%

Belgrade

$8 * 0.5% 79.2% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Pietermaritzburg versus $829 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 18% 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 $37 in Pietermaritzburg versus $58 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $241 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

15:25 3:25 PM

1 h behind Pietermaritzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

618,536

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD). 1 EUR = 118 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.5 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pietermaritzburg Belgrade 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Pietermaritzburg
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

Pietermaritzburg vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, $1,541 in Belgrade – Pietermaritzburg comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,549 per month in Pietermaritzburg and $2,312 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $829 in Belgrade.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Pietermaritzburg and $58 in Belgrade. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Belgrade, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,541 in Belgrade, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Pietermaritzburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.