Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $906 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
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Shumen Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$906

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Shumen vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

Shumen $906
Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Shumen vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

Shumen $1,409
Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Shumen vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

Shumen $1,912
Belgrade $3,121

Shumen is about 42% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Shumen sits 33% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 BGN 16.07

$13.15 RSD 1,371

-29.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.55 BGN 58.4

$57.5 RSD 5,999

-41.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 BGN 15.44

$13.38 RSD 1,394

-33.71%

Cappuccino

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$3.10 RSD 323

-44.19%

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

$1.48 BGN 2.58

$2.82 RSD 294

-47.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 BGN 1.75

$2.22 RSD 231

-54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$3.47 RSD 362

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 BGN 4.93

$3.96 RSD 412

-28.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.15

$1.38 RSD 144

31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.13 RSD 118

-8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 BGN 4.22

$2.66 RSD 277

-8.65%

Eggs

$2.88 BGN 5.02

$2.78 RSD 290

3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 BGN 15.49

$10.99 RSD 1,146

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.08 BGN 8.85

$6.56 RSD 684

-22.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 BGN 15.23

$15.07 RSD 1,571

-41.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.62

$1.66 RSD 173

-9.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 BGN 3.58

$1.79 RSD 186

15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 BGN 3.80

$1.87 RSD 195

16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.95

$3.03 RSD 315

-25.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.54

$0.92 RSD 96.3

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$0.71 RSD 73.8

84.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.74 RSD 77.6

12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.30

$0.74 RSD 77.2

1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 BGN 6.41

$4.61 RSD 481

-20.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BGN 12.50

$8.81 RSD 918

-18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$0.89 RSD 92.7

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BGN 2.44

$1.45 RSD 151

-3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 BGN 1.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.92 BGN 45.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$3.02 RSD 315

-42.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 BGN 0.84

$0.98 RSD 103

-51.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 RSD 1,780

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BGN 2.64

$1.91 RSD 199

-20.42%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.8K

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

-2.16%

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

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

-10.13%

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

$133 BGN 231

$220 RSD 23.0K

-39.80%

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

$17.28 BGN 30.07

$24.41 RSD 2,544

-29.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.28 BGN 30.06

$35.64 RSD 3,715

-51.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 BGN 67.1

$41.20 RSD 4,295

-6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 BGN 19.72

$22.60 RSD 2,356

-49.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 BGN 11.82

$8.59 RSD 896

-20.95%

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

$570 BGN 991

$424 RSD 44.2K

34.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K BGN 17.8K

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

-6.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.34 BGN 84.1

$111 RSD 11.5K

-56.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 BGN 89.2

$47.28 RSD 4,929

8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 BGN 164

$113 RSD 11.8K

-16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 BGN 105

$157 RSD 16.3K

-61.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 BGN 455

$805 RSD 83.9K

-67.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 BGN 306

$546 RSD 56.9K

-67.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 BGN 748

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

-70.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 BGN 567

$931 RSD 97.0K

-64.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 BGN 2,197

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

-76.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 BGN 1,716

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

-68.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,004 BGN 1,747

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

-18.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.61

-29.50%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shumen

$211 23.3%

Belgrade

$241 15.5% 14% $30

Accommodation & Living

Shumen

$176 19.4%

Belgrade

$546 35.2% 211% $370

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shumen

$167 18.5%

Belgrade

$280 18.1% 67.7% $113

Eating Out

Shumen

$151 16.7%

Belgrade

$228 14.7% 50.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Shumen

$114 12.6%

Belgrade

$192 12.4% 68.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Shumen

$52 5.8%

Belgrade

$58 3.8% 12% $6.2

Getting Around

Shumen

$34 3.7%

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5% 76.6% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in Shumen 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 23% 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 $34.00 in Shumen versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $241 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Shumen

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

1 h behind Shumen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,504

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shumen Belgrade 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shumen
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

Shumen vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $906 in Shumen, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Shumen 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 Shumen, 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 $34.00 in Shumen 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 14% 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 Shumen, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Shumen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shumen – 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 Shumen. 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.