Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $864 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$864

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $864 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Stara Zagora $864
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $1,394 per month in Stara Zagora vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,394
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Stara Zagora vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,924
Belgrade $3,105

Stara Zagora is about 44% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Stara Zagora sits 36% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.36 BGN 18.13

$13.33 RSD 1,389

-22.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 BGN 88.8

$58.4 RSD 6,085

-13.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$13.58 RSD 1,414

-35.27%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.08

$3.13 RSD 326

-25.56%

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

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$2.77 RSD 288

-45.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$2.27 RSD 237

-61.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$3.75 RSD 390

-38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.49

$4.38 RSD 456

-54.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.13

$1.40 RSD 146

27.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.17 RSD 122

-24.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.54

$2.71 RSD 282

-46.49%

Eggs

$2.37 BGN 4.14

$2.78 RSD 289

-14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 BGN 16.22

$11.36 RSD 1,184

-18.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 BGN 11.58

$7.01 RSD 731

-5.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 BGN 15.04

$15.72 RSD 1,638

-45.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.31

$1.66 RSD 173

-20.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BGN 3.00

$1.81 RSD 188

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$1.83 RSD 190

-3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$3.13 RSD 326

-36.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$0.88 RSD 91.3

14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.33

$0.67 RSD 70.3

13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$0.81 RSD 84.4

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 BGN 1.11

$0.68 RSD 70.9

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 BGN 6.64

$4.78 RSD 498

-20.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 BGN 8.82

$8.54 RSD 889

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 BGN 2.00

$0.94 RSD 97.7

21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 BGN 2.99

$1.44 RSD 150

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.61 BGN 32.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 BGN 2.29

$3.09 RSD 322

-57.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 BGN 1.12

$1.02 RSD 107

-37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.52 BGN 20.16

$17.18 RSD 1,789

-32.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 BGN 2.81

$1.87 RSD 195

-14.44%

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

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-0.41%

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

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

-7.91%

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

$93.2 BGN 163

$218 RSD 22.7K

-57.17%

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

$14.82 BGN 25.93

$25.24 RSD 2,629

-41.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.33 BGN 21.57

$35.35 RSD 3,683

-65.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.49 BGN 46.36

$41.77 RSD 4,351

-36.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.22 BGN 37.14

$22.80 RSD 2,375

-6.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 BGN 15.16

$8.47 RSD 882

2.24%

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

$234 BGN 410

$426 RSD 44.4K

-45.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,272 BGN 3,975

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

-80.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 BGN 54.3

$111 RSD 11.6K

-72.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 BGN 33.62

$45.99 RSD 4,791

-58.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 BGN 112

$119 RSD 12.4K

-46.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 BGN 90.5

$154 RSD 16.0K

-66.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 BGN 522

$821 RSD 85.6K

-63.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 BGN 438

$561 RSD 58.4K

-55.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 BGN 865

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 BGN 692

$942 RSD 98.1K

-58.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,449 BGN 2,536

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

-72.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,064 BGN 1,861

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

-66.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 BGN 1,852

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

-13.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

4.61

-35.14%

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

Last update for Stara Zagora: 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

Stara Zagora

$250 28.7%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 124% $310

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$196 22.4%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 25.6% $50

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$162 18.6%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 43.4% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$120 13.8%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 131% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.5%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 160% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$44 5%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 34% $15

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$27 3.1%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 69.2% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Stara Zagora 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 16% 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 $51.0 in Stara Zagora versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $246 – making Stara Zagora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

07:17 7:17 AM

1 h behind Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Stara Zagora Belgrade 490 km

From you

Stara Zagora
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

Stara Zagora vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $864 in Stara Zagora, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Stara Zagora and $2,307 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stara Zagora, 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 $51.0 in Stara Zagora 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 26% 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 Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stara Zagora – 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 Stara Zagora. 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.