Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
Learn more

Belgrade Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $773 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $773
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,194
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $1,615 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,615
Belgrade $3,105

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

Sulaymaniyah sits 42% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 IQD 7,660

$13.33 RSD 1,389

-61.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$58.4 RSD 6,085

-60.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$13.58 RSD 1,414

-48.16%

Cappuccino

$2.88 IQD 4,344

$3.13 RSD 326

-7.99%

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

$0.50 IQD 759

$2.77 RSD 288

-81.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 IQD 378

$2.27 RSD 237

-88.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 IQD 5,943

$3.75 RSD 390

4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 IQD 3,427

$4.38 RSD 456

-48.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$1.40 RSD 146

-8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 IQD 1,519

$1.17 RSD 122

-13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,812

$2.71 RSD 282

-31.37%

Eggs

$1.77 IQD 2,672

$2.78 RSD 289

-36.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,490

$11.36 RSD 1,184

-56.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 IQD 6,382

$7.01 RSD 731

-39.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

$15.72 RSD 1,638

-2.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$1.66 RSD 173

-22.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,937

$1.81 RSD 188

-29.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,737

$1.83 RSD 190

-37.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,025

$3.13 RSD 326

-78.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 847

$0.88 RSD 91.3

-36.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,096

$0.67 RSD 70.3

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 IQD 1,101

$0.81 RSD 84.4

-9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 752

$0.68 RSD 70.9

-26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 IQD 3,444

$4.78 RSD 498

-52.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

$8.54 RSD 889

31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 IQD 2,949

$0.94 RSD 97.7

107.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,141

$1.44 RSD 150

-1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 902

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 IQD 3,361

$3.09 RSD 322

-28.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 IQD 3,531

$1.02 RSD 107

129.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 IQD 8,306

$17.18 RSD 1,789

-67.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$1.87 RSD 195

-63.10%

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

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-32.11%

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

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

-21.95%

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

$100 IQD 151.7K

$218 RSD 22.7K

-53.89%

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

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

$25.24 RSD 2,629

-54.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

$35.35 RSD 3,683

-20.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

$41.77 RSD 4,351

-4.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

$22.80 RSD 2,375

-11.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

$8.47 RSD 882

-10.51%

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

$173 IQD 261.0K

$426 RSD 44.4K

-59.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

-74.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

$111 RSD 11.6K

-82.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

$45.99 RSD 4,791

-45.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

$119 RSD 12.4K

-63.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$154 RSD 16.0K

-74.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 IQD 324.7K

$821 RSD 85.6K

-73.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 264.2K

$561 RSD 58.4K

-68.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 IQD 743.9K

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

-67.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 IQD 548.8K

$942 RSD 98.1K

-61.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 IQD 1.2M

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

-85.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$630 IQD 952.4K

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

-80.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 IQD 882.1K

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

-52.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

4.61

25.16%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 30.6% $58

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 221% $386

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 98.9% $138

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 88.6% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 242% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 7% $3.9

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 78.9% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Sulaymaniyah 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 110% 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 $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $246 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

13:29 1:29 PM

1 h behind Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 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 = 8.57 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Belgrade 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
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

Sulaymaniyah vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $773 in Sulaymaniyah, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 99% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,160 per month in Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah, 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 $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah 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 31% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sulaymaniyah – 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 Sulaymaniyah. 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.