Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Belgrade: $1,538 a month against $1,643 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Thessaloniki despite lower rent and utilities.

Thessaloniki
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,643
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,643 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Thessaloniki $1,643
  • Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $2,545 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Thessaloniki $2,545
  • Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $3,446 per month in Thessaloniki vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Thessaloniki $3,446
  • Belgrade $3,105

Thessaloniki costs about 7% more than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Thessaloniki and Belgrade sit above the global median – Thessaloniki by 23%, Belgrade by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.85 €15.02
$13.33 RSD 1,392
26.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 €59.3
$58.4 RSD 6,099
13.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.00 €9.81
$13.58 RSD 1,417
-19.00%
Cappuccino
$4.30 €3.83
$3.13 RSD 327
37.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.68
$2.77 RSD 289
8.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.67
$2.27 RSD 237
-66.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.76 €5.14
$3.75 RSD 391
53.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.86 €6.12
$4.38 RSD 457
56.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.40 RSD 146
25.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.17 RSD 122
45.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.55 €3.17
$2.71 RSD 283
31.00%
Eggs
$5.46 €4.87
$2.78 RSD 290
96.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.95 €12.44
$11.36 RSD 1,186
22.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.13 €9.92
$7.01 RSD 732
58.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.27 €16.29
$15.72 RSD 1,641
16.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$1.66 RSD 173
50.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$1.81 RSD 189
22.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.83 RSD 191
15.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.81 €2.50
$3.13 RSD 327
-10.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 €1.15
$0.88 RSD 91.5
47.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 €1.11
$0.67 RSD 70.5
85.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$0.81 RSD 84.6
88.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 €0.81
$0.68 RSD 71.1
33.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.64 €5.03
$4.78 RSD 500
17.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.00 €8.92
$8.54 RSD 891
17.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.86
$0.94 RSD 97.9
121.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 €2.87
$1.44 RSD 151
123.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.65 €0.58
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.84 €15.91
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.29 €3.83
$3.09 RSD 323
38.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.02 RSD 107
7.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.55 €14.76
$17.18 RSD 1,793
-3.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.87 RSD 196
24.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.8K
$30.7K RSD 3.2M
-9.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K €27.3K
$24.3K RSD 2.5M
26.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 €193
$218 RSD 22.7K
-0.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.23 €20.71
$25.24 RSD 2,635
-7.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.69 €27.37
$35.35 RSD 3,691
-13.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.7 €46.09
$41.77 RSD 4,361
23.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.72 €14.91
$22.80 RSD 2,380
-26.67%
Cinema Ticket
$10.50 €9.36
$8.47 RSD 884
23.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$468 €418
$426 RSD 44.5K
9.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,132 €8,142
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
-19.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.4 €85.9
$111 RSD 11.6K
-13.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.70 €39.86
$45.99 RSD 4,802
-2.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 €110
$119 RSD 12.4K
3.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €119
$154 RSD 16.1K
-13.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$627 €559
$821 RSD 85.8K
-23.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$487 €434
$561 RSD 58.5K
-13.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,109 €989
$1,511 RSD 157.8K
-26.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$850 €757
$942 RSD 98.3K
-9.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,774 €3,365
$5,312 RSD 554.6K
-28.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,867 €2,556
$3,165 RSD 330.4K
-9.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thessaloniki
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,166 €1,040
$1,228 RSD 128.2K
-5.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.34
4.61
15.84%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: 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
Thessaloniki
$487
Belgrade
$561 15.2% $74
Groceries & Markets
Thessaloniki
$331
Belgrade
$246 25.7% $85
Eating Out
Thessaloniki
$277
Belgrade
$233 16% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thessaloniki
$271
Belgrade
$278 2.8% $7.6
Clothing & Footwear
Thessaloniki
$179
Belgrade
$194 8.2% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Thessaloniki
$73
Belgrade
$59 19.2% $14
Getting Around
Thessaloniki
$30
Belgrade
$8.2 * 72.9% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $627 in Thessaloniki 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 5% higher in Belgrade, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Thessaloniki versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $246 – making Belgrade the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
04:58 4:58 AM
03:58 3:58 AM
1 h behind Thessaloniki
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
790,824
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thessaloniki Belgrade 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Thessaloniki
  • 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
Thessaloniki vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Thessaloniki and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,643 in Thessaloniki, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Thessaloniki compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,465 per month in Thessaloniki and $2,307 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Thessaloniki and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Belgrade, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Thessaloniki and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 35% more in Thessaloniki, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Belgrade, where all-in costs run around $1,538, than in Thessaloniki at $1,643. In Belgrade it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thessaloniki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Thessaloniki and Belgrade?
It depends on your priorities. Thessaloniki has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,538 in Belgrade to $1,643 in Thessaloniki. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Thessaloniki or Belgrade safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Thessaloniki and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Belgrade. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thessaloniki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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