Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veliko Tarnovo and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo: $1,006 a month against $1,554 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
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Veliko Tarnovo Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,006

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,006 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $1,006
Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $1,574
Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $2,141 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $2,141
Belgrade $3,121

Veliko Tarnovo is about 35% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Veliko Tarnovo sits 25% below the global median, while Belgrade is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 BGN 19.46

$13.15 RSD 1,373

-15.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.76 BGN 69.6

$57.5 RSD 6,009

-30.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 BGN 16.83

$13.38 RSD 1,397

-28.18%

Cappuccino

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$3.10 RSD 323

-40.32%

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

$1.31 BGN 2.30

$2.82 RSD 294

-53.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$2.22 RSD 232

-60.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 BGN 3.55

$3.47 RSD 363

-41.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 BGN 4.88

$3.96 RSD 413

-29.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 BGN 3.25

$1.38 RSD 144

34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BGN 1.85

$1.13 RSD 118

-7.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 BGN 4.34

$2.66 RSD 278

-6.77%

Eggs

$3.67 BGN 6.43

$2.78 RSD 290

32.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 BGN 17.81

$10.99 RSD 1,148

-7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 BGN 14.00

$6.56 RSD 685

21.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 BGN 21.76

$15.07 RSD 1,574

-17.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 BGN 2.80

$1.66 RSD 174

-3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$1.79 RSD 187

14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 BGN 3.43

$1.87 RSD 196

4.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.51

$3.03 RSD 316

-14.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.91

$0.92 RSD 96.5

18.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$0.71 RSD 74.0

64.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 BGN 1.71

$0.74 RSD 77.7

32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BGN 1.27

$0.74 RSD 77.3

-1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 BGN 7.17

$4.61 RSD 482

-11.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 BGN 11.75

$8.81 RSD 920

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 BGN 2.11

$0.89 RSD 92.9

35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 BGN 2.81

$1.45 RSD 152

11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 BGN 1.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.23 BGN 40.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$3.02 RSD 316

-61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 BGN 1.18

$0.98 RSD 103

-31.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.18 BGN 19.57

$17.08 RSD 1,784

-34.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.91 RSD 199

-18.32%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.4K

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

-1.56%

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

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

24.14%

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

$95.9 BGN 168

$220 RSD 23.0K

-56.51%

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

$18.81 BGN 32.92

$24.41 RSD 2,549

-22.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 BGN 27.75

$35.64 RSD 3,722

-55.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.50 BGN 53.4

$41.20 RSD 4,303

-25.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 BGN 34.46

$22.60 RSD 2,361

-12.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 BGN 12.08

$8.59 RSD 897

-19.56%

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

$424 RSD 44.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.95 BGN 82.2

$111 RSD 11.6K

-57.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.58 BGN 53.5

$47.28 RSD 4,938

-35.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 BGN 214

$113 RSD 11.8K

8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 BGN 163

$157 RSD 16.4K

-40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 BGN 614

$805 RSD 84.1K

-56.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 BGN 456

$546 RSD 57.0K

-52.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 BGN 1,000

$1,452 RSD 151.7K

-60.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 BGN 735

$931 RSD 97.2K

-54.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 BGN 4,211

$5,368 RSD 560.6K

-55.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 BGN 2,387

$3,155 RSD 329.5K

-56.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$952 BGN 1,666

$1,237 RSD 129.1K

-23.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.74

4.61

-40.56%

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

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Veliko Tarnovo

$260 25.9%

Belgrade

$546 35.2% 110% $286

Groceries & Markets

Veliko Tarnovo

$244 24.2%

Belgrade

$241 15.5% 1.2% $3

Eating Out

Veliko Tarnovo

$164 16.3%

Belgrade

$228 14.7% 38.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 13.1%

Belgrade

$192 12.4% 46% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veliko Tarnovo

$131 13%

Belgrade

$280 18.1% 115% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Veliko Tarnovo

$44 4.4%

Belgrade

$58 3.8% 31.8% $14

Getting Around

Veliko Tarnovo

$31 3.1%

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5% 74.7% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Veliko Tarnovo 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 30% 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 $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Veliko Tarnovo vs $241 in Belgrade – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

1 h behind Veliko Tarnovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,150

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Veliko Tarnovo Belgrade 460 km

From you

Veliko Tarnovo
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

Veliko Tarnovo vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,509 per month in Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo, 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 $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo and $1,554 in Belgrade. That's a gap of about 54%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Veliko Tarnovo, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Belgrade at $1,554. In Veliko Tarnovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Veliko Tarnovo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo to $1,554 in Belgrade. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Veliko Tarnovo. 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.