Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Belgrade Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Belgrade

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,789 per month in Zagreb vs $1,641 in Belgrade, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,672 per month in Zagreb vs $2,474 in Belgrade, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,554 per month in Zagreb vs $3,307 in Belgrade, rent included.

Zagreb costs about 9% more than Belgrade, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Zagreb and Belgrade sit above the global median – Zagreb by 30%, Belgrade by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.61 €11.74

$13.70 RSD 1,384

-0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 €51.9

$60.1 RSD 6,074

0.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 €6.90

$13.52 RSD 1,366

-40.90%

Cappuccino

$2.59 €2.23

$3.32 RSD 335

-21.99%

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

$3.03 €2.62

$2.82 RSD 285

7.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.46 RSD 248

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 €2.98

$3.61 RSD 364

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.04 RSD 408

14.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.50 RSD 152

-7.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.15 RSD 116

58.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 €2.63

$2.90 RSD 293

4.83%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.51

$2.80 RSD 283

45.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.18 €13.96

$11.67 RSD 1,179

38.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.77 €11.02

$7.29 RSD 737

75.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 €15.81

$16.46 RSD 1,664

11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.76 RSD 178

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.89 RSD 191

-0.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$2.03 RSD 205

6.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$3.25 RSD 328

-19.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.98 RSD 98.7

41.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.96

$0.70 RSD 70.7

58.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.16

$0.83 RSD 84.2

61.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.74 RSD 74.4

79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 €5.09

$4.67 RSD 472

26.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 €8.25

$10.17 RSD 1,028

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$0.90 RSD 91.3

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.57 RSD 159

50.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 €0.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 €50.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.08 RSD 311

-25.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.06 RSD 107

38.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 €9.29

$18.08 RSD 1,828

-40.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.96 RSD 198

-0.51%

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

$28.1K €24.3K

$32.0K RSD 3.2M

-12.04%

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

$27.2K €23.5K

$24.9K RSD 2.5M

9.18%

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

$220 €190

$219 RSD 22.2K

0.42%

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

$22.53 €19.44

$27.31 RSD 2,760

-17.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.79 €35.20

$36.82 RSD 3,722

10.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €46.15

$42.32 RSD 4,277

26.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.36 €16.70

$23.99 RSD 2,425

-19.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 €7.90

$8.73 RSD 883

4.81%

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

$541 €467

$431 RSD 43.6K

25.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,151

$11.6K RSD 1.2M

-8.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €93.5

$115 RSD 11.6K

-5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.72 €40.32

$47.98 RSD 4,849

-2.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 €83.8

$122 RSD 12.3K

-20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €95.6

$165 RSD 16.7K

-32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 €782

$874 RSD 88.3K

3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €589

$587 RSD 59.4K

16.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 €1,239

$1,585 RSD 160.2K

-9.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €933

$1,009 RSD 102.0K

7.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,360 €4,625

$5,705 RSD 576.6K

-6.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,494 €3,015

$3,249 RSD 328.3K

7.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,015 €1,739

$1,229 RSD 124.3K

63.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.64

-29.96%

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

Last update for Zagreb: August 31, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Zagreb versus $874 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 64% higher in Zagreb, 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 $60.0 in Zagreb versus $60.0 in Belgrade. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Zagreb vs $259 in Belgrade – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Zagreb vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,789 in Zagreb, $1,641 in Belgrade – roughly 9% apart. Zagreb costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,684 per month in Zagreb and $2,461 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Zagreb and $60.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Zagreb, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Belgrade, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Zagreb at $1,789. In Belgrade it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zagreb it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Zagreb has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Belgrade to $1,789 in Zagreb. 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 Belgrade. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zagreb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.