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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,717 per month in Zagreb vs $1,508 in Belgrade, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,576 per month in Zagreb vs $2,303 in Belgrade, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,434 per month in Zagreb vs $3,098 in Belgrade, rent included.

Zagreb costs about 14% more than Belgrade, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Zagreb and Belgrade sit above the global median – Zagreb by 29%, Belgrade by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 €10.08

$12.41 RSD 1,270

-7.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.5

$49.13 RSD 5,026

40.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 €7.90

$11.96 RSD 1,224

-24.50%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.12

$2.83 RSD 289

-14.13%

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

$3.04 €2.66

$2.71 RSD 277

12.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.17

$2.17 RSD 222

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 €3.31

$3.36 RSD 344

12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 €4.14

$3.92 RSD 401

20.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.47 RSD 150

-10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.94 RSD 96.5

108.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.30

$3.05 RSD 312

-13.77%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.35

$2.87 RSD 294

33.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 €9.53

$11.34 RSD 1,160

-3.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.27

$7.48 RSD 766

26.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 €11.15

$12.97 RSD 1,327

-1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.64

$1.42 RSD 145

31.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.90 RSD 194

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.96 RSD 201

3.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 €2.59

$2.69 RSD 276

10.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.03 RSD 105

40.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$0.80 RSD 81.7

76.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$0.89 RSD 90.6

43.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.78 RSD 80.1

67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 €5.03

$4.53 RSD 463

26.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 €8.13

$8.49 RSD 868

9.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.88 RSD 89.9

111.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.60 RSD 164

38.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 €0.52

$0.97 RSD 99.2

-39.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 €50.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 €1.98

$3.23 RSD 330

-30.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.96 RSD 97.9

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.22 €8.94

$17.63 RSD 1,804

-42.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.81 RSD 185

-5.52%

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

$34.3K €30.0K

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

11.33%

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

$26.5K €23.2K

$26.2K RSD 2.7M

1.33%

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

$209 €183

$205 RSD 21.0K

2.09%

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

$20.14 €17.62

$22.48 RSD 2,300

-10.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.85 €28.74

$32.43 RSD 3,317

1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €44.08

$39.00 RSD 3,989

29.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 €12.60

$21.19 RSD 2,168

-32.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 €7.87

$8.04 RSD 823

11.94%

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

$511 €447

$455 RSD 46.6K

12.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.4K

$9,282 RSD 949.5K

40.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.9

$101 RSD 10.3K

1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 €34.77

$42.53 RSD 4,351

-6.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 €84.1

$112 RSD 11.5K

-14.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €103

$120 RSD 12.3K

-2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 €771

$876 RSD 89.6K

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 €587

$576 RSD 58.9K

16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 €1,329

$1,574 RSD 161.0K

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €921

$999 RSD 102.2K

5.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,920 €4,304

$5,543 RSD 567.0K

-11.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,240 €2,835

$3,206 RSD 328.0K

1.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,915 €1,675

$1,214 RSD 124.2K

57.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

5.59

-33.45%

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

Last update for Zagreb: July 11, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $881 in Zagreb versus $876 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 58% 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 $69.0 in Zagreb versus $49.00 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $240 – making Belgrade the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,717 in Zagreb, $1,508 in Belgrade – roughly 14% apart. Zagreb costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,575 per month in Zagreb and $2,262 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 $69.0 in Zagreb and $49.00 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Belgrade, where all-in costs run around $1,508, than in Zagreb at $1,717. 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 $1,508 in Belgrade to $1,717 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.