Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $759 a month against $1,574 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zakho
🇮🇶 Iraq
$759
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,574
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $759 per month in Zakho vs $1,574 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Zakho $759
  • Belgrade $1,574

A couple spends around $1,210 per month in Zakho vs $2,376 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Zakho $1,210
  • Belgrade $2,376

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Zakho vs $3,178 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Zakho $1,661
  • Belgrade $3,178

Zakho is about 52% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Zakho sits 44% below the global median, while Belgrade is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.52 IQD 9,855
$13.44 RSD 1,401
-51.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.45 IQD 55.1K
$57.8 RSD 6,029
-36.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.08 IQD 10.7K
$13.23 RSD 1,380
-46.49%
Cappuccino
$3.38 IQD 5,101
$3.10 RSD 323
9.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 IQD 1,356
$2.73 RSD 285
-67.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 IQD 550
$2.31 RSD 241
-84.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.36 IQD 8,101
$3.54 RSD 369
51.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.06 IQD 6,130
$4.13 RSD 430
-1.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 IQD 1,613
$1.45 RSD 151
-26.21%
White Bread (500g)
$0.67 IQD 1,019
$1.18 RSD 123
-43.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 IQD 2,221
$2.61 RSD 272
-43.68%
Eggs
$1.52 IQD 2,290
$2.78 RSD 289
-45.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.21 IQD 10.9K
$11.23 RSD 1,171
-35.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.32 IQD 6,524
$6.72 RSD 701
-35.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.87 IQD 19.4K
$15.22 RSD 1,586
-15.44%
Apples (1kg)
$0.97 IQD 1,463
$1.59 RSD 166
-38.99%
Banana (1kg)
$0.95 IQD 1,437
$1.84 RSD 191
-48.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 IQD 1,543
$1.83 RSD 191
-44.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.69 IQD 1,046
$3.10 RSD 324
-77.74%
Potato (1kg)
$0.59 IQD 895
$0.95 RSD 98.8
-37.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.58 IQD 874
$0.72 RSD 75.1
-19.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 IQD 997
$0.75 RSD 77.8
-12.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 IQD 777
$0.69 RSD 72.4
-26.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.11 IQD 3,189
$4.76 RSD 496
-55.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.84 IQD 16.4K
$8.43 RSD 878
28.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 IQD 2,197
$0.94 RSD 97.8
54.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 IQD 2,782
$1.53 RSD 159
20.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 IQD 594
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.25 IQD 30.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 IQD 2,474
$2.99 RSD 312
-45.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 IQD 2,418
$1.02 RSD 106
56.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.53 IQD 8,350
$17.54 RSD 1,828
-68.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.57 IQD 863
$1.85 RSD 193
-69.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.7K IQD 25.3M
$30.5K RSD 3.2M
-45.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.3K IQD 26.2M
$23.7K RSD 2.5M
-26.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$113 IQD 170.8K
$219 RSD 22.9K
-48.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.83 IQD 17.9K
$24.82 RSD 2,588
-52.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.03 IQD 36.3K
$35.79 RSD 3,731
-32.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.45 IQD 56.6K
$41.37 RSD 4,313
-9.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.96 RSD 2,394
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.95 IQD 15.0K
$8.32 RSD 867
19.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$313 IQD 473.3K
$423 RSD 44.1K
-25.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,762 IQD 4.2M
$11.4K RSD 1.2M
-75.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.29 IQD 39.7K
$111 RSD 11.6K
-76.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.70 IQD 29.8K
$47.48 RSD 4,950
-58.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$49.08 IQD 74.2K
$116 RSD 12.1K
-57.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.75 IQD 61.6K
$158 RSD 16.4K
-74.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$172 IQD 260.4K
$823 RSD 85.8K
-79.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$132 IQD 199.9K
$560 RSD 58.3K
-76.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$379 IQD 572.2K
$1,485 RSD 154.8K
-74.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$308 IQD 466.0K
$969 RSD 101.1K
-68.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$711 IQD 1.1M
$5,489 RSD 572.2K
-87.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$576 IQD 870.1K
$3,193 RSD 332.8K
-81.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zakho
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$660 IQD 997.7K
$1,214 RSD 126.5K
-45.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.53
4.61
-45.12%

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

Last update for Zakho: October 20, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Zakho
$174
Belgrade
$243 39.8% $69
Eating Out
Zakho
$154
Belgrade
$231 49.8% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zakho
$149
Belgrade
$280 88% $131
Accommodation & Living
Zakho
$132
Belgrade
$560 323% $427
Clothing & Footwear
Zakho
$61
Belgrade
$195 218% $133
Sport & Entertainment
Zakho
$57
Belgrade
$58 1.1% $0.6
Getting Around
Zakho
$31
Belgrade
$8.1 * 74.3% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $172 in Zakho versus $823 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 84% 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 $36.00 in Zakho versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $243 – making Zakho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Zakho
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
23:40 11:40 PM
22:40 10:40 PM
1 h behind Zakho
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
197,163
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zakho Belgrade 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zakho
  • 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
Zakho vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Zakho and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $759 in Zakho, $1,574 in Belgrade – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Zakho compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,138 per month in Zakho and $2,360 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Zakho and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakho, 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 $36.00 in Zakho 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 40% more in Belgrade, 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 $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zakho, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Belgrade at $1,574. In Zakho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Zakho or Belgrade?
Families tend to lean toward Zakho – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Zakho 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 Zakho and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Zakho. 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.

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