Belgrade the most expensive city in the region

Belgrade is the most expensive city in the Western Balkans region, followed by Budva in Montenegro, and Tirana in Albania. While Tirana ranks as cheap across Europe, it is expensive for locals, reported Euractiv.

The Numbeo report takes a snapshot of daily costs across the world, creating an index of the most expensive cities to live in, to the cheapest. In terms of the Western Balkans, Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, is one of the cheapest places to live in Europe, along with Nis (Serbia), Craiova (Romania) and Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Matkovic, who is also the program director of the Belgrade Center for Social Policy (CSP), said life and costs in Belgrade largely depend on whether you live in your own apartment or rent one.

She said that, in addition to the basic foodstuffs, the Numbeo report also included some other items. “It looked into how much it costs to be a member of a tennis or fitness club, and the poor don’t spend their wages on that. It should be said that these costs of living, including the costs of renting an apartment, are compared to the average salaries in the cities that are the focus of research,” explained Matkovic.

The Professor added that the rate of inflation was also a concern.

“The annual inflation is approximately 15 percent, but it should be said that food prices have gone up by over 25 percent, housing as well. Expenditures have increased, and, up to the category of the richest, these expenditures account for 50 to 60 percent of the Serbian households’ total expenditures,” said Matkovic.

The latest research shows that pensioners are increasingly struggling, as well as people with a low level of education, said Matkovic.

In spite of this, there is an increasing number of people moving to Belgrade, she said, adding: “Big cities are attractive, because of job, the opportunities they offer, Belgrade is also a university center, the cultural offer is greater…”