Average net income
RON 4,663Exchange rate unavailable
RSD 99,233Exchange rate unavailable
Romania vs Serbia: Cost of Living Comparison
Two countries, different ways of life.
Compare income, living costs excluding rent and purchasing power for the same products.
Romania · average monthly net salaryRON 4,663Exchange rate unavailable Serbia · average monthly net salaryRSD 99,233Exchange rate unavailableRON 4,663Exchange rate unavailableRSD 99,233Exchange rate unavailableLiving costs (excluding rent)
RON 3,026Exchange rate unavailableRSD 72,568Exchange rate unavailableFamily of four costs (excluding rent)
RON 10,717Exchange rate unavailableRSD 253,133Exchange rate unavailablePetrol 95 (1 litre)
RON 9.98Exchange rate unavailableRSD 205.00Exchange rate unavailableApple iPhone 18 Pro 256GB
RON 7,700Exchange rate unavailableRSD 199,999Exchange rate unavailableEssential Living Costs Compared
Bars show each expense as a share of net salary in its own country.
| Expense | Salary share | Romania | Serbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living costs (excluding rent) | RON 3,025.50Exchange rate unavailable | RSD 72,567.90Exchange rate unavailable | |
| Family of four costs (excluding rent) | RON 10,717.30Exchange rate unavailable | RSD 253,133.30Exchange rate unavailable | |
| Petrol 95 (1 litre) | RON 9.98Exchange rate unavailable | RSD 205.00Exchange rate unavailable | |
| Diesel (1 litre) | RON 10.62Exchange rate unavailable | RSD 234.00Exchange rate unavailable | |
| LPG (1 litre) | RON 4.69Exchange rate unavailable | RSD 105.00Exchange rate unavailable |
Purchasing Power Overview
Sourced expenses relative to average net salary; not a quality-of-life score.
Romania and Serbia: details that can change the decision
Read country averages alongside local housing choices and access to the same product.
Romania · The impact of housing choice
Romania has 2 recorded cities whose central one-bedroom rents range from RON 3,000–RON 3,223; this is neither a national rent average nor a distribution of all listings.
| City | Centre / outside centre | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Cluj-Napoca | RON 3,000 / RON 2,478 | 2026-08-04 |
| Bucharest | RON 3,223 / RON 2,146 | 2026-09-17 |
Do not relabel national salary as pay in these cities. Compare like-sized homes, included utilities and commuting costs; a lower rent may not translate into an equal saving.
Serbia · The impact of housing choice
Serbia has 2 recorded cities whose central one-bedroom rents range from RSD 51,506–RSD 86,413; this is neither a national rent average nor a distribution of all listings.
| City | Centre / outside centre | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Novi Sad | RSD 51,506 / RSD 42,065 | 2026-09-11 |
| Belgrade | RSD 86,413 / RSD 59,185 | 2026-09-18 |
Do not relabel national salary as pay in these cities. Compare like-sized homes, included utilities and commuting costs; a lower rent may not translate into an equal saving.
The same product, a different income burden
The comparison below uses same-model records with prices in both countries. Working days do not deduct living costs and are not an actual savings timeline.
| Product | Romania | Serbia | Income-relative assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro 256GB | 36.3 working days RON 7,699.99 RON 2026-09-20 | 44.3 working days RSD 199,999.00 RSD 2026-09-20 | Romania: 8.0 fewer working days; the same model requires a smaller share of average income. |
Which evidence supports this result?
Salary and living costs are compared in each country’s own currency, so their ratio needs no currency conversion. Population describes scale, not prosperity. City and product records can have different dates; the relevant sources and record dates are shown below.
Romania
- Average net income · Source · 2026-09-20
- Living costs (excluding rent) · Source · 2026-09-18
- Population · Source · 2026-09-20
Serbia
- Average net income · Source · 2026-09-20
- Living costs (excluding rent) · Source · 2026-09-18
- Population · Source · 2026-09-20
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Country data and working time for the same product.
20 September 2026 dataset · Original source dates are preserved. Living costs exclude rent; city rents are not country averages.
IN THE SAME CURRENCY
See what the salaries amount to
Romania
Average monthly net salary
RON 4,663Exchange rate unavailableNo exchange rate available; local amount retained.
Serbia
Average monthly net salary
RSD 99,233Exchange rate unavailableNo exchange rate available; local amount retained.
Equivalents use stored exchange rates, not live bank quotes. Rate dates and sources are in the methodology below.
SHARE YOUR COMPARISON
How many working days does an iPhone cost?
Salary, rent, living costs and iPhone working days in one card.
Net salary ÷ 22 working days. Assumes all salary is used for the product; expenses are not deducted.
Single person · monthly costs (excluding rent)
RomaniaRON 3,025.50Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-18 SerbiaRSD 72,567.90Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-18Family of four · monthly costs (excluding rent)
RomaniaRON 10,717.30Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-18 SerbiaRSD 253,133.30Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-18Gasoline 95 · litre
RomaniaRON 9.98Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-14 SerbiaRSD 205.00Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-14Diesel · litre
RomaniaRON 10.62Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-14 SerbiaRSD 234.00Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-14LPG · litre
RomaniaRON 4.69Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-14 SerbiaRSD 105.00Exchange rate unavailableSource2026-09-14Product prices and working days
Monthly net salary ÷ 22 working days. Country salary is a benchmark, not personal income.
24K gold · 1 gram
RomaniaNo dataNot available SerbiaNo dataNot availableTesla Model 3 RWD
RomaniaNo dataNot available SerbiaNo dataNot availablePlayStation 5 Disc
RomaniaNo dataNot available SerbiaNo dataNot availableApple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 / 16 GB / 512 GB
RomaniaRON 7,099.90 RON33.5 working daysRetail referenceSource SerbiaNo dataNot availableApple iPhone 18 Pro 256GB
RomaniaRON 7,699.99 RON36.3 working daysVerified currentSource SerbiaRSD 199,999.00 RSD44.3 working daysCurrent discounted priceSourceNike running shoes (mid-range) · benchmark
RomaniaRON 378.18 RON1.8 working daysproxySource SerbiaRSD 11,592.47 RSD2.6 working daysproxySourceToyota Corolla 1.6 or equivalent new mid-range car
RomaniaRON 119,515.69 RON563.8 working daysproxySource SerbiaRSD 2,614,433.04 RSD579.6 working daysproxySourceChicken fillet · 1 kg (normalized)
RomaniaRON 30.34 RON0.1 working daysbenchmarkSource SerbiaRSD 708.43 RSD0.2 working daysbenchmarkSourceEggs · 12
RomaniaRON 15.41 RON< 0.1 working daysbenchmarkSource SerbiaRSD 268.80 RSD< 0.1 working daysbenchmarkSourceMilk · 1 litre
RomaniaRON 7.20 RON< 0.1 working daysbenchmarkSource SerbiaRSD 139.78 RSD< 0.1 working daysbenchmarkSourceCity rents · not country averages
Romania
Cluj-Napoca: RON 3,000
Bucharest: RON 3,223
Serbia
Novi Sad: RSD 51,506
Belgrade: RSD 86,413
Sources and calculation method
Product price ÷ average monthly net salary × monthly working days. Living expenses are not deducted. Currency equivalents use the ratio of existing euro-based rates. Missing rates produce no conversion.
RON: No sourced exchange rate record.
RSD: No sourced exchange rate record.
TRY: Rate source · 2026-09-20 14:18:58
Discover More
More about countries, cities and your next chapter.
Related data, sources and methodology
What do the data show?
Romania: costs excluding rent as a share of net salary 64.9%; for one iPhone 36.3 working days. Living costs are not deducted from working time.
Serbia: costs excluding rent as a share of net salary 73.1%; for one iPhone 44.3 working days. Living costs are not deducted from working time.
Latest source-data date: . Each metric retains its own date and scope.