Belgrade has ranked among the European capitals where the gap between average salaries and the real cost of living is the widest, according to a 2026 study conducted by the British financial portal Tradingpedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analyzing affordability indicators across 37 European capitals, economist Michael Fisher\u2019s report placed Serbia among the countries where a \u201ccomfortable life\u201d remains a luxury beyond the reach of most residents, raising serious questions about the country\u2019s actual purchasing power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When discussing living expenses, the key issue is not only how much you earn, but how much of that income disappears before you even buy food. The latest Tradingpedia research precisely calculated the percentage of an average salary that a single person in European capitals must allocate solely to renting a furnished 45-square-meter apartment and covering basic utilities such as electricity, heating, and internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belgrade occupies fifth place on this unfavorable list. The data show that the average resident of Serbia\u2019s capital spends as much as 61.53 percent of their salary simply to keep a roof over their head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the study, Belgrade ranks fifth in Europe by the share of average income required to cover rent and utility costs. Tradingpedia\u2019s analysis found that only four of the 37 surveyed capitals had a worse ratio between wages and housing expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ahead of Belgrade are Rome, where housing costs consume 63 percent of the average salary, Tirana with 66 percent, and Warsaw with 69 percent. At the very top of the list is Lisbon, where rent and utilities account for a staggering 91 percent of the average local income. On the other hand, Brussels ranks as the most affordable capital in this category, with housing expenses consuming only 30 percent of an average salary, followed by Copenhagen at 32 percent, and Stockholm, Sofia, and Bern at 35 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n