The average salary in Serbia once again does not cover the cost of the official average consumer basket, according to an analysis by Nova Ekonomija based on data from the Ministry of Trade. Although wages have nominally increased, they remain insufficient to meet basic living costs calculated by official statistics, highlighting the continued pressure on household budgets.
The gap becomes even more pronounced when compared to the so-called “real consumer basket,” calculated by trade unions to better reflect actual living expenses.
This real basket is around 60,000 dinars more expensive than the official one, reaching more than 168,000 dinars per month for a three-member household, while the official basket stands at just over 109,000 dinars.
Trade unions argue that the official consumer basket underestimates real costs, as it does not fully account for expenses such as healthcare, education, utilities and other essential goods and services. As a result, even households earning the average wage struggle to cover everyday needs, reinforcing concerns over declining living standards despite wage growth.
