Best Neighbourhoods in Belgrade for Families: Rated by School, Green Space and Rent

Couples without children usually choose their Belgrade neighbourhood by atmosphere: cafés, old-town charm, a short walk to dinner. With children, the priorities shift. Suddenly what matters is how long the trip to nursery or school takes, whether the pushchair fits into the lift, where the nearest playground is and whether the budget stretches to a third room. A neighbourhood that is ideal for singles can become exhausting in daily life for a family with two children.

This article therefore does not rate Belgrade's districts by their character, but by six criteria that are decisive for families. A general description of the neighbourhoods can be found in our overview of the districts of Belgrade (in German). Here the question is which districts of Belgrade really work for families in everyday life.

Belgrade neighbourhoods for families: six criteria

Before you compare apartment listings, it is worth weighting the criteria honestly. Not every criterion matters equally to every family.

1. School and nursery within reach. For international families this is often the strongest criterion, because the German- and English-language schools are concentrated in one part of the city.
2. Green space and playgrounds. In Belgrade, a large park or forest within walking distance replaces the garden that very few rental apartments have.
3. Traffic and the school run. Belgrade is divided by the Sava and the Danube. If you live on the wrong side of the river, you will be stuck in traffic on the bridges every morning.
4. Apartment size and building. Families usually need three rooms or more, a lift and ideally a parking space.
5. Noise. Nightlife, through roads and river clubs affect the sleep of small children far more than the routine of adults.
6. Price level. The differences between the municipalities are large, and for family-sized apartments they add up to considerable absolute amounts.

Where the German- and English-language schools are

The most important geographical fact for international families: the German School Belgrade (Deutsche Schule Belgrad) is located at Petra Čajkovskog 4 in the Senjak neighbourhood, and its kindergarten at Sanje Živanovića 15. Senjak belongs to the municipality of Savski venac. According to school directories, the International School of Belgrade also has both of its campuses in Senjak, and a business directory gives an address in the Dedinje area, likewise in Savski venac, for the British International School. This concentration in the south-west of the inner city shapes where many international families choose to live.

For you, this means: if your child is to attend one of these schools, the distance to Senjak is the yardstick. Neighbourhoods on the same side of the river that border the green belt of Topčider and Košutnjak have a clear advantage. If you live in Novi Beograd or Zemun, the school run means crossing the Sava, and at rush hour the bridges are the city's bottlenecks. Registering with the nursery is a separate topic; what matters here is that you only commit to an apartment once it is clear which institution your child will attend.

What a family apartment in Belgrade costs

For families, figures for one-bedroom apartments are of little help. The price per square metre is more meaningful. In April 2025, the portal imovina.net published guide values for asking rents per municipality. Scaling these values up to a typical three-room family apartment of around 75 square metres gives the following picture:

These figures are approximations based on listings, not signed leases, and utility costs are not included. Individual locations differ considerably: a villa in Dedinje or a new-build apartment with a concierge on the riverfront is well above the average of its municipality. For a basic calculation, the table nevertheless shows that the difference between a central and a slightly more outlying municipality quickly amounts to EUR 300 to 400 a month for a family apartment, which is several thousand euros a year.

The portal metar.rs also notes that families in outer municipalities such as Rakovica, Mirijevo, Borča or Batajnica find more space for less money, but accept longer travel times in return. What you have to pay on moving in, in addition to the rent, is summarised in our article Renting an apartment in Belgrade: costs and process.

Rating matrix: Belgrade neighbourhoods for families compared

The following overview shows how we assess the neighbourhoods from the perspective of international families. It combines the rent guide values above with location, green space and traffic. Two pluses mean that a neighbourhood meets the criterion well, a minus means that families have to make compromises here.

Senjak and Dedinje: short school runs, high costs

If your children are enrolled at the German School or at an international school, this is where you will find the shortest routes. Topčider Park and the Košutnjak forest are right on the doorstep, so green space is not something you have to give up. The downside is the price: Savski venac is one of the expensive municipalities, and many properties are houses rather than apartments. For daily shopping and children's leisure activities, families here usually depend on a car.

Čukarica: the underrated compromise

Čukarica is rarely mentioned in expat guides, but from a family's point of view it meets many criteria at once. The municipality lies on the same side of the river as Senjak, the bathing island and recreation area Ada Ciganlija belongs to it, and the Košutnjak forest borders it. At around EUR 9.80 per square metre, the guide value in April 2025 was well below Savski venac. For families who want a short school run to Senjak but do not have the budget for Dedinje, the Banovo brdo area in particular is worth a viewing. Building quality varies widely, so check the lift, the heating and the condition of the stairwell carefully.

Vračar: central, but cramped

Vračar is popular with newcomers from German-speaking countries, and the distance to Senjak is manageable. For families, the neighbourhood has two typical weaknesses: the green spaces are small parks rather than large open areas, and many older buildings have no lift. A pushchair on the fourth floor without a lift is no longer a minor detail after three months. If you choose Vračar, look specifically for new or renovated buildings with a lift and parking, and budget for the highest price per square metre in our rent overview.

Novi Beograd: plenty of space, but the river in between

Novi Beograd offers the largest choice of apartments with three or more rooms, often in residential blocks with green spaces and playgrounds between the buildings. The riverside promenades along the Sava and the Danube and Ušće Park are well suited to pushchairs and bicycles. If the school is in Senjak, however, the daily trip across the bridges becomes a burden. For families whose children attend a Serbian school in Novi Beograd, or whose workplace is in the district, this weakness disappears. For apartments on the riverfront, check whether there are river clubs (splavovi) nearby, which can be loud late into the night in summer.

Zemun and Zvezdara: cheaper, quieter, further out

Both municipalities are priced well below the centre, and with the Danube bank in Zemun and the Zvezdara forest park they offer good places for outings right on the doorstep. For families with children at the German School, however, the journeys are long, and from Zemun they involve crossing the river. Both neighbourhoods are interesting for families whose children attend an institution nearby, or for families in which one parent works from home and takes over the school run by car.

Stari grad and Dorćol: for families only with compromises

The historic centre has a large park in Kalemegdan, but because of noise, a lack of parking and many small apartments in old buildings it is only partly suitable for families. With asking rents of around EUR 15 per square metre, Stari grad is also one of the most expensive municipalities. With babies and toddlers, a quiet inner courtyard can change the equation; in that case, check during an evening viewing how loud the street really is.

Worked example: think about rent and school run together

Suppose your family is looking for 75 square metres and both children attend the German School Belgrade. You compare an apartment in Vračar with one in Čukarica:

A difference of around EUR 5,100 a year is a noticeable sum, especially if school or nursery fees at a private institution come on top; ask the school directly for its current fee schedule. Whether the compromise is worthwhile depends on what living in the centre is worth to you. But the calculation shows that the most expensive neighbourhood is not automatically the most family-friendly one.

Another point speaks in favour of the cheaper neighbourhoods: since the beginning of 2025, passengers on Belgrade's buses, trams and trolleybuses no longer pay a fare. Older schoolchildren who travel on their own and families without a second car benefit from this in particular. Check beforehand whether the arrangement still applies at the time of your move.

How to check a neighbourhood on site

A viewing on a Saturday morning shows a different neighbourhood from the school run on a Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. On an exploration trip, proceed as follows:

• Travel the route to the school or nursery you want at the real time of day, once by car and once by bus or tram.
• Walk to the nearest playground and the nearest larger park, at a realistic pushchair or child's pace.
• Visit the street on a Friday evening to judge the noise from restaurants, bars and traffic.
• Ask in the building about the lift, parking, the type of heating and the condition of the playground in the courtyard.
• Check where the nearest paediatrician, the nearest pharmacy and a larger supermarket are.

How to then search for apartments in practice and recognise fraudulent offers is explained in our tips for finding an apartment in Belgrade (in German).

How Exgentum helps

Exgentum is not an estate agent in the classic sense and gives no guarantee of school places or rents. As part of our relocation support (page in German), we organise exploration days for families in the neighbourhoods that match your criteria, coordinate viewings, drive the school run with you at rush hour on request and accompany you through to the handover of the apartment. You can talk to us in German or English throughout. Only the school decides on a school place, and if you wish you can have a lease checked by a lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Which neighbourhood in Belgrade is best for families?

That depends above all on the school. Families with children at the German School or at an international school are well placed in Senjak, Dedinje and the adjacent parts of Čukarica. Without a tie to these schools, Novi Beograd, Zemun and Zvezdara offer more space for the money.

Where is the German School Belgrade?

The school is at Petra Čajkovskog 4 in the Senjak neighbourhood in the municipality of Savski venac, and the kindergarten is at Sanje Živanovića 15.

What does a three-room apartment for a family in Belgrade cost?

If you scale the asking rents from April 2025 up to 75 square metres, central municipalities come to around EUR 1,000 to 1,160 and municipalities such as Zemun or Čukarica to about EUR 735 to 765 a month, excluding utilities.

Is Novi Beograd suitable for families?

Yes, if school or workplace are on the same side of the river. The district offers large apartments and plenty of green space between the blocks. For children at schools in Senjak, however, the trip across the bridges becomes long at rush hour.

Should I look for the apartment or the school first?

The school or nursery first. The location of the institution shapes everyday life more than any feature of the apartment.

Conclusion

The best neighbourhoods in Belgrade for families are not necessarily the best-known expat districts. If you are enrolling your children at the German School or at an international school, you should look at Senjak, Dedinje and above all the often overlooked Čukarica, which combines short routes to Senjak, large green spaces and significantly lower rents. Novi Beograd offers the most space but requires the daily trip across the bridges. Decide on the school or nursery first, calculate rent and school run together, and test your two or three favourites on site at the real time of day before you sign a lease.