Moving to Serbia from Bosnia and Herzegovina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 11.7% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly RSD8,720,000 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Serbia cheaper than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 29.0% more
Groceries
pay 9.7% less
Transportation
pay 0.3% less
Housing
pay 23.9% more
Childcare
pay 6.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Serbia?
What does your salary buy?
BAM130,000 → RSD8,720,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Serbia
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Serbia cost about 28% more than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia, and how the trend has changed.
people born in Bosnia and Herzegovina live in Serbia · UN DESA
Key Indicator Comparison
How Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on safety, though Serbia leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Serbia performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Serbia generally does better on infrastructure, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on employment & economy, though Serbia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Serbia generally does better on family life, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Serbia vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sarajevo | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sarajevo | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) |
| Feb | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) |
| May | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) |
| Jul | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) |
| Sep | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) |
| Nov | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) |
| Dec | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) |
Data:
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia
Can you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. To live, work, or study long-term in Serbia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Serbia's immigration authority.
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Serbia
Visa Free
Serbia passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Serbia than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Day-to-day costs in Serbia run about 12% higher than Bosnia and Herzegovina on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Serbia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BAM130,000 comparable salary, that's around RSD2,180,000 in Serbia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Serbia?
With 33.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Serbia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
Is Serbia safe for expats?
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on safety, though Serbia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is healthcare in Serbia compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).
What's the weather like in Serbia compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in Serbia?
The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
