Moving to Serbia from Bosnia and Herzegovina

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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 23.5% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM128,429 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly RSD8,918,514 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia.

What does your salary buy?

BAM128,429 RSD8,918,514

To maintain the same standard of living in Serbia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 23.4% more

Groceries

pay 8.9% less

Transportation

pay 5.5% more

Housing

pay 32.5% more

Childcare

pay 71.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 18.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BAM = 59.99 RSD (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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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.

Living there in 2020
342,526 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Bosnia and Herzegovina live in Serbia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Serbia?

Top countries of origin for Serbia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

BA
1.1
RS
1.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BA
13.7
RS
7.4

Serbia performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BA
$1,989
RS
$2,303
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

BA
23.2
RS
28.4

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BA
55.0
RS
45.0

Serbia performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BA
27.1
RS
29.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BA
2.0%
RS
5.7%

Serbia generally does better on infrastructure, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BA
10.4%
RS
8.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BA
$19,900
RS
$24,500

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on employment & economy, though Serbia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BA
78.0 yrs
RS
74.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BA
5.2
RS
4.8

Serbia generally does better on family life, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in life expectancy.

Data: Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Sarajevo Rain: 37.4 in/yr (950 mm)
62° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Belgrade Rain: 26.9 in/yr (683 mm)
62° / 46°F

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 Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Serbia

Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holders can enter Serbia without a visa.
Serbia passport

Serbia passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visa Free
Serbia passport holders can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa.

Data: 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 16% 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 BAM128,429 comparable salary, that's around RSD2,229,628 in Serbia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Serbia?

With 29.3 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?

Serbia performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 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 28.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 23.2 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.

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At a Glance

BA RS
Population 3,816,459 6,739,471
Currency Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM) Serbian Dinar (RSD)
Languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Serbian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +387 +381
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112