Moving to Serbia from China
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from China to Serbia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from China to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 27.7% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly RSD9,970,000 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Serbian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Serbia cheaper than China?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.7 times more
Groceries
pay 0.7% more
Transportation
pay 48.9% more
Housing
pay 31.9% more
Childcare
pay 55.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.8% less
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?
CN¥500,000 → RSD9,970,000
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 54% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from China to Serbia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Serbia?
Top countries of origin for Serbia's foreign-born residents.
- 342,526
- 288,708
- 72,596
- 47,637
- 16,392
- 11,139
- · · ·
-
14.1,796
China
Key Indicator Comparison
How China 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
China 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
China performs better than Serbia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Serbia performs significantly better than China 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
China generally does better on infrastructure, though Serbia 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
China generally does better on employment & economy, though Serbia leads in gdp per capita.
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
China generally does better on family life, though Serbia leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Serbia vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia
Can you move from China to Serbia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Serbia
Visa Free
Serbia passport holder visiting China
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 China?
Day-to-day costs in Serbia run about 28% higher than China 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 CN¥500,000 comparable salary, that's around RSD2,492,500 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 China and Serbia.
Is Serbia safe for expats?
China 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 0.5 in China.
How is healthcare in Serbia compared to China?
China performs better than Serbia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 31.1 in China. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Serbia compared to China?
The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in Serbia?
The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In China, the official language is Chinese.
