Moving to Serbia from Hungary

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Hungary to Serbia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Hungary to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 17.8% cheaper than Hungary overall. A HUF24,000,000 salary in Hungary would need to be roughly RSD6,380,000 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Serbian.

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Is Serbia cheaper than Hungary?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.1% less

Groceries

pay 24.3% less

Transportation

pay 3.4% less

Housing

pay 27.3% less

Childcare

pay 17.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 25.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HUF = 0.3233 RSD (October 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.

What salary do you need in Serbia?

What does your salary buy?

HUF24,000,000 → RSD6,380,000

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 11% more than cities in Hungary.

Hungary

Serbia

Novi Sad 42%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Hungary to Serbia, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
1,833 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Hungary 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Hungary to Serbia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

HU
0.7
RS
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HU
7.4
RS
7.4

Hungary performs better than Serbia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

HU
$2,875
RS
$2,303
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HU
34.6
RS
31.0

Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary 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

HU
42.0
RS
45.0

Hungary performs better than Serbia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HU
37.5
RS
33.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HU
8.1%
RS
5.7%

Hungary generally does better on infrastructure, though Serbia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

HU
4.5%
RS
7.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

HU
$25,907
RS
$15,262

Hungary performs better than Serbia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

HU
76.7 yrs
RS
76.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HU
3.1
RS
4.6

Hungary generally does better on family life, though Serbia leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (2016), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Weather in Serbia vs Hungary

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Budapest Rain: 21.0 in/yr (534 mm)
60° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Budapest Belgrade
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C) 45°/33°F (7°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) 71°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) 79°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) 53°/39°F (11°/4°C)
View all months
Month Budapest Belgrade
Jan 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C) 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C)
Feb 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C) 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C)
Apr 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C) 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C)
May 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C) 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C) 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C)
Jul 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C) 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C)
Aug 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C) 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C)
Sep 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C) 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C)
Oct 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C) 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C)
Nov 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C) 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C)
Dec 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C) 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C)

Data: Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service, Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

Can you move from Hungary to Serbia?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Hungary 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.

Hungary passport

Hungary passport holder visiting Serbia

Visa Free
Hungary passport holders can enter Serbia without a visa.
Serbia passport

Serbia passport holder visiting Hungary

Visa Free
Serbia passport holders can enter Hungary 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 Hungary?

Yes — Serbia is on average about 18% cheaper than Hungary. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Serbia?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RSD1,595,000 in Serbia on a HUF24,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Serbia?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Serbia has 33.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Serbia safe for expats?

Hungary performs better than Serbia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Hungary.

How is healthcare in Serbia compared to Hungary?

Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 34.6 in Hungary. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Hungary: 79).

What's the weather like in Serbia compared to Hungary?

The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 60°F in Budapest. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Budapest gets 21.0 in.

What language do they speak in Serbia?

The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In Hungary, the official language is Hungarian.

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At a Glance

HU RS
Population 9,514,251 6,549,143
Currency Hungarian Forint (HUF) Serbian Dinar (RSD)
Languages Hungarian Serbian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +36 +381
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112