Moving to Serbia from Portugal

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Serbia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Portugal to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 17.7% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €64,304 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly RSD5,658,675 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Serbian.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Portugal to Serbia.

What does your salary buy?

€64,304 RSD5,658,675

To maintain the same standard of living in Serbia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 5.7% less

Groceries

pay 20.5% less

Transportation

pay 19.2% less

Housing

pay 30.5% less

Childcare

pay 42.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 19.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 117.43 RSD (June 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 Portugal to Serbia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
38 ↓ 3% vs 2015

people born in Portugal 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 Portugal 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

PT
0.8
RS
1.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PT
7.2
RS
7.4

Portugal performs better than Serbia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PT
$4,928
RS
$2,303
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PT
57.7
RS
28.4

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PT
10.0
RS
45.0

Portugal performs better than Serbia 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

PT
43.5
RS
29.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PT
12.3%
RS
5.7%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PT
6.5%
RS
8.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PT
$41,700
RS
$24,500

Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Serbia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PT
81.5 yrs
RS
74.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PT
2.5
RS
4.8

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

Data: Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lisbon Rain: 29.6 in/yr (751 mm)
69° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lisbon Belgrade
Jan–Mar 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) 45°/33°F (7°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) 71°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 79°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) 53°/39°F (11°/4°C)
View all months
Month Lisbon Belgrade
Jan 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C)
Feb 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C)
Mar 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C)
Apr 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C)
May 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C)
Jun 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C)
Jul 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C)
Aug 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C)
Sep 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C)
Oct 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C)
Nov 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C)

Data: Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.

Portugal passport

Portugal passport holder visiting Serbia

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

Serbia passport holder visiting Portugal

Visa Free
Serbia passport holders can enter Portugal 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 Portugal?

Generally yes: Serbia runs about 25% cheaper than Portugal on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

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 €64,304 comparable salary, that's around RSD1,414,669 in Serbia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 Portugal and Serbia.

Is Serbia safe for expats?

Portugal performs better than Serbia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.

How is healthcare in Serbia compared to Portugal?

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 28.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).

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

The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.

What language do they speak in Serbia?

The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.

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At a Glance

PT RS
Population 10,242,081 6,739,471
Currency Euro (€) Serbian Dinar (RSD)
Languages Portuguese Serbian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +351 +381
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 112 112