Moving to Canada from Serbia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Serbia to Canada? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Serbia to Canada, you would find that Canada is 75.8% more expensive than Serbia overall. A RSD7,694,475 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly CA$157,858 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 62°F in Belgrade, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Serbia and Canada.
What does your salary buy?
RSD7,694,475 → CA$157,858
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 29.9% more
Groceries
pay 2.0 times more
Transportation
pay 39.1% more
Housing
pay 2.5 times more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1 times 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.
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 Canada cost about 20% more than cities in Serbia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Serbia to Canada.
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
42.35,885
Serbia
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Canada compared to Serbia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Serbia generally does better on safety, though Canada 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
Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Canada performs significantly better than Serbia 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
Canada performs significantly better than Serbia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Serbia leads in top income tax 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
Canada performs significantly better than Serbia across all family life metrics.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Belgrade | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Belgrade | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Serbia and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.
Serbia passport holder visiting Canada
Visa Required
Canada passport holder visiting Serbia
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 Canada than Serbia?
On average Canada is around 50% pricier than Serbia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Budget about CA$39,464 for 3 months in Canada (based on a RSD7,694,475 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
Connectivity is usually fine (Canada: 42.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Canada offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Canada safe for expats?
Serbia generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Serbia.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Serbia?
Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 28.4 in Serbia. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Serbia: 72).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Serbia?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 62°F in Belgrade. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Belgrade gets 26.9 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Serbia, the official language is Serbian.
