Moving to New York from Serbia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Serbia to New York — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Serbia to New York, you would find that New York is 2.6 times more expensive than Serbia overall. A RSD7,900,000 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly $197,000 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is New York cheaper than Serbia?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 70.9% more
Groceries
pay 2.4 times more
Transportation
pay 30.1% more
Housing
pay 4.8 times more
Childcare
pay 5.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.6 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.
What salary do you need in New York?
What does your salary buy?
RSD7,900,000 → $197,000
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
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 New York cost about 56% more than cities in Serbia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to New York
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Serbia to New York, based on official data.
people moved from Serbia to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
103.39,837
Serbia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Serbia to New York.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Serbia performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New York 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
share of people below the poverty line
New York performs significantly better than Serbia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
New York performs significantly better than Serbia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in New York vs Serbia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Belgrade | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) | 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) | 54°/41°F (12°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Belgrade | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) | 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) | 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) | 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) | 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C) |
| May | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) | 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C) |
| Jul | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) | 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) | 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) | 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) | 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) | 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C) |
Data:
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Serbia to New York?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Serbia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Serbia passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 New York than Serbia?
No — New York is on average about 162% more expensive than Serbia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $49,250 in New York on a RSD7,900,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from New York?
Usually fine from major cities in New York. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in New York compared to Serbia?
Serbia performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New York compared to Serbia?
The average high temperature in New York City is 62°F, compared to 62°F in Belgrade. New York City receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Belgrade gets 26.9 in.
What language do they speak in New York?
The official language in New York is English. In Serbia, the official language is Serbian.
