Moving to Romania from Serbia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Serbia to Romania — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Serbia to Romania, you would find that Romania is 1.4% cheaper than Serbia overall. A RSD7,900,000 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly RON355,000 in Romania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Romanian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Serbia to Romania.
What does your salary buy?
RSD7,900,000 → RON355,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.5% less
Groceries
pay 0.7% less
Transportation
pay 9.9% less
Housing
pay 0.1% less
Childcare
pay 36.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.4% 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 Romania cost about 23% less than cities in Serbia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Serbia to Romania, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Serbia and Romania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Serbia generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate.
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
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Serbia performs better than Romania 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
Serbia generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Romania 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Serbia generally does better on family life, though Romania leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Belgrade | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Belgrade | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia,
National Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Serbia and Romania. To live, work, or study long-term in Romania, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Romania's immigration authority.
Serbia passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania 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 Romania than Serbia?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Romania and Serbia; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RSD7,900,000 comparable salary, that's around RON88,750 in Romania for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Romania?
With 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Romania can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Serbia and Romania.
Is Romania safe for expats?
Serbia generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Serbia.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to Serbia?
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 31.0 in Serbia. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Serbia: 72).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to Serbia?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 62°F in Belgrade. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Belgrade gets 26.9 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Serbia, the official language is Serbian.
