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 3.4% more expensive than Serbia overall. A RSD7,694,475 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly RON323,782 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?
RSD7,694,475 → RON323,782
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 0.9% more
Groceries
pay 2.6% more
Transportation
pay 15.2% less
Housing
pay 20.8% less
Childcare
pay 56.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.6% 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 15% 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 performs better than Romania across all safety metrics.
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
Serbia generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in unemployment 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.
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 | 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?
Generally yes: Romania runs about 6% cheaper than Serbia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 RSD7,694,475 comparable salary, that's around RON80,946 in Romania for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Romania?
With 32.4 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 performs better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 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 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 28.4 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.
