Moving to Russia from Serbia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Serbia to Russia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Serbia to Russia, you would find that Russia is 2.1% more expensive than Serbia overall. A RSD7,900,000 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly RUB6,560,000 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Moscow averages 48°F vs 62°F in Belgrade, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Serbia to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
RSD7,900,000 → RUB6,560,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 18.1% less
Groceries
pay 1.0% more
Transportation
pay 28.0% less
Housing
pay 17.6% more
Childcare
pay 47.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.0% 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 Russia cost about 13% less than cities in Serbia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Serbia to Russia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Serbia performs better than Russia 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
Russia 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
Russia 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
Russia generally does better on infrastructure, though Serbia 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
Russia performs significantly better than Serbia across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Russia generally does better on family life, though Serbia 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), Federal Tax Service of Russia (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 | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Belgrade | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Serbia and Russia. To live, work, or study long-term in Russia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Russia's immigration authority.
Serbia passport holder visiting Russia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Russia 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 Russia than Serbia?
Costs in Russia and Serbia are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RUB1,640,000 in Russia 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 Russia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Russia has 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Russia safe for expats?
Serbia performs better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Serbia.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Serbia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 31.0 in Serbia. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Serbia: 72).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Serbia?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 62°F in Belgrade. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Belgrade gets 26.9 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Serbia, the official language is Serbian.
