Moving to United Arab Emirates from Serbia

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Serbia to United Arab Emirates — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Serbia to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 67.2% more expensive than Serbia overall. A RSD7,900,000 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly AED460,000 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dubai averages 91°F vs 62°F in Belgrade, making it significantly warmer.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is United Arab Emirates cheaper than Serbia?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 21.8% less

Groceries

pay 20.1% more

Transportation

pay 6.5% less

Housing

pay 3.4 times more

Childcare

pay 46.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.6 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RSD = 0.0348 AED (November 2026)

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 United Arab Emirates?

What does your salary buy?

RSD7,900,000 → AED460,000

To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates

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 United Arab Emirates cost about 4% more than cities in Serbia.

Serbia

Novi Sad 42%

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 58%
Al Ain 42%
Fujairah 35%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to United Arab Emirates

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

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Serbia to United Arab Emirates.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

RS
1.3
AE
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RS
7.4
AE
5.9

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Serbia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

RS
$2,303
AE
$3,727
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

RS
31.0
AE
29.9

Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

RS
45.0
AE
70.0

Serbia performs better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RS
33.4
AE
40.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RS
5.7%
AE
1509.9%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Serbia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RS
7.1%
AE
2.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RS
$15,262
AE
$50,274

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Serbia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

RS
76.0 yrs
AE
83.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RS
4.6
AE
3.8

United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though Serbia leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2003). How we calculate this

Weather in United Arab Emirates vs Serbia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Belgrade Rain: 26.9 in/yr (683 mm)
62° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Dubai Rain: 3.7 in/yr (94 mm)
91° / 70°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Belgrade Dubai
Jan–Mar 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) 97°/74°F (36°/23°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) 104°/83°F (40°/28°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) 87°/66°F (31°/19°C)
View all months
Month Belgrade Dubai
Jan 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) 75°/57°F (24.0°/13.7°C)
Feb 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) 76°/58°F (24.6°/14.5°C)
Mar 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) 90°/68°F (32.4°/20.1°C)
May 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) 98°/74°F (36.8°/23.5°C)
Jun 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) 102°/79°F (38.8°/26.1°C)
Jul 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) 105°/84°F (40.6°/28.9°C)
Aug 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) 105°/85°F (40.4°/29.3°C)
Sep 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) 102°/79°F (38.7°/26.3°C)
Oct 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) 95°/73°F (35.1°/22.7°C)
Nov 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) 87°/65°F (30.5°/18.3°C)
Dec 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.4°C)

Data: Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

Can you move from Serbia to United Arab Emirates?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Serbia and United Arab Emirates. To live, work, or study long-term in United Arab Emirates, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Arab Emirates's immigration authority.

Serbia passport

Serbia passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Free
Serbia passport holders can enter United Arab Emirates without a visa.
United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Serbia

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter Serbia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in United Arab Emirates than Serbia?

No — United Arab Emirates is on average about 67% more expensive than Serbia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly AED115,000 in United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates?

Internet is rarely the blocker — United Arab Emirates has 40.8 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 United Arab Emirates safe for expats?

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Serbia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Serbia.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Serbia?

Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index. There are 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 31.0 in Serbia. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Serbia: 72).

What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Serbia?

The average high temperature in Dubai is 91°F, compared to 62°F in Belgrade. Dubai receives around 3.7 in of rainfall per year, while Belgrade gets 26.9 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Serbia, the official language is Serbian.

Share this

At a Glance

RS AE
Population 6,549,143 11,513,149
Currency Serbian Dinar (RSD) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages Serbian Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +381 +971
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 999