Moving to Serbia from South Korea

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from South Korea to Serbia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from South Korea to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 31.7% cheaper than South Korea overall. A ₩100,000,000 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly RSD5,350,000 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Serbian.

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

Is Serbia cheaper than South Korea?

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

Restaurants

pay 40.1% more

Groceries

pay 62.6% less

Transportation

pay 1.1% less

Housing

pay 32.9% less

Childcare

pay 59.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 39.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KRW = 0.0783 RSD (October 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 Serbia?

What does your salary buy?

₩100,000,000 → RSD5,350,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Serbia

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 Serbia cost about 1% more than cities in South Korea.

South Korea

Seoul ★ 50%
Daejeon 45%
Incheon 44%
Suwon 43%

Serbia

Novi Sad 42%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Serbia

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from South Korea to Serbia, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
25 ↓ 4% vs 2015

people born in South Korea live in Serbia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Serbia?

Top countries of origin for Serbia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Korea to Serbia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

KR
0.5
RS
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

KR
6.9
RS
7.4

South Korea performs better than Serbia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

KR
$5,081
RS
$2,303
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

KR
26.1
RS
31.0

Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea 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

KR
19.0
RS
45.0

South Korea performs better than Serbia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

KR
47.8
RS
33.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KR
85.2%
RS
5.7%

South Korea 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

KR
2.7%
RS
7.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

KR
$36,227
RS
$15,262

South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Serbia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

KR
83.6 yrs
RS
76.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KR
2.3
RS
4.6

South Korea 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), The World Factbook (2016–2019), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017). How we calculate this

Weather in Serbia vs South Korea

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Seoul Rain: 55.8 in/yr (1418 mm)
63° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Seoul Belgrade
Jan–Mar 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) 45°/33°F (7°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) 71°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) 79°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) 53°/39°F (11°/4°C)
View all months
Month Seoul Belgrade
Jan 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C)
Feb 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C)
Mar 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C)
May 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C)
Jun 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C)
Jul 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C)
Aug 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C)
Sep 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C)
Oct 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C)
Nov 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C)
Dec 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C)

Data: Korea Meteorological Administration Korea Meteorological Administration, Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia

Can you move from South Korea to Serbia?

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

South Korea passport

South Korea passport holder visiting Serbia

Visa Free
South Korea passport holders can enter Serbia without a visa.
Serbia passport

Serbia passport holder visiting South Korea

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Serbia passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter South Korea.

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 Serbia than South Korea?

Yes — Serbia is on average about 32% cheaper than South Korea. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Serbia?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RSD1,337,500 in Serbia on a ₩100,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Serbia?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Serbia has 33.4 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 Serbia safe for expats?

South Korea performs better than Serbia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea.

How is healthcare in Serbia compared to South Korea?

Serbia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 26.1 in South Korea. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).

What's the weather like in Serbia compared to South Korea?

The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.

What language do they speak in Serbia?

The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.

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At a Glance

KR RS
Population 51,684,564 6,549,143
Currency South Korean Won (₩) Serbian Dinar (RSD)
Languages Korean Serbian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +82 +381
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112