Moving to Serbia from Turkey
What to Expect
Considering a move from Turkey to Serbia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Turkey to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 0.8% cheaper than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly RSD7,750,000 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 Turkey?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 31.9% more
Groceries
pay 22.1% more
Transportation
pay 4.8% less
Housing
pay 9.0% less
Childcare
pay 52.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.8% less
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?
TRY3,700,000 → RSD7,750,000
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 3% more than cities in Turkey.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Serbia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Turkey to Serbia.
Who's moving to Serbia?
Top countries of origin for Serbia's foreign-born residents.
- 342,526
- 288,708
- 72,596
- 47,637
- 16,392
- 11,139
- · · ·
-
28.394
Turkey
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Serbia compared to Turkey.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Serbia 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
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Turkey performs 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
Serbia generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in internet access.
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
Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though Serbia 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 Turkey leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Serbia vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia
Can you move from Turkey to Serbia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.
Turkey passport holder visiting Serbia
Visa Free
Serbia passport holder visiting Turkey
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 Serbia than Turkey?
Serbia and Turkey are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Serbia?
Budget about RSD1,937,500 for 3 months in Serbia (based on a TRY3,700,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Serbia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Serbia: 33.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Serbia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Serbia safe for expats?
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Serbia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.
How is healthcare in Serbia compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in Serbia compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Serbia?
The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
