Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Serbia
54
GoScore
Budget/mo
$650
Salary/mo
$950
Hungary
48
GoScore
Budget/mo
$605
Salary/mo
$1,100
AI insights unavailable
Study Abroad GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 · Weights: affordability, PR pathway, safety, career & quality of life
Key Comparison Metrics
Public university tuition / year
Monthly student budget
Part-time wage / hour
Student visa fee
Post-study work visa
IELTS band required
Safety index
Quick Verdict — 2026
Serbia wins for students (GoScore 54 vs 48). A 2-year master's costs $20,600 in Serbia — 2% less than Hungary, saving $520.
Serbia wins for working professionals (GoScore 49 vs 43). Professionals in Hungary retain $111/month after expenses — $159/month more than in Serbia.
Serbia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 54). PR takes ~5 years in Serbia vs ~8 years in Hungary.
Total cost of attendance in Hungary — tuition ($6,600) plus living ($14,520) — is $21,120. In Serbia: $20,600 ($5,000 tuition + $15,600 living).Serbia is 2% cheaper, saving $520 over the degree.
In Hungary, 20 hrs/week at $3/hr earns $253/month — covering 57% of outside-city rent. In Serbia, the same hours earn $320/month — covering 80% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Hungary retains $111/month from $1,100. In Serbia: $0/month from $950. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $9,540. Tech salaries: $2,200/mo (Hungary) vs $2,800/mo (Serbia).
Hungary: PR pathway ~8 years. Serbia: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 6 months (Hungary) and 0 months (Serbia). Student visa fee: $110 vs $80.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Hungary) and 6.0 (Serbia).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 🇷🇸 Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 48 | 54 |
| Work GoScore | 43 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 54 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $3,300 | $2,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $605 | $650 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,100 | $950 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $605/mo | $620/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 6 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 8 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 65 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇭🇺 Hungary
Hungary has the EU's most competitive R&D tax credit — companies get 200% deduction on qualifying research expenditure — driving strong demand for engineers and scientists.
Source: HIPA 2024
Budapest's thermal bath culture and UNESCO World Heritage city centre make it Europe's most affordable capital city with Western infrastructure.
Hungary's White Card Digital Nomad Visa (2024) allows remote workers to live in Hungary for 1 year, renewable, with minimal income requirements.
Source: OIF Hungary 2024
Hungarian and Transylvanian mathematicians have disproportionately shaped modern computer science — John von Neumann, born in Budapest, invented the computer architecture used in all modern computers.
🇷🇸 Serbia
Belgrade's tech scene grew 25% in 2023 — Serbia now has the highest concentration of STEM graduates per capita in Southeast Europe.
Source: ICT Hub Serbia 2024
Serbia allows digital nomad residency with low income requirements — popular for EU-adjacent living at Central Asian costs.
Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia (then part of the Austrian Empire) — reflecting a long national tradition of engineering excellence.
Serbia's flat 10% income tax rate is one of the lowest in Europe.
Source: Tax Administration Serbia 2024
Popular Comparisons
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Data Sources
Editorial
Compiled by mockDe Editorial Team
Verified by IELTS-certified advisors with study-abroad counselling experience.
Freshness
Data reflects 2026 benchmarks.
Last reviewed June 2026.
AI verdict cached permanently; regenerated on data change.
All figures in USD. AI insights by Gemini Pro. Values are indicative — verify official sources before making relocation decisions.