Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Serbia
54
GoScore
Budget/mo
$650
Salary/mo
$950
Israel
50
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,600
Salary/mo
$3,200
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 50). A 2-year master's costs $20,600 in Serbia — 67% less than Israel, saving $41,800.
Israel wins for working professionals (GoScore 51 vs 49). Professionals in Israel retain $1,220/month after expenses — $1,268/month more than in Serbia.
Serbia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 57). PR takes ~5 years in Serbia vs ~10 years in Israel.
Total cost of attendance in Israel — tuition ($24,000) plus living ($38,400) — is $62,400. In Serbia: $20,600 ($5,000 tuition + $15,600 living).Serbia is 67% cheaper, saving $41,800 over the degree.
In Israel, 20 hrs/week at $12/hr earns $960/month — covering 96% 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 Israel retains $1,220/month from $3,200. In Serbia: $0/month from $950. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $76,080. Tech salaries: $6,000/mo (Israel) vs $2,800/mo (Serbia).
Israel: PR pathway ~10 years. Serbia: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Israel) and 0 months (Serbia). Student visa fee: $110 vs $80.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Israel) and 6.0 (Serbia).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇮🇱 Israel | 🇷🇸 Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 50 | 54 |
| Work GoScore | 51 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 57 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $12,000 | $2,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $1,600 | $650 |
| Avg net salary / month | $3,200 | $950 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $1,500/mo | $620/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 64 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇮🇱 Israel
Israel has the world's 3rd largest number of Nasdaq-listed companies after the US and China — earning it the nickname 'Startup Nation'.
Source: Start-Up Nation Central 2024
Israel spends 5.44% of GDP on R&D — the highest ratio in the world — making it a global centre for cybersecurity, medtech, and agritech.
Source: OECD 2023
Tel Aviv ranks among the top 5 global startup ecosystems, generating over $25 billion in venture funding annually.
Source: Startup Genome 2024
Israel's universal military service creates a unique professional culture — Unit 8200 alumni have founded over 1,000 tech companies.
🇷🇸 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.