Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Serbia
54
GoScore
Budget/mo
$650
Salary/mo
$950
Georgia
51
GoScore
Budget/mo
$600
Salary/mo
$770
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 51). A 2-year master's costs $20,400 in Georgia — 1% less than Serbia, saving $200.
Serbia wins for working professionals (GoScore 49 vs 45). Professionals in Serbia retain $-48/month after expenses — $134/month more than in Georgia.
Serbia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 60). PR takes ~5 years in Serbia vs ~6 years in Georgia.
Total cost of attendance in Georgia — tuition ($6,000) plus living ($14,400) — is $20,400. In Serbia: $20,600 ($5,000 tuition + $15,600 living).Georgia is 1% cheaper, saving $200 over the degree.
In Georgia, 20 hrs/week at $3/hr earns $240/month — covering 60% 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 Georgia retains $0/month from $770. In Serbia: $0/month from $950. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $8,040. Tech salaries: $1,800/mo (Georgia) vs $2,800/mo (Serbia).
Georgia: PR pathway ~6 years. Serbia: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Georgia) and 0 months (Serbia). Student visa fee: $50 vs $80.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Georgia) and 6.0 (Serbia). Georgia has a lower threshold — beneficial for applicants close to their target band. Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 🇷🇸 Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 51 | 54 |
| Work GoScore | 45 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 60 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $3,000 | $2,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $600 | $650 |
| Avg net salary / month | $770 | $950 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $650/mo | $620/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 6 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 71 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇬🇪 Georgia
Georgia (the country) allows citizens of 95 countries to enter and stay for up to 365 days visa-free — the world's most open visa policy.
Source: MFA Georgia 2024
Tbilisi's cost of living is 70% below Western Europe — making it the most popular destination for European digital nomads.
Source: Nomad List 2024
Georgia has a flat 20% income tax rate and a territorial tax system — income earned outside Georgia is not taxed.
Source: Revenue Service Georgia 2024
Georgia was listed as one of the world's top wine regions — having invented wine 8,000 years ago in clay vessels called qvevri.
🇷🇸 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.