Belgrade vs Ho Chi Minh City
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Belgrade edges it, 58 to 54, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Belgrade is stronger on quality of life, visa ease, getting there & around; Ho Chi Minh City on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Belgrade | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 75 | 84 ✓ |
| Safety | 66 | 68 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 64 | 65 ✓ |
| Internet | 60 ✓ | 59 |
| Visa ease | 46 ✓ | 33 |
| Getting there & around | 36 ✓ | 23 |
| Climate | 42 ✓ | 33 |
| Air quality | 64 ✓ | 59 |
| Quality of life | 74 ✓ | 58 |
Cost
| Metric | Belgrade | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $833 | $677 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $684 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Belgrade | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 ✓ | 1.9 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 63 | 66 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 73 ✓ | 71 |
| Life expectancy | 72.8 yrs | 73.8 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Belgrade | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 33.1 Mbps ✓ | 26.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 10 Mbps | 22.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Belgrade | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days ✓ | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days ✓ | 45 days |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days ✓ | 45 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Belgrade | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 111 ✓ | 94 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Belgrade | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 21.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 23.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Belgrade or Ho Chi Minh City?
- Ho Chi Minh City is cheaper: about $677 per month versus $833 for one person.
- Is Belgrade or Ho Chi Minh City safer?
- Ho Chi Minh City scores higher on safety (68 vs 66), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Belgrade or Ho Chi Minh City?
- Belgrade: a measured median of 33.1 Mbps versus 26.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
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Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.