Ho Chi Minh City vs Sarajevo
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ho Chi Minh City edges it, 54 to 54, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Ho Chi Minh City is stronger on cost of living; Sarajevo on visa ease, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 84 ✓ | 59 |
| Safety | 68 ✓ | 63 |
| Healthcare | 65 ✓ | 62 |
| Internet | 59 | 63 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 33 | 46 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 31 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 25 |
| Air quality | 59 | 70 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 58 | 63 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $677 ✓ | $1,198 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $684 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.9 | 1.4 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 66 ✓ | 57.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 ✓ | 64 |
| Life expectancy | 73.8 yrs | 74.8 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 26.2 Mbps | 38.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 22.2 Mbps ✓ | 9.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | 90 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 45 days | 90 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 45 days | 90 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 94 ✓ | 39 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Ho Chi Minh City | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.5 µg/m³ | 18.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Sarajevo?
- Ho Chi Minh City is cheaper: about $677 per month versus $1,198 for one person.
- Is Ho Chi Minh City or Sarajevo safer?
- Ho Chi Minh City scores higher on safety (68 vs 63), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Ho Chi Minh City or Sarajevo?
- Sarajevo: a measured median of 38.6 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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.