---
title: "Niš vs Sarajevo for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/nis-vs-sarajevo
description: "Under balanced weights Niš edges it, 56 to 55, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Niš is stronger on climate; Sarajevo on internet, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Niš vs Sarajevo for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Niš edges it, 56 to 55, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Niš is stronger on climate; Sarajevo on internet, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Niš leads on climate, 42 to 25, against Sarajevo. Comfortable months: 5 vs 3.
- **Internet.** Sarajevo leads on internet, 68 to 52, against Niš. Measured download: 16.9 Mbps vs 38.6 Mbps.
- **Air quality.** Sarajevo leads on air quality, 54 to 43, against Niš. PM2.5: 30.6 µg/m³ vs 25.6 µg/m³.

Where they are close: within five points on cost of living, healthcare, safety, visa ease.

**Pick Niš if you want** a longer comfortable season (5 months against 3).

**Pick Sarajevo if you want** to spend about $50 less a month; faster internet (38.6 Mbps measured); cleaner air.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Niš | Sarajevo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 65 | 67 | Sarajevo |
| Safety | 68 | 67 | Niš |
| Healthcare | 73 | 71 | Niš |
| Internet | 52 | 68 | Sarajevo |
| Visa ease | 46 | 46 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 36 | 30 | Niš |
| Climate | 42 | 25 | Niš |
| Air quality | 43 | 54 | Sarajevo |
| Quality of life | 76 | 66 | Niš |

## Cost

| Metric | Niš | Sarajevo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,200 | $1,150 | Sarajevo |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Niš | Sarajevo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.89 | 0.98 | Niš |
| Political stability (0–100) | 59.9 | 59.6 | Niš |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 73 | 64 | Niš |
| Life expectancy | 76.2 yrs | 78.7 yrs | Sarajevo |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Niš | Sarajevo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 16.9 Mbps | 38.6 Mbps | Sarajevo |
| Upload | 3.8 Mbps | 9.2 Mbps | Sarajevo |

## Visa

| Metric | Niš | Sarajevo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Niš | Sarajevo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 113 | 37 | Niš |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Sarajevo |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Niš | Sarajevo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 3 | Niš |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 30.6 µg/m³ | 25.6 µg/m³ | Sarajevo |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Niš or Sarajevo?

Sarajevo is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,200 for one person.

### Is Niš or Sarajevo safer?

Niš scores higher on safety (68 vs 67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Niš or Sarajevo?

Sarajevo: a measured median of 38.6 Mbps versus 16.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Niš](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nis) · [Sarajevo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sarajevo). 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); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/nis-vs-sarajevo
