TL;DRBelgrade is 16% cheaper on rent ($904/mo vs $1,082/mo). Serbia gets you to permanent residency 2 years faster (3 vs 5 years). Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Belgrade edges ahead 70 to 63. Bali isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇷🇸 Belgrade

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇮🇩 Bali

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Belgrade vs Novi Sad

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Bali

Metric

Belgrade

✓$268/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$551/mo

✓$2,914

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$3,462

70 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

74 / 100✓

✓0.3 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.0 / 100k

11.3 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

7.4 / 100k✓

49 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

62 / 100✓

84°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

81°F

77°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

30°F

36 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

68 Mbps✓

20 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

20.6 μg/m³

52 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

69 / 100✓

6.4 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

6.3 / 10

✓3.9 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

1.8 / 9

12 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

36 / 100✓

25/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

56/100✓

$16k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$33k✓

✓2.2% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

4.7% · Boringly steady

60/100 — Patchy

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

58/100 — Patchy

✓56/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

53/100

A median Software Engineer in Bali takes home $962/mo under Standard employee. In Belgrade: $4,489/mo under Standard employee.

$3,526/mo more in Belgrade

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$13k

💰

Gross income

$61k

−$1k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−−$5k

−$525

🛡️

Social contributions

−$12k

$12k/yr

$962/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$54k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$27k

🏠

Cost of living

−$29k

−$15k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$25k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Belgrade

$178/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Bali

0.3 homicides per 100k

☀️

Weather

—

84°F vs 81°F summers

🗣️

English

Belgrade

higher proficiency score

📋

Residency

Belgrade

PR in 3 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

29% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

54% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

12.6h

Shortest day

Dec

8.8h

11.6h

Longest day

Jun

15.6h

Sun clocks out early in Belgrade's winter. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

Inflation trend

improving ↑

tourismhospitalitydigital-nomadsurfing-culture

Industries

ict-softwareaigame-devfintech

nascent

Startup ecosystem

nascent

Easy

🇺🇸 Your visa

Easy

EU visa

Easy

RU visa

Easy

UA visa

Easy

❌ Partner cannot work on this visa

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Life-threatening only

Abortion access

On request

14 wk

Gestational limit

10 wk

Only for life-threatening emergencies or rape victims (up to 14 weeks). Highly restricted otherwise.

On request up to 10 weeks. Between 10-20 weeks requires commission approval.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Not recognized

Marriage

Not recognized

Not allowed

Adoption

Not allowed

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Bali vs Belgrade — Common Questions

Is Bali cheaper than Belgrade?▾

Belgrade is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $904/month there vs $1082/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bali or Belgrade?▾

Bali is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bali has a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 and Belgrade has 1.02 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bali or Belgrade?▾

Belgrade edges ahead 70 to 63. Bali isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Bali or Belgrade?▾

Bali: Indonesia Second Home Visa (complex process, 5 or 10 years). Belgrade: Serbia Visa-Free Stay (easy to get, 90 days (extendable)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Bali or Belgrade?▾

Bali is warmer in summer (84°F vs 81°F). Belgrade has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Bali or Belgrade without speaking the local language?▾

Belgrade is easier for street-level English (56/100) than Bali (25/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Bali vs Belgrade?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $904/month in Belgrade, $1082/month in Bali (Numbeo). That's 16% cheaper rent in Belgrade.

Is healthcare better in Bali or Belgrade?▾

Belgrade scores higher on our composite healthcare index (69/100 vs 52/100 for Bali). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.