Loved Penang! I rented an Airbnb 1BR apartment in Straits Quay for a month @ $35/nt and rent is probably lower if you stay longer or live in a less touristy area. Great food easy transportation, nice beaches, super affordable plus my host upgraded wifi to 30mbps. Everyone speaks English, thanks to Malaysia's colonial history and the people are so hospitable. I hope to move there permanently someday!
Pros and Cons of Living in Belgrade, Belgium
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Pros of Living in Belgrade
Very safe Fast internet Lots of fun stuff to do Warm now Perfect humidity now Nomad List members liked going here Many Nomad List members here all year round Spacious and not crowded Easy to do business High quality of education Roads are very safe Freedom of speech Democratic People can speak basic English Family friendly
Cons of Living in Belgrade
Gets cold in the winter Hospitals are bad Not safe for women Hostile towards LGBTQ+ Many people smoke tobacco -
Overall: Lovely city (quite underrated)!
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I stayed in Belgrade for over a week. I had high expectations based on the Nomad List ranking but having been to every other capital in the Balkans, found it utterly disappointing. The city is not particularly walkable, the infrastructure is in a sad state, and there is practically no interesting architecture or urban development to speak of, be it historical, communist, or contemporary. Pollution is a real problem. To make matters worse, people smoke all the time, everywhere, including inside every cafe and restaurant. Health statistic confirm the point: - 2nd highest rate of lung cancer in the world - 4th highest rate of all cancer in the world - 1st highest rate of pollution-related deaths in Europe - 9th highest rate of pollution-related deaths in the world There are some nice cafes and restaurants through the city, but nothing wou can't find lesewhere in the region. Few have vegetarian options, and you'll get strange looks if you ask for tap water.
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My girlfriend and I lived in Belgrade for over a month and absolutely loved it! It has a bit of a raw feeling and the indoor smoking is something that's hard to get used to but in general we felt welcomed with open arms with pretty much everyone we've been in contact with. We were particularly fond of the Dorcol region to stay, eat and live. The castle area is great for a walk on a sunny day. Also relevant in pandemic times: the food delivery is amazing (we mostly used Wolt).
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Not bad for period from mid April till end of August when everything is green cheap food, friendly people.
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The most attractive thing about Belgrade is the low prices and a good selection of restaurants. Customer service has been one of the worst I've experienced. It is unfriendly slow, and mistakes happen too often. This has been surprising to me since Serbians expressed to me that they're proud of their hospitality. The nightlife is disappointing, to say the least.
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I spent 3 weeks in Belgrade (July 2019) to visit a friend who relocated. To be honest while i've traveled somewhat extensively, and leave the USA on average three times per year, I had no idea what to expect in Serbia (Belgrade). I'd never been to Eastern Europe, let alone the Balkans. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how incredibly friendly just about everyone was. Everyone spoke english everywhere I went: cafes, restaurants, supermarket, taxis, shops, etc. My friend has very small children, and Belgrade is FULL of parks. The parks are routinely teeming with parents, as it seems there's some sort of a baby boom going on there. I was able to easily strike up friendly conversation with locals, who were extremely cordial. Even though I was there to visit friends, I spent the majority of my time alone exploring. I stayed in the city center, close to Republic Square. From there I could walk just about anywhere; the river, the mall on the other side of the river, waterfront, the old fort, etc. Taxis were extremely cheap, but often I just preferred to walk, even to Vracar from where I was in Venac , which is about a 30 minute walk, just because it was nice to experience Belgrade and people watch along the way. The AirBnb I rented had a functioning kitchen, and food in the supermarket is pretty cheap, but so is eating out (by American standards). I routinely had lunch or dinner with a drink, coffee and desert for anywhere from $11-18USD on average. I chose mostly to sit at any one of the countless open air cafe/restaurants twice a day, because it was so worth it. Is Belgrade the most exciting place on the planet? Probably not. At the same time, it's not boring either. I ended up loving the place. Between the people, the fact that I felt completely safe walking around by myself past midnight on many occasions, the great food, and typically European feel, I would definitely recommend Belgrade. Especially if you're not on a London/Paris budget, but want to experience Europe. People are much nicer also.
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I would avoid if you're from North America people are still bitter about 1999 and it comes across in the overall attitude. Also, overall it's not a very transient place and everyone knows each other, and it seems like in Serbian culture there is a sort of stigma in associating with outsiders. Other Slavic countries are not like this, I think it is something specific to Serbian culture. One Serbian-American friend says it has a lot to do with many young people leaving Serbia, and the media being taken over by the government and promoting a nationalist narrative. I don't know if that's true but I doubt I will be back, except for the purpose of medical tourism -- the medical care here is cheap and of very high quality, much higher than other non-Schengen European countries.
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I was in Belgrade a couple of days ago. Stayed there like 2 days. My Airbnb host was really welcoming and he offered some tips/advice regarding the best cheap prices in pubs + restaurants. The old center of Belgrade is really nice + it seems the same like Bucharest in some parts of it. Loved it and more than probably I will return to check it! Be carefull with gypsies near the bus/train station.
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I was born and raised in Belgrade and all I can say is the city is very underrated. Been to many major cities in Europe Northern Africa, and also lived for half a year in Los Angeles. I don't wanna sound as if I'm a big local patriot. I will try to be as much as genuine as possible. I completely agree with the fact that most places are full of smoke from cigarettes yet there are parts of the objects separated from smoking sections. This is available in many restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. You don't have to inhale smoke if you don't wish to. Also, one review on here complains about the highest lung cancers in this area -- I must admit this is not 100% accurate based on the statistics. You can't be sure about that info especially if considering that many places, in both country and the capital, left contaminated since the 1999 NATO bombing back. So it makes sense seeing rates being high within one part of the population. However, it's not an excuse for smokers and a bad living style. The nightlife is somewhat lower due to the Covid-19 crisis and local law regulations. Again, this doesn't mean all famous discos and bars are completečy gone. The riverside is still flawing with clubbing and you can have a great time if you know the right place to go. Now when it comes to people, local people here are very open and generous to foreigners. Hospitality is simply a part of our culture and we've known for this in the Balkans as well as the rest of Europe. We are also famous for helping people no matter where they come from. One of the reviews mentioned that waitresses will usually prefer to read a book or stare at their phones -- again, it also depends on the place you go, and in most cases, you will end up meeting a very friendly local waitress who will dive into a conversation with you whether you are a foreigner coming from abroad or a local pal that got lost in a different area. "Coffee culture" is very famous here and also a part of our culture. You can easily find a friend who will go out with you to a cafe or bar. In my opinion, the major difference between this part of the world and western society world is the fact people here are more honest and will not fake their feelings. This is why you will see dozens of different moods. In the western world, this is somewhat faked and one of the things I disliked. You will also make deep friendships here because people aim to make meaningful relations (not faked). In the last few years, the city has developed into a huge economic and IT hub. It has become an important place in this part of Europe (i.e. Ex Yugoslavia region to be more exact). There are lots of different places and activities you can do depending on your needs -- from walking in the parking zones and the riverside to hiking in smaller forest areas (I recommend Banjica forest). Most of the city center is walkable and turned into a walking zone -- you can easily walk away from the very center to the river. Also, the infrastructure is getting much better and even I can feel that for the 25 years spent here. To summarize, if you want to feel the real European vibe for a cheaper price (western standards), then this is a place to go. I also recommend staying in urban areas closer to the city center because this part has a special vibe easily noticed. The suburban parts of the city may seem way too different for foreigners and remind them of a typical Eastern European environment.
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I'm living in Belgrade for last 15ish years and as every large city, there are some pros and cons. I've learned from experience that if you're dissapointed with something in a particular city - it just means that you haven't searched enough, or you were misguided. Most of european cities are sharing a lot of similarities, so I'll try to focus only on differences. 1. Night life - in Belgrade, it's unbeatable by far. There is so much variety on that topic, and it just depends on you what are you searching for. It's true that sometimes it's not easy to find information over the internet on public sites, it's better to know local people to guide you through. There are even locals who cannot recommend you something good for night life because they are not in that mood anymore, they don't know what's popular nowadays. That's quite common, at least with mid-aged people. 2. Food - You can really find any type of food you want, from all around the world. If you're foody, you're on the right place - no matter if you want domestic food, or something international. 3. Moderately cheap - This is sort of true, although prices are going up last few years, so it's not that cheap anymore. The rest of Serbia is a lot cheaper than capital of course. 4. Hospitality - This is usually on very high-level here, but you cannot judge on it based on bars/restaurants in city center which are full of tourists. I'm having feeling all across the globe that you're not served properly in any country if you're sitting in very touristic place, especially if waiters are overloaded, and they cannot pretend that they have enough energy for everyone. But still, such experiences are rare minorities, everyone care about reviews. 5. From safety standpoint, I'll tell you one fact - how many capital cities in the world you know where it's safe to go freely over the night in every area of the city? I'm not sure I know for some, every city has some regions where it's not clever to go by walk over the night. Well, guess what, we don't have such places. You can go wherever you want over the night, and you'll feel safe. Of course that something randomly might happen, but it's very very rare. 6. Medical - Medical tourism is pretty popular here, but specifically for two things: dentists and plastic surgery. That's something you can do here with very affordable prices. Other than that, I don't see a reason why someone would come here for any other medical service. What I don't like in Belgrade is: 1. Transportation - Our public transport is bad, lack of metro. Even taxis are very booked, and sometimes it's not easy to find one, although there are a lot of those in the city. Traffic in the city might be a bit tough for someone who is coming from Germany/Switzerland, but trust me - you haven't been in Palermo / Sicily. Belgrade is something in between of those two. 2. Pollution - It's true that situation is not great, specifically during winter time. I wouldn't recommend coming here during winter time if you're asthmatic. 3. Globalization - In last few decades, it's evident that city is transforming to something "acceptable" from the "western" standpoint, meaning it's having all those popular places and franchizes which you can find all over the global. All the capital cities in Europe are starting to be like all the others. Cities are losing its character. I'm not a fan of modern skyscrapers neither. Bottom line - try to find a local people for recommendations if you want to get the most juice of visiting Belgrade.
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I spent about a month in Belgrade and visited other cities in Serbia, such as Smederevo. People are very kind, the prices are very cheap. It was pretty safe, and will probably go back and stay longer. Belgrade is a big and dynamic city. Currently, there are some buildings under construction in the center. There are places to visit and there are lots of history behind the city. I didn't like so much graffiti on buildings.
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Been in Belgrade for a month now. Belgrade is one of the worst cities for hospitality in general including laundrettes, airbnb's and the general service industry. It is hard to do anything without getting the heaven or hell service experience. Trying to get a private office or private space in the shared work areas, has been a huge letdown with many being unavailable for months. The cafe's are not work friendly, as you have to deal with cigarette smoke and loud music, crowded spaces. A lot of bars and restaurants close over the summer months (July-August) as they go on holiday. The people individually are friendly, but the service is very bad.
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looks like we a have mix reviews difficult to decide whether to visit or not
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@saddog644 very in depth review 15 years spent well
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Not a good city for long-term stays. Nothing to see very little to do. High air pollution. However cheapest capital in Europe and most friendly and warm people of all Eastern Europe / Balkans.
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I spent 4 months in Belgrade putting myself out there quite a lot socially [PROS]- city center is quite nice, green with parks, and very walkable - low airbnb costs (but quality tends to be low as well) [CONS] avoid at all costs in colder months, every restaurant and bar becomes a cigarette hot box - nomad / expat community here is very small. only one legit co-working space (impact hub). - service in restaurants and shops is the worst I have ever experienced - night life is very overrated, none of the bars and clubs have open mingling areas / dance floors, they're just these tables everyone stands around and no one talks to each other Bottom line: Belgrade is a bit grungy but charming to walk around and explore for, I would say, a week or so. Socially, Serbia is quite a proud, inward-facing society. This, coupled with the small-to-nonexistant nomad community, can leave you feeling quite isolated.
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A lovely city. But not the friendliest one. I travel extensively; 15-20 counties in the last 2 years. I'm friendly and very outgoing. But in my humble opinion Belgrade (very generally speaking) is not a terrible friendly place for foreigners or solo-travelers. It is a beautiful, inexpensive and very safe city. Prices are fantastic, as is the food. But unless you come here with a companion...be prepared to have a rather lonely time. The local Serbs are not rude or actively unpleasant, and most everyone speaks English well. But most of the locals don't seem particularly open to having conversations with people they don't already know. In most of my travels, simply by being a foreigner in a cafe, restaurant or bar...you will, at minimum, at least be able to strike up a conversation with, say, your bartender or waitress. Here in Belgrade...not so much. For example: if you're sitting at the bar in a pub...the bartender, given a choice, will usually prefer to read a book or stare at their phone, rather than conduct anything more than a brief, monosyllabic conversation. It's pretty much the same in shops, restaurants, etc. And if you're used to striking up friendly conversations with fellow patrons at a restaurant, or bar, or art exhibition...don't expect that in Belgrade. Even the cashiers in the local grocery stores seem to prefer to keep interactions as brief as possible. Fake as it may be, there is something a bit comforting about the Western retail-facade of people pretending to be happy to see a customer...especially when you encounter the absolute lack of it for weeks on end. I'm not saying it's good or bad; it's just the way things are. I suspect it's at least somewhat cultural. I've gotten somewhat similar vibes in a few places in the Balkans and Eastern Europe before. I would not rate the locals of Budapest or Kiev as overly-friendly to outsiders, for instance...yet I found it far, far easier to meet and talk to people in those cities than in Belgrade. There are exceptions to the above. But I will stand by it as an accurate generalization, having been in the city for 3 weeks. Perhaps if you hook up with other travelers in some of the city's co-work-spaces, you might have a better time; I don't know. PS: I also think the "Belgrade is famous for it's nightlife" reputation is severely over-rated. That reputation might have been appropriate in the past; I heard from a couple of locals that, as of a year or so ago, a lot of new laws were passed restricting the operating-hours of most bars and clubs in the city. Most (not all, but definitely) places in the downtown area close up by midnight or 1am at the latest. With the exception of a couple of specific nightclubs...most of the city is pretty much a ghost town by midnight, even on the weekends. Again...a beautiful city, with lots of interesting culture, art and architecture. I think I'd likely love it if I came with someone I was dating. But for a solo traveler...it's genuinely one of the least-friendly cities I've ever been to.
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I am from Serbia. People in Serbia are hospitable but if they do not know you by common friends or something they will treat you as an outsider in most cases they will talk to you but not make friends etc. Even for serbs from other cities when you go to another city, Belgrade for example, it is difficult to make friends or people to go out with . It applies much more to foreigners. Why? I do not know, we are very hospitable in general but that's the way it is. Nightlife is not as good as it was, but it is good. Much better than in most of Europe. Cafes, restaurants and typical european culture is present at lower prices than for example in Denmark. The women are beautiful, some are stunning, I can say serbian women are among top 5 in Europe (along with russian, ukrainian, chech etc), men are often tall and good looking. Belgrade and Serbia are worth a visit especially if you are not from Europe and you can not afford more expensive western cities, but want to feel european lifestyle. In terms of hospitality, and good looking men and women you will get more then you would get in western Europe.
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Amazing city beautiful people and very affordable. However, if traveling by air and need a taxi,do not arrive in Belgrade alone or late. I did this was pretty much robbed, threatened by a crazy driver.
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