Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Banja Luka

For one person, living is cheaper in Banja Luka: $1,200 a month against $2,067 in Aalst, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
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Banja Luka Living Index

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Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,067

/mo nomad

Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aalst and in Banja Luka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aalst and in Banja Luka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Aalst versus $1,200 in Banja Luka.

Aalst $2,067
Banja Luka $1,200

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,086 in Aalst versus $1,834 in Banja Luka.

Aalst $3,086
Banja Luka $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,105 in Aalst versus $2,469 in Banja Luka.

Aalst $4,105
Banja Luka $2,469

Living in Aalst is roughly 72% more expensive than in Banja Luka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aalst is 53% above, Banja Luka is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.53 €20.04

$9.77 BAM 16.99

130.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 €94.0

$49.48 BAM 86.0

113.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 €11.95

$11.01 BAM 19.14

21.98%

Cappuccino

$4.43 €3.94

$1.77 BAM 3.07

150.28%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.23

$2.47 BAM 4.29

46.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.82

$1.69 BAM 2.93

87.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$2.49 BAM 4.33

122.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 €4.92

$3.46 BAM 6.02

59.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.43 BAM 2.49

-8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.50

$1.17 BAM 2.03

140.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.62 BAM 2.81

31.48%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.41

$2.89 BAM 5.03

32.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 €15.47

$9.43 BAM 16.41

84.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.55

$8.74 BAM 15.20

35.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.29 €19.83

$14.13 BAM 24.57

57.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.85 BAM 3.22

61.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$1.91 BAM 3.32

27.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.23 BAM 3.87

19.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 €2.87

$2.24 BAM 3.89

44.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.03 BAM 1.79

139.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.42 BAM 2.47

37.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.13 BAM 1.96

36.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.87 BAM 1.51

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.93 €11.50

$3.95 BAM 6.88

227.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.77

$8.02 BAM 13.95

8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.94 BAM 1.64

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.41 BAM 2.45

47.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.35 BAM 2.35

128.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 BAM 77.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 €2.55

$1.76 BAM 3.06

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.11 BAM 1.93

111.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.40 €35.93

$17.35 BAM 30.17

132.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.88

$1.78 BAM 3.09

19.10%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.7K €30.8K

$30.5K BAM 53.1K

13.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.8K €29.2K

$21.6K BAM 37.5K

52.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$203 €180

$159 BAM 277

27.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.94 €19.51

$16.19 BAM 28.15

35.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 €45.21

$35.60 BAM 61.9

42.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 €32.21

$38.66 BAM 67.2

-6.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.03 €18.71

$14.63 BAM 25.45

43.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 €13.50

$5.77 BAM 10.04

163.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,605 €1,428

$296 BAM 514

443.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K €30.0K

$3,633 BAM 6,317

828.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €101

$83.2 BAM 145

35.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.17 €41.07

$36.12 BAM 62.8

27.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.6

$107 BAM 187

-5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €145

$145 BAM 252

12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 €810

$452 BAM 786

101.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 €718

$302 BAM 526

166.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,232

$707 BAM 1,229

95.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 €982

$484 BAM 842

127.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 €3,702

$2,820 BAM 4,904

47.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,890 €2,571

$1,877 BAM 3,264

54.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,782 €2,475

$889 BAM 1,546

212.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

4.44

-22.07%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aalst: October 12, 2026

Last update for Banja Luka: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aalst

$807 39.1%

Banja Luka

$302 25.2% 62.5% $505

Groceries & Markets

Aalst

$360 17.4%

Banja Luka

$244 20.3% 32.3% $116

Eating Out

Aalst

$340 16.4%

Banja Luka

$168 14% 50.4% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aalst

$276 13.3%

Banja Luka

$211 17.6% 23.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Aalst

$191 9.2%

Banja Luka

$167 13.9% 12.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Aalst

$67 3.2%

Banja Luka

$50 4.2% 24.6% $16

Getting Around

Aalst

$27 * 1.3%

Banja Luka

$57 4.8% 112% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Aalst and $452 in Banja Luka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 213% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $106 in Aalst vs $49.00 in Banja Luka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $244 per month, with Banja Luka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Aalst

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

Same time as Aalst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,271

138,963

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aalst Banja Luka 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Aalst
Banja Luka

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aalst vs Banja Luka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aalst and Banja Luka differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,067 vs $1,200 including rent). Banja Luka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Aalst, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $911 in Aalst versus $452 in Banja Luka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Aalst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,067 per month in Aalst versus $1,200 in Banja Luka – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,200 in Banja Luka versus $2,067 in Aalst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Banja Luka but tight or insufficient in Aalst. The gap between the two cities makes Banja Luka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aalst and Banja Luka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Banja Luka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.