Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $897 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Istočno Sarajevo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $897 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Athens $1,775
Istočno Sarajevo $897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,364 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Athens $2,721
Istočno Sarajevo $1,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $1,830 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Athens $3,666
Istočno Sarajevo $1,830

Living in Athens is roughly 98% more expensive than in Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 31% above, Istočno Sarajevo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.89

$8.61 BAM 15.02

93.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.5

$37.53 BAM 65.5

80.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.94

$6.83 BAM 11.92

63.10%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.60

$1.74 BAM 3.05

131.61%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$2.02 BAM 3.53

37.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.47 BAM 2.57

-62.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.12

$2.30 BAM 4.02

149.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.86

$2.25 BAM 3.92

142.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.45 BAM 2.54

25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.30 BAM 2.27

6.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$2.14 BAM 3.73

30.84%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.31

$3.16 BAM 5.51

52.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.44

$10.31 BAM 18.00

45.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 €9.48

$7.76 BAM 13.54

36.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.44

$14.34 BAM 25.03

28.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.48 BAM 2.58

48.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.59 BAM 2.78

19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.56 BAM 2.72

-12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.72 BAM 3.00

22.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.97

$0.99 BAM 1.74

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.10 BAM 1.93

1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.08 BAM 1.88

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.91 BAM 1.58

-3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.89

$3.86 BAM 6.74

41.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 €9.04

$7.86 BAM 13.72

28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$0.89 BAM 1.56

139.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.54 BAM 2.69

46.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.47 BAM 2.57

-7.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 €3.97

$1.39 BAM 2.43

220.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.17 BAM 2.04

-12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.10

$8.32 BAM 14.53

103.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.58 BAM 2.76

42.41%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$29.3K BAM 51.2K

-4.42%

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

$28.2K €25.2K

$21.8K BAM 38.1K

29.29%

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

$205 €183

$91.6 BAM 160

123.39%

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

$26.65 €23.79

$18.17 BAM 31.71

46.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.12

$28.32 BAM 49.44

7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.63

$33.17 BAM 57.9

64.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.10

$13.57 BAM 23.68

90.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 €9.30

$5.70 BAM 9.95

82.81%

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

$569 €508

$133 BAM 232

328.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$3,916 BAM 6,835

221.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €79.1

$87.7 BAM 153

1.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 €36.11

$32.35 BAM 56.5

25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.6

$89.7 BAM 157

16.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$99.2 BAM 173

22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €661

$213 BAM 372

247.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €584

$185 BAM 323

253.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,160

$261 BAM 455

398.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,024

$210 BAM 367

445.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,582

$1,747 BAM 3,050

129.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,088

$1,393 BAM 2,432

148.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,242 €1,109

$717 BAM 1,252

73.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.08

9.80%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$655 36.9%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.6% 71.7% $470

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$310 17.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$237 26.4% 23.7% $74

Eating Out

Athens

$268 15.1%

Istočno Sarajevo

$140 15.6% 47.7% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$262 14.7%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.4% 47.2% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$160 9%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.5% 13.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 40.8% $31

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$13 * 1.5% 70.7% $32

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 $741 in Athens and $213 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 73% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $38.00 in Istočno Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $237 per month, with Istočno Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

10,642

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Istočno Sarajevo 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Istočno Sarajevo

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

Athens vs Istočno Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istočno Sarajevo wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Istočno Sarajevo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Athens, 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: $741 in Athens versus $213 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $569 in Athens versus $133 in Istočno Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $897 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,775 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Istočno Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Istočno Sarajevo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $897 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istočno Sarajevo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Istočno Sarajevo 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 Istočno Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.