Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banja Luka and Aalst

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.

58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
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Banja Luka Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index

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Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,200

/mo nomad

Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Banja Luka $1,200
Aalst $2,067

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

Banja Luka $1,834
Aalst $3,086

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

Banja Luka $2,469
Aalst $4,105

Living in Banja Luka costs roughly 42% less than in Aalst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 BAM 16.99

$22.53 €20.04

-56.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 BAM 86.0

$106 €94.0

-53.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 BAM 19.14

$13.43 €11.95

-18.02%

Cappuccino

$1.77 BAM 3.07

$4.43 €3.94

-60.05%

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

$2.47 BAM 4.29

$3.63 €3.23

-31.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 BAM 2.93

$3.17 €2.82

-46.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 BAM 4.33

$5.55 €4.94

-55.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 BAM 6.02

$5.53 €4.92

-37.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.49

$1.31 €1.16

9.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 2.03

$2.81 €2.50

-58.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 BAM 2.81

$2.13 €1.89

-23.94%

Eggs

$2.89 BAM 5.03

$3.83 €3.41

-24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BAM 16.41

$17.39 €15.47

-45.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 BAM 15.20

$11.87 €10.55

-26.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 BAM 24.57

$22.29 €19.83

-36.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 BAM 3.22

$2.99 €2.66

-38.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 BAM 3.32

$2.43 €2.16

-21.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 BAM 3.87

$2.67 €2.37

-16.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 BAM 3.89

$3.23 €2.87

-30.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BAM 1.79

$2.47 €2.20

-58.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$1.95 €1.73

-27.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 BAM 1.96

$1.54 €1.37

-26.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 BAM 1.51

$1.05 €0.93

-17.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 BAM 6.88

$12.93 €11.50

-69.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 BAM 13.95

$8.74 €7.77

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$1.72 €1.53

-45.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.45

$2.08 €1.85

-32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 BAM 2.35

$3.09 €2.75

-56.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 BAM 77.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 BAM 3.06

$2.86 €2.55

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 BAM 1.93

$2.35 €2.09

-52.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.35 BAM 30.17

$40.40 €35.93

-57.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 BAM 3.09

$2.12 €1.88

-16.04%

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

$30.5K BAM 53.1K

$34.7K €30.8K

-11.93%

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

$21.6K BAM 37.5K

$32.8K €29.2K

-34.32%

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

$159 BAM 277

$203 €180

-21.58%

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

$16.19 BAM 28.15

$21.94 €19.51

-26.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.60 BAM 61.9

$50.8 €45.21

-29.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 BAM 67.2

$36.21 €32.21

6.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 BAM 25.45

$21.03 €18.71

-30.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 BAM 10.04

$15.18 €13.50

-61.99%

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

$296 BAM 514

$1,605 €1,428

-81.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,633 BAM 6,317

$33.7K €30.0K

-89.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 BAM 145

$113 €101

-26.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 BAM 62.8

$46.17 €41.07

-21.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BAM 187

$102 €90.6

5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 BAM 252

$163 €145

-11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 BAM 786

$911 €810

-50.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 BAM 526

$808 €718

-62.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 BAM 1,229

$1,384 €1,232

-48.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 BAM 842

$1,104 €982

-56.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,820 BAM 4,904

$4,162 €3,702

-32.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 BAM 3,264

$2,890 €2,571

-35.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 BAM 1,546

$2,782 €2,475

-68.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

3.46

28.32%

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

Last update for Banja Luka: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aalst: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banja Luka

$302 25.2%

Aalst

$807 39.1% 167% $505

Groceries & Markets

Banja Luka

$244 20.3%

Aalst

$360 17.4% 47.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banja Luka

$211 17.6%

Aalst

$276 13.3% 30.7% $65

Eating Out

Banja Luka

$168 14%

Aalst

$340 16.4% 102% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Banja Luka

$167 13.9%

Aalst

$191 9.2% 14.3% $24

Getting Around

Banja Luka

$57 4.8%

Aalst

$27 * 1.3% 52.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Banja Luka

$50 4.2%

Aalst

$67 3.2% 32.6% $16

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 $452 in Banja Luka and $911 in Aalst. 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: $49.00 in Banja Luka vs $106 in Aalst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $360 per month, with Banja Luka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🇧🇪 Aalst

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

Same time as Banja Luka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,963

78,271

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

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).

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

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Banja Luka
Aalst

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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 213% lower in Aalst. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $452 in Banja Luka versus $911 in Aalst. 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 $1,200 per month in Banja Luka versus $2,067 in Aalst – 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, Banja Luka and Aalst 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.