Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banja Luka and Brcko

For one person, living is cheaper in Brcko: $963 a month against $1,200 in Banja Luka, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
Learn more

Banja Luka Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Brcko
Learn more

Brcko Living Index

Jump to prices

Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,200

/mo nomad

Brcko

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brcko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Banja Luka vs $963 in Brcko, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,200
Brcko $963

A couple spends around $1,829 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,389 in Brcko, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,829
Brcko $1,389

A family of three spends $2,458 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,814 in Brcko, rent included.

Banja Luka $2,458
Brcko $1,814

Banja Luka costs about 25% more than Brcko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Banja Luka and Brcko are more affordable than the global median – Banja Luka 11% lower, Brcko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.52 BAM 16.62

$6.94 BAM 12.11

37.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 BAM 87.4

$37.79 BAM 66.0

32.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 BAM 19.14

$6.82 BAM 11.91

60.70%

Cappuccino

$1.80 BAM 3.14

$1.70 BAM 2.96

5.88%

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

$2.60 BAM 4.53

$1.67 BAM 2.92

55.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BAM 2.82

$1.24 BAM 2.17

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 BAM 4.28

$0.88 BAM 1.54

178.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 BAM 5.97

$2.32 BAM 4.05

47.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 BAM 2.43

$1.45 BAM 2.54

-4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BAM 2.07

$1.18 BAM 2.06

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 BAM 2.79

$2.47 BAM 4.31

-35.22%

Eggs

$2.80 BAM 4.89

$3.12 BAM 5.45

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 BAM 16.51

$10.02 BAM 17.50

-5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BAM 15.42

$7.19 BAM 12.56

22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 BAM 24.48

$14.48 BAM 25.27

-3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 BAM 3.21

$1.18 BAM 2.05

55.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 BAM 3.44

$1.60 BAM 2.80

23.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 BAM 3.88

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 BAM 3.93

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BAM 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 BAM 2.39

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BAM 2.08

$1.18 BAM 2.06

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BAM 1.59

$0.99 BAM 1.72

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 BAM 6.94

$3.10 BAM 5.42

28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 BAM 14.50

$8.68 BAM 15.16

-4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BAM 1.69

$1.12 BAM 1.96

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BAM 2.36

$2.31 BAM 4.04

-41.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 BAM 2.25

$1.12 BAM 1.95

15.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 BAM 77.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 BAM 3.06

$1.13 BAM 1.98

54.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 BAM 2.04

$0.59 BAM 1.04

98.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.47 BAM 30.50

$10.37 BAM 18.11

68.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BAM 3.08

$1.43 BAM 2.50

23.78%

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

$30.4K BAM 53.0K

$29.6K BAM 51.8K

2.43%

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

$21.4K BAM 37.4K

$21.0K BAM 36.7K

2.08%

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

$157 BAM 274

$181 BAM 315

-13.04%

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

$16.19 BAM 28.26

$11.55 BAM 20.16

40.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.07 BAM 64.7

$40.62 BAM 70.9

-8.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 BAM 67.1

$25.65 BAM 44.78

49.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.70 BAM 25.67

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 BAM 10.08

$5.86 BAM 10.24

-1.54%

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

$294 BAM 513

$135 BAM 235

118.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,564 BAM 6,222

$18.3K BAM 31.9K

-80.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 BAM 144

$22.61 BAM 39.47

263.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.34 BAM 61.7

$17.24 BAM 30.10

104.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BAM 182

$87.5 BAM 153

18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 BAM 252

$84.8 BAM 148

70.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 BAM 817

$343 BAM 599

36.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 BAM 535

$254 BAM 443

20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 BAM 1,194

$522 BAM 912

30.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 BAM 837

$339 BAM 592

41.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,865 BAM 5,002

$1,491 BAM 2,603

92.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,870 BAM 3,266

$1,173 BAM 2,048

59.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 BAM 1,522

$483 BAM 844

80.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.3

3.26%

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

Last update for Banja Luka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brcko: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banja Luka

$306 25.5%

Brcko

$254 26.4% 17.1% $52

Groceries & Markets

Banja Luka

$245 20.4%

Brcko

$218 * 22.6% 11% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banja Luka

$210 17.5%

Brcko

$233 24.2% 10.7% $22

Eating Out

Banja Luka

$167 13.9%

Brcko

$117 12.2% 29.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Banja Luka

$165 13.7%

Brcko

$95 9.9% 42% $69

Getting Around

Banja Luka

$57 4.8%

Brcko

$8.6 * 0.9% 85% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Banja Luka

$50 4.2%

Brcko

$37 3.9% 25.2% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $468 in Banja Luka versus $343 in Brcko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 80% higher in Banja Luka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Banja Luka versus $38 in Brcko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $218 – making Brcko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Brcko

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Banja Luka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,963

39,893

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banja Luka Brcko 130 km

From you

Banja Luka
Brcko

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 Brcko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Banja Luka is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Banja Luka and $1,445 in Brcko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brcko, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $343 there versus $468 in Banja Luka.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Banja Luka and $38 in Brcko. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Banja Luka, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Brcko – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Brcko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Banja Luka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.