Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banja Luka and Bytom

For one person, living is cheaper in Banja Luka: $1,200 a month against $1,466 in Bytom, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bytom outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
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Banja Luka Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bytom
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Bytom Living Index

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Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,200

/mo nomad

Bytom

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,466 in Bytom, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,200
Bytom $1,466

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Banja Luka vs $2,099 in Bytom, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,834
Bytom $2,099

A family of three spends $2,469 per month in Banja Luka vs $2,731 in Bytom, rent included.

Banja Luka $2,469
Bytom $2,731

Banja Luka is about 18% cheaper than Bytom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Banja Luka sits 11% below the global median, while Bytom is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 BAM 16.99

$10.31 zł 40.07

-5.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 BAM 86.0

$35.40 zł 138

39.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 BAM 19.14

$8.68 zł 33.73

26.84%

Cappuccino

$1.77 BAM 3.07

$3.52 zł 13.69

-49.72%

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

$2.47 BAM 4.29

$2.12 zł 8.23

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 BAM 2.93

$1.86 zł 7.22

-9.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 BAM 4.33

$3.64 zł 14.15

-31.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 BAM 6.02

$4.59 zł 17.85

-24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.49

$1.09 zł 4.23

31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 2.03

$1.24 zł 4.81

-5.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 BAM 2.81

$1.49 zł 5.79

8.72%

Eggs

$2.89 BAM 5.03

$3.25 zł 12.61

-11.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BAM 16.41

$9.58 zł 37.22

-1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 BAM 15.20

$5.30 zł 20.60

64.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 BAM 24.57

$11.93 zł 46.36

18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 BAM 3.22

$1.06 zł 4.12

74.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 BAM 3.32

$1.62 zł 6.28

17.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 BAM 3.87

$1.49 zł 5.81

49.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 BAM 3.89

$2.50 zł 9.70

-10.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BAM 1.79

$0.91 zł 3.55

13.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$0.78 zł 3.04

82.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 BAM 1.96

$1.24 zł 4.82

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 BAM 1.51

$0.66 zł 2.58

31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 BAM 6.88

$5.64 zł 21.92

-29.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 BAM 13.95

$6.26 zł 24.32

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$1.03 zł 4.02

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.45

$1.70 zł 6.60

-17.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 BAM 2.35

$1.25 zł 4.85

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 BAM 77.2

$33.83 zł 131

31.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 BAM 3.06

$1.81 zł 7.04

-2.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 BAM 1.93

$0.68 zł 2.66

63.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.35 BAM 30.17

$10.01 zł 38.88

73.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 BAM 3.09

$1.64 zł 6.36

8.54%

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

$30.5K BAM 53.1K

$31.1K zł 120.8K

-1.81%

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

$21.6K BAM 37.5K

$27.8K zł 107.9K

-22.44%

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

$159 BAM 277

$321 zł 1,249

-50.52%

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

$16.19 BAM 28.15

$7.87 zł 30.58

105.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.60 BAM 61.9

$17.68 zł 68.7

101.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 BAM 67.2

$38.44 zł 149

0.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 BAM 25.45

$20.62 zł 80.1

-29.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 BAM 10.04

$7.16 zł 27.82

-19.41%

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

$296 BAM 514

$488 zł 1,898

-39.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,633 BAM 6,317

$11.9K zł 46.3K

-69.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 BAM 145

$69.9 zł 272

19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 BAM 62.8

$30.85 zł 120

17.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BAM 187

$89.0 zł 346

20.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 BAM 252

$92.5 zł 359

56.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 BAM 786

$530 zł 2,060

-14.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 BAM 526

$496 zł 1,926

-38.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 BAM 1,229

$1,005 zł 3,903

-29.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 BAM 842

$834 zł 3,241

-41.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,820 BAM 4,904

$2,853 zł 11.1K

-1.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 BAM 3,264

$2,239 zł 8,699

-16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 BAM 1,546

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

7.19

-38.25%

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

Last update for Banja Luka: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bytom: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banja Luka

$302 25.2%

Bytom

$496 33.8% 63.9% $193

Groceries & Markets

Banja Luka

$244 20.3%

Bytom

$205 14% 15.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banja Luka

$211 17.6%

Bytom

$347 23.7% 64.6% $136

Eating Out

Banja Luka

$168 14%

Bytom

$194 13.3% 15.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Banja Luka

$167 13.9%

Bytom

$127 8.7% 24% $40

Getting Around

Banja Luka

$57 4.8%

Bytom

$44 3% 22.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Banja Luka

$50 4.2%

Bytom

$53 3.6% 5.1% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $452 in Banja Luka versus $530 in Bytom. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Banja Luka versus $35.00 in Bytom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $205 – making Bytom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🇵🇱 Bytom

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

Same time as Banja Luka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,963

162,250

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banja Luka Bytom 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Banja Luka
Bytom

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 Bytom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bytom is pricier by about 22%, 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 $2,199 in Bytom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banja Luka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Bytom – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Banja Luka and $35.00 in Bytom. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Banja Luka, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Bytom at $1,466. In Banja Luka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bytom it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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