Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banja Luka and Maglaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Maglaj: $904 a month against $1,200 in Banja Luka, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
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Banja Luka Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Maglaj
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Maglaj Living Index

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Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,200

/mo nomad

Maglaj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Banja Luka vs $904 in Maglaj, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,200
Maglaj $904

A couple spends around $1,829 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,369 in Maglaj, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,829
Maglaj $1,369

A family of three spends $2,458 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,835 in Maglaj, rent included.

Banja Luka $2,458
Maglaj $1,835

Banja Luka costs about 33% more than Maglaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Banja Luka and Maglaj are more affordable than the global median – Banja Luka 11% lower, Maglaj 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.52 BAM 16.61

$6.88 BAM 12.00

38.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 BAM 87.3

$36.91 BAM 64.4

35.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 BAM 19.12

$6.84 BAM 11.93

60.23%

Cappuccino

$1.80 BAM 3.14

$1.64 BAM 2.86

9.76%

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

$2.60 BAM 4.53

$1.90 BAM 3.32

36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BAM 2.82

$1.18 BAM 2.06

37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 BAM 4.28

$2.23 BAM 3.88

9.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 BAM 5.97

$2.24 BAM 3.90

52.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 BAM 2.43

$1.40 BAM 2.44

-0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$0.95 BAM 1.66

24.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 BAM 2.79

$1.75 BAM 3.06

-8.57%

Eggs

$2.80 BAM 4.88

$2.77 BAM 4.83

1.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 BAM 16.50

$7.64 BAM 13.33

23.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BAM 15.41

$6.72 BAM 11.72

31.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 BAM 24.46

$9.55 BAM 16.65

46.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 BAM 3.20

$1.12 BAM 1.95

64.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 BAM 3.44

$1.59 BAM 2.78

23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 BAM 3.88

$1.68 BAM 2.92

32.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 BAM 3.93

$1.67 BAM 2.92

34.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BAM 1.80

$1.11 BAM 1.94

-7.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 BAM 2.38

$1.16 BAM 2.02

18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BAM 2.08

$0.97 BAM 1.70

22.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BAM 1.58

$0.83 BAM 1.45

9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 BAM 6.94

$3.48 BAM 6.07

14.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 BAM 14.49

$6.95 BAM 12.13

19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BAM 1.69

$1.12 BAM 1.95

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BAM 2.36

$1.13 BAM 1.97

19.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 BAM 2.25

$1.26 BAM 2.20

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 BAM 77.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 BAM 3.06

$1.76 BAM 3.07

-0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 BAM 2.04

$1.16 BAM 2.02

0.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.47 BAM 30.48

$10.34 BAM 18.04

68.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BAM 3.08

$1.50 BAM 2.62

18.00%

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

$30.4K BAM 53.0K

$29.9K BAM 52.2K

1.49%

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

$21.4K BAM 37.4K

0.03%

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

$157 BAM 274

$90.5 BAM 158

73.71%

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

$16.19 BAM 28.24

$18.20 BAM 31.75

-11.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.07 BAM 64.7

$28.52 BAM 49.75

29.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 BAM 67.1

$32.80 BAM 57.2

17.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.70 BAM 25.65

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 BAM 10.07

$4.60 BAM 8.02

25.43%

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

$294 BAM 513

$138 BAM 241

113.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,564 BAM 6,218

$3,929 BAM 6,855

-9.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 BAM 144

$57.7 BAM 101

42.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.34 BAM 61.7

$31.56 BAM 55.1

11.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BAM 182

$94.6 BAM 165

10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 BAM 252

$129 BAM 224

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 BAM 816

$348 BAM 608

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 BAM 535

$251 BAM 437

22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 BAM 1,193

$521 BAM 908

31.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 BAM 837

$366 BAM 639

31.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,865 BAM 4,998

$2,397 BAM 4,182

19.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,870 BAM 3,263

$1,755 BAM 3,062

6.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 BAM 1,521

$735 BAM 1,282

18.66%

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 Maglaj: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banja Luka

$306 25.5%

Maglaj

$251 27.7% 18.2% $56

Groceries & Markets

Banja Luka

$245 20.4%

Maglaj

$198 21.9% 19% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banja Luka

$210 17.5%

Maglaj

$137 15.2% 34.8% $73

Eating Out

Banja Luka

$167 13.9%

Maglaj

$123 13.6% 26.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Banja Luka

$165 13.7%

Maglaj

$141 15.6% 14.7% $24

Getting Around

Banja Luka

$57 4.8%

Maglaj

$13 * 1.4% 78% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Banja Luka

$50 4.2%

Maglaj

$42 4.6% 16% $8

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 $348 in Maglaj. 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 19% higher in Banja Luka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Banja Luka versus $37 in Maglaj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $198 – making Maglaj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Maglaj

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

Same time as Banja Luka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,963

7,000

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 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 = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Banja Luka Maglaj 76 km

From you

Banja Luka
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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 Maglaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Banja Luka is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Banja Luka and $1,356 in Maglaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maglaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $468 in Banja Luka.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Banja Luka and $37 in Maglaj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 Maglaj – 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 Maglaj. 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.