Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banja Luka and Mostar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostar: $911 a month against $1,194 in Banja Luka, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

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

Cost of Living Index in Mostar
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Mostar Living Index

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Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,194

/mo nomad

Mostar

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,194 per month in Banja Luka vs $911 in Mostar, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,194
Mostar $911

A couple spends around $1,824 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,423 in Mostar, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,824
Mostar $1,423

A family of three spends $2,454 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,935 in Mostar, rent included.

Banja Luka $2,454
Mostar $1,935

Banja Luka costs about 31% more than Mostar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Banja Luka and Mostar are more affordable than the global median – Banja Luka 12% lower, Mostar 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.02 BAM 17.46

$6.86 BAM 11.95

46.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.94 BAM 87.0

$37.32 BAM 65.0

33.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 BAM 18.83

$5.63 BAM 9.82

92.01%

Cappuccino

$1.84 BAM 3.20

$1.64 BAM 2.86

12.20%

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

$2.54 BAM 4.43

$1.82 BAM 3.16

39.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BAM 2.93

$1.21 BAM 2.10

38.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 BAM 4.34

$2.25 BAM 3.92

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 BAM 5.93

$2.16 BAM 3.77

57.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.50

$1.15 BAM 2.01

24.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 2.03

$0.93 BAM 1.63

25.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.71

$2.00 BAM 3.48

-22.50%

Eggs

$2.85 BAM 4.96

$2.53 BAM 4.41

12.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 BAM 16.33

$7.69 BAM 13.40

21.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 BAM 15.49

$7.19 BAM 12.53

23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 BAM 24.01

$10.50 BAM 18.30

31.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 BAM 3.11

$1.10 BAM 1.91

62.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 BAM 3.41

$1.66 BAM 2.90

18.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 BAM 3.88

$1.38 BAM 2.40

61.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 BAM 3.74

$1.17 BAM 2.04

83.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 BAM 1.74

$0.99 BAM 1.73

1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 BAM 2.48

$0.97 BAM 1.69

46.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 BAM 1.99

$0.72 BAM 1.25

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 BAM 1.50

$0.72 BAM 1.26

19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 BAM 6.87

$3.99 BAM 6.95

-1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 BAM 14.53

$4.11 BAM 7.15

102.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$0.79 BAM 1.37

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 BAM 2.42

$0.95 BAM 1.66

46.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 BAM 2.23

$1.17 BAM 2.04

9.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 BAM 77.3

$34.28 BAM 59.7

29.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 BAM 3.08

$1.69 BAM 2.95

4.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 BAM 1.94

$0.60 BAM 1.04

86.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 BAM 29.59

$8.50 BAM 14.80

99.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BAM 2.94

$1.59 BAM 2.78

6.29%

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

$30.6K BAM 53.3K

0.09%

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

$21.0K BAM 36.6K

0.04%

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

$157 BAM 273

$90.3 BAM 157

73.41%

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

$16.30 BAM 28.40

$17.94 BAM 31.25

-9.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.93 BAM 62.6

$26.09 BAM 45.46

37.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 BAM 64.6

$40.85 BAM 71.2

-9.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.54 BAM 25.32

$9.84 BAM 17.15

47.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 BAM 10.43

$6.21 BAM 10.82

-3.54%

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

$287 BAM 500

$137 BAM 239

108.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,607 BAM 6,285

$23.5K BAM 41.0K

-84.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 BAM 144

$58.0 BAM 101

42.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 BAM 63.1

$31.92 BAM 55.6

13.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BAM 184

$86.7 BAM 151

21.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 BAM 247

$83.9 BAM 146

69.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 BAM 767

$422 BAM 736

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 BAM 524

$256 BAM 447

17.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 BAM 1,161

$658 BAM 1,146

1.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 BAM 827

$452 BAM 788

5.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,831 BAM 4,931

$2,225 BAM 3,877

27.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 BAM 3,265

$1,515 BAM 2,640

23.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 BAM 1,511

$865 BAM 1,507

0.25%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mostar: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banja Luka

$301 25.2%

Mostar

$256 28.1% 14.8% $44

Groceries & Markets

Banja Luka

$243 20.3%

Mostar

$187 20.5% 23% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banja Luka

$209 17.5%

Mostar

$134 14.8% 35.7% $74

Eating Out

Banja Luka

$171 14.3%

Mostar

$119 13.1% 30.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Banja Luka

$165 13.8%

Mostar

$117 12.9% 28.9% $48

Getting Around

Banja Luka

$57 4.8%

Mostar

$44 4.8% 23.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Banja Luka

$49 4.1%

Mostar

$53 5.9% 8.6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Banja Luka versus $422 in Mostar. 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 $50 in Banja Luka versus $37 in Mostar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $187 – making Mostar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Mostar

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

Same time as Banja Luka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,963

60,195

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.574 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Banja Luka Mostar 170 km

From you

Banja Luka
Mostar

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 Mostar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Banja Luka is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,791 per month in Banja Luka and $1,366 in Mostar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $441 in Banja Luka and $422 in Mostar. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Banja Luka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Mostar is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 24% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.