Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banja Luka and Tesanj

For one person, living is cheaper in Tesanj: $869 a month against $1,200 in Banja Luka, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Tesanj
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Tesanj Living Index

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Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,200

/mo nomad

Tesanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Banja Luka vs $869 in Tesanj, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,200
Tesanj $869

A couple spends around $1,829 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,284 in Tesanj, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,829
Tesanj $1,284

A family of three spends $2,458 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,699 in Tesanj, rent included.

Banja Luka $2,458
Tesanj $1,699

Banja Luka costs about 38% more than Tesanj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Banja Luka and Tesanj are more affordable than the global median – Banja Luka 11% lower, Tesanj 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.52 BAM 16.59

$3.49 BAM 6.08

172.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 BAM 87.2

$16.11 BAM 28.07

210.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 BAM 19.10

$2.94 BAM 5.12

272.79%

Cappuccino

$1.80 BAM 3.14

$0.89 BAM 1.54

102.25%

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

$2.60 BAM 4.52

$1.40 BAM 2.45

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BAM 2.82

$0.90 BAM 1.57

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 BAM 4.27

$1.96 BAM 3.41

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 BAM 5.96

$1.70 BAM 2.96

101.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 BAM 2.43

$0.82 BAM 1.42

69.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$0.88 BAM 1.53

34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 BAM 2.79

$2.44 BAM 4.26

-34.43%

Eggs

$2.80 BAM 4.88

$3.03 BAM 5.28

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 BAM 16.48

$9.94 BAM 17.32

-4.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BAM 15.39

$7.41 BAM 12.91

19.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 BAM 24.43

$14.14 BAM 24.65

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 BAM 3.20

$1.13 BAM 1.97

62.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 BAM 3.43

$1.61 BAM 2.81

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 BAM 3.88

$1.42 BAM 2.47

56.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 BAM 3.92

$1.60 BAM 2.79

40.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BAM 1.80

$0.99 BAM 1.73

4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 BAM 2.38

$1.06 BAM 1.85

29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BAM 2.07

$1.13 BAM 1.97

5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BAM 1.58

$0.93 BAM 1.63

-2.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 BAM 6.93

$3.93 BAM 6.85

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 BAM 14.47

$8.60 BAM 14.98

-3.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BAM 1.68

$1.11 BAM 1.93

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BAM 2.36

$1.32 BAM 2.30

2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 BAM 2.25

$1.30 BAM 2.27

-0.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 BAM 77.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 BAM 3.05

$1.11 BAM 1.93

57.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 BAM 2.04

$0.56 BAM 0.97

108.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.47 BAM 30.44

$10.24 BAM 17.85

70.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BAM 3.08

$1.52 BAM 2.65

16.45%

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

$30.4K BAM 52.9K

$31.0K BAM 53.9K

-1.89%

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

$21.4K BAM 37.4K

$21.8K BAM 37.9K

-1.42%

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

$157 BAM 274

$91.4 BAM 159

71.87%

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

$16.19 BAM 28.21

$18.51 BAM 32.25

-12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.07 BAM 64.6

$28.34 BAM 49.38

30.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 BAM 67.0

$32.73 BAM 57.0

17.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.70 BAM 25.62

$28.51 BAM 49.67

-48.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 BAM 10.06

$2.88 BAM 5.02

100.35%

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

$294 BAM 512

$135 BAM 235

117.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,564 BAM 6,210

$3,917 BAM 6,825

-9.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 BAM 143

$57.7 BAM 101

42.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.34 BAM 61.6

$32.02 BAM 55.8

10.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BAM 181

$94.0 BAM 164

10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 BAM 252

$131 BAM 228

10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 BAM 815

$345 BAM 601

35.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 BAM 534

$248 BAM 432

23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 BAM 1,191

$519 BAM 905

31.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 BAM 836

$366 BAM 638

30.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,865 BAM 4,992

$2,462 BAM 4,290

16.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,870 BAM 3,259

$1,757 BAM 3,061

6.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 BAM 1,519

$686 BAM 1,196

27.03%

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 Tesanj: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banja Luka

$306 25.5%

Tesanj

$248 28.6% 19% $58

Groceries & Markets

Banja Luka

$245 20.4%

Tesanj

$223 25.7% 8.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banja Luka

$210 17.5%

Tesanj

$138 15.9% 34.3% $72

Eating Out

Banja Luka

$167 13.9%

Tesanj

$70 8% 58.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Banja Luka

$165 13.7%

Tesanj

$142 16.3% 14% $23

Getting Around

Banja Luka

$57 4.8%

Tesanj

$9.1 * 1.1% 84.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Banja Luka

$50 4.2%

Tesanj

$38 4.4% 23% $12

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 $345 in Tesanj. 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 27% 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 $16 in Tesanj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $223 – making Tesanj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Tesanj

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

Same time as Banja Luka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,963

5,500

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.574 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 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 = 0.574 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 Tesanj 65 km

From you

Banja Luka
Tesanj

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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Banja Luka is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Banja Luka and $1,303 in Tesanj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tesanj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $345 there versus $468 in Banja Luka.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Banja Luka and $16 in Tesanj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tesanj, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Banja Luka at $1,200. In Tesanj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Banja Luka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tesanj – 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 Tesanj. 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.