Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarajevo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarajevo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,206 in Sarajevo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,811 in Sarajevo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,416 in Sarajevo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 96% more expensive than Sarajevo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Sarajevo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$7.21 BAM 12.15

143.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$35.65 BAM 60.1

91.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.96 BAM 15.10

56.92%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.04 BAM 3.43

36.27%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.01 BAM 3.39

39.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.42 BAM 2.39

45.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.69 BAM 4.54

65.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.32 BAM 3.91

98.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.43 BAM 2.40

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.21 BAM 2.04

67.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.08 BAM 3.51

-7.69%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.24 BAM 5.47

2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.29 BAM 17.34

79.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.86 BAM 14.92

7.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.44 BAM 22.64

42.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.55 BAM 2.60

70.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.87 BAM 3.15

31.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.05 BAM 3.45

3.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.29 BAM 3.86

24.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.12 BAM 1.88

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.20 BAM 2.02

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.22 BAM 2.06

20.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.76 BAM 1.28

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.76 BAM 6.34

89.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.33 BAM 14.03

-5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.04 BAM 1.76

32.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.31 BAM 2.21

76.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.08 BAM 1.82

175.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$31.31 BAM 52.7

-6.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.44 BAM 2.42

219.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.78 BAM 1.32

165.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$9.08 BAM 15.29

221.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.52 BAM 2.55

21.05%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.7K BAM 45.1K

45.87%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$25.9K BAM 43.7K

26.17%

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

$188 €162

$197 BAM 332

-4.59%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$19.00 BAM 32.01

20.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$33.37 BAM 56.2

10.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$35.64 BAM 60.1

60.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$16.44 BAM 27.70

25.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$6.94 BAM 11.70

61.24%

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

$721 €621

$255 BAM 429

183.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$3,323 BAM 5,599

352.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$91.3 BAM 154

-5.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$36.66 BAM 61.8

1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$108 BAM 183

-5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$99.9 BAM 168

15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$432 BAM 728

255.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$313 BAM 527

290.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$877 BAM 1,478

207.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$600 BAM 1,011

235.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,430 BAM 5,779

110.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,383 BAM 4,014

117.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,064 BAM 1,793

121.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.8

-10.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $432 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 122% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $246 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sarajevo differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,206 including rent). Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 122% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $432 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $255 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Sarajevo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.