Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bijeljina and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living costs are similar in Bijeljina and in Istočno Sarajevo: $918 and $891 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Bijeljina
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Bijeljina Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

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Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$918

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bijeljina and in Istočno Sarajevo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bijeljina and in Istočno Sarajevo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $918 per month in Bijeljina vs $891 in Istočno Sarajevo, rent included.

Bijeljina $918
Istočno Sarajevo $891

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Bijeljina vs $1,356 in Istočno Sarajevo, rent included.

Bijeljina $1,427
Istočno Sarajevo $1,356

A family of three spends $1,936 per month in Bijeljina vs $1,821 in Istočno Sarajevo, rent included.

Bijeljina $1,936
Istočno Sarajevo $1,821

Bijeljina costs about 3% more than Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bijeljina and Istočno Sarajevo are more affordable than the global median – Bijeljina 32% lower, Istočno Sarajevo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.43 BAM 14.71

$8.59 BAM 14.99

-1.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.21 BAM 59.7

$37.38 BAM 65.2

-8.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 BAM 7.88

$6.83 BAM 11.92

-33.82%

Cappuccino

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$1.70 BAM 2.96

-16.47%

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

$1.71 BAM 2.98

$1.98 BAM 3.45

-13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 BAM 1.85

$1.40 BAM 2.45

-24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 BAM 2.98

$2.33 BAM 4.06

-26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 BAM 4.06

$2.24 BAM 3.91

4.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 BAM 2.63

$1.46 BAM 2.55

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BAM 2.11

$1.32 BAM 2.29

-8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 BAM 2.83

$2.12 BAM 3.69

-23.58%

Eggs

$3.15 BAM 5.49

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 BAM 13.14

$10.23 BAM 17.85

-26.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 BAM 14.02

$7.66 BAM 13.37

4.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 BAM 20.82

$14.03 BAM 24.48

-14.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 BAM 2.73

$1.41 BAM 2.46

10.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 BAM 3.12

$1.58 BAM 2.75

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 BAM 3.10

$1.51 BAM 2.63

17.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 BAM 4.53

$1.67 BAM 2.92

55.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 BAM 2.66

$0.92 BAM 1.60

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 BAM 2.49

$1.11 BAM 1.93

28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 BAM 1.99

$1.07 BAM 1.87

6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 BAM 1.05

$0.98 BAM 1.72

-38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 BAM 6.51

$3.91 BAM 6.82

-4.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 BAM 14.82

$8.20 BAM 14.31

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BAM 1.47

$0.87 BAM 1.52

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.47

$1.56 BAM 2.71

-9.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 BAM 4.04

$1.30 BAM 2.27

78.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.30 BAM 30.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 BAM 0.95

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-53.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.45 BAM 18.23

$8.80 BAM 15.35

18.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 BAM 2.59

$1.58 BAM 2.76

-5.70%

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

$29.0K BAM 50.5K

$29.8K BAM 52.0K

-2.79%

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

$21.5K BAM 37.5K

$21.6K BAM 37.7K

-0.56%

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

$141 BAM 246

$90.8 BAM 158

55.05%

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

$18.70 BAM 32.62

$18.16 BAM 31.68

2.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.76 BAM 41.46

$27.46 BAM 47.91

-13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 BAM 52.5

$33.45 BAM 58.4

-10.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.66 BAM 15.12

$13.90 BAM 24.25

-37.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 BAM 8.44

$5.64 BAM 9.83

-14.18%

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

$202 BAM 353

$134 BAM 233

51.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,182 BAM 7,295

$3,824 BAM 6,671

9.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 BAM 99.9

$87.9 BAM 153

-34.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.52 BAM 44.52

$31.68 BAM 55.3

-19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 BAM 230

$89.0 BAM 155

48.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 BAM 214

$98.1 BAM 171

24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 BAM 439

$215 BAM 375

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 BAM 286

$185 BAM 322

-11.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 BAM 619

$253 BAM 442

40.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 BAM 506

$213 BAM 372

36.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,815 BAM 3,167

$1,722 BAM 3,003

5.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 BAM 2,399

$1,356 BAM 2,365

1.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$753 BAM 1,314

$712 BAM 1,243

5.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

47.06%

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

Last update for Bijeljina: October 17, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bijeljina

$227 24.7%

Istočno Sarajevo

$236 26.5% 4% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bijeljina

$183 20%

Istočno Sarajevo

$136 15.3% 25.6% $47

Accommodation & Living

Bijeljina

$164 17.8%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.7% 12.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Bijeljina

$152 16.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.5% 9% $14

Eating Out

Bijeljina

$122 13.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.6% 13.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bijeljina

$40 4.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 12.5% $5

Getting Around

Bijeljina

$31 3.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$12 * 1.4% 59.6% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Bijeljina versus $215 in Istočno Sarajevo. 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 6% higher in Bijeljina. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Bijeljina versus $37 in Istočno Sarajevo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $236 – making Bijeljina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

Same time as Bijeljina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,278

10,642

💱 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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Between locations

Bijeljina Istočno Sarajevo 120 km

From you

Bijeljina
Istočno Sarajevo

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

Bijeljina vs Istočno Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Bijeljina, $891 in Istočno Sarajevo – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Bijeljina and $1,337 in Istočno Sarajevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $215 there versus $252 in Bijeljina.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Bijeljina and $891 in Istočno Sarajevo. That’s a gap of about 3%.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Bijeljina and $134 in Istočno Sarajevo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Bijeljina and $891 in Istočno Sarajevo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Istočno Sarajevo – 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 Istočno Sarajevo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bijeljina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.