Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,204 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Sarajevo

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Cairo vs $1,204 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Cairo $643
Sarajevo $1,204

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Cairo vs $1,807 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Cairo $1,037
Sarajevo $1,807

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Cairo vs $2,410 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Cairo $1,431
Sarajevo $2,410

Cairo is about 47% cheaper than Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cairo and Sarajevo are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Sarajevo 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 E£245

$8.60 BAM 15.01

-45.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.49 E£1,491

$39.59 BAM 69.1

-28.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£315

$8.48 BAM 14.79

-28.89%

Cappuccino

$1.81 E£94.7

$2.33 BAM 4.06

-22.32%

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

$0.35 E£18.18

$2.23 BAM 3.88

-84.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.95

$1.41 BAM 2.47

-89.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

$2.94 BAM 5.12

-50.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

$2.91 BAM 5.08

-23.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£50.7

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-16.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£37.96

$1.17 BAM 2.05

-37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 E£40.24

$2.22 BAM 3.87

-65.32%

Eggs

$1.17 E£61.2

$3.08 BAM 5.37

-62.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 E£226

$10.33 BAM 18.02

-58.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 E£265

$7.73 BAM 13.49

-34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 E£467

$14.14 BAM 24.67

-36.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 E£95.8

$1.42 BAM 2.48

28.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.07

$1.70 BAM 2.96

-55.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.57 E£29.78

$1.57 BAM 2.74

-63.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.62

$1.98 BAM 3.46

-74.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.05

$0.98 BAM 1.71

-61.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.88

$1.14 BAM 1.99

-63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

$1.07 BAM 1.86

-67.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.57

$0.71 BAM 1.24

-66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

$4.02 BAM 7.01

-50.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

$8.02 BAM 13.98

-6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

$0.89 BAM 1.56

70.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

$1.42 BAM 2.47

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 E£17.10

$1.24 BAM 2.17

-73.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

$35.01 BAM 61.1

-75.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.27

$1.47 BAM 2.56

-74.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 E£10.65

$1.12 BAM 1.96

-82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

$8.61 BAM 15.02

-82.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.94

$1.74 BAM 3.03

-73.56%

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

$32.6K E£1.7M

$29.9K BAM 52.2K

9.00%

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

$28.4K E£1.5M

$23.2K BAM 40.5K

22.39%

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

$27.54 E£1,441

$220 BAM 384

-87.50%

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

$8.27 E£432

$14.25 BAM 24.86

-41.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 E£735

$28.24 BAM 49.28

-50.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 E£1,479

$40.15 BAM 70.1

-29.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

$19.66 BAM 34.30

-65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

$6.68 BAM 11.66

-34.13%

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

$121 E£6,356

$206 BAM 359

-40.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,619 E£189.3K

$3,856 BAM 6,727

-6.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,101

$88.6 BAM 155

-54.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

$37.30 BAM 65.1

33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,033

$89.4 BAM 156

29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

$99.4 BAM 173

-39.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 E£11.5K

$449 BAM 783

-50.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 E£10.2K

$305 BAM 533

-36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 E£26.9K

$997 BAM 1,740

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 E£17.5K

$587 BAM 1,024

-43.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

$3,243 BAM 5,658

-75.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

$2,384 BAM 4,159

-78.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.5K

$1,023 BAM 1,785

-80.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

4.08

297.30%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$194 30.1%

Sarajevo

$305 25.5% 57.2% $111

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$141 21.9%

Sarajevo

$231 19.3% 63.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Sarajevo

$142 11.8% 18.4% $22

Eating Out

Cairo

$91 14.1%

Sarajevo

$157 13.1% 72.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Sarajevo

$263 21.9% 427% $213

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$37 5.8%

Sarajevo

$54 4.5% 44.4% $16

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.8%

Sarajevo

$47 3.9% 315% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Cairo versus $449 in 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 411% higher in Sarajevo, 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 $28.00 in Cairo versus $40.00 in Sarajevo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $231 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

08:19 8:19 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

271,194 Capital

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

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Between locations

Cairo Sarajevo 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
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

Cairo vs Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarajevo is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Cairo and $1,806 in Sarajevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Sarajevo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $40.00 in Sarajevo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Sarajevo at $1,204. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarajevo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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