Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bijeljina

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijeljina: $919 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bijeljina
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Bijeljina Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$919

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Bijeljina

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $919 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Bijeljina $919

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $1,430 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Bijeljina $1,430

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $1,941 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Bijeljina $1,941

Cape Town costs about 66% more than Bijeljina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Bijeljina is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$8.37 BAM 14.58

43.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$34.71 BAM 60.5

23.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$4.66 BAM 8.11

31.97%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$1.47 BAM 2.56

61.22%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$1.74 BAM 3.03

-27.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$1.05 BAM 1.84

-10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$1.68 BAM 2.93

76.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$2.23 BAM 3.88

65.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.59 BAM 2.77

-16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$1.22 BAM 2.12

-0.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$1.69 BAM 2.95

30.18%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$3.07 BAM 5.35

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$7.77 BAM 13.54

12.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$8.15 BAM 14.19

-15.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$11.50 BAM 20.03

-19.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$1.58 BAM 2.76

15.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$1.81 BAM 3.16

7.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$1.79 BAM 3.12

-7.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$2.59 BAM 4.51

-17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$1.53 BAM 2.66

3.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$1.52 BAM 2.64

-3.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$1.46 BAM 2.55

-7.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$0.61 BAM 1.07

86.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$3.82 BAM 6.66

-6.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$8.66 BAM 15.09

-30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$0.83 BAM 1.44

67.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$1.42 BAM 2.47

53.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$2.30 BAM 4.01

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$17.32 BAM 30.18

250.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$1.45 BAM 2.52

-35.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$0.89 BAM 1.56

1.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$10.28 BAM 17.90

-51.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$1.41 BAM 2.46

9.22%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

$27.4K BAM 47.7K

29.05%

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

$22.9K BAM 39.8K

45.90%

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

$117 R 1,929

$137 BAM 238

-14.41%

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

$25.71 R 424

$18.39 BAM 32.04

39.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$24.03 BAM 41.87

64.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$30.40 BAM 53.0

69.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

$12.67 BAM 22.08

-10.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$4.81 BAM 8.37

84.82%

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

$308 R 5,069

$205 BAM 357

50.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$16.0K BAM 27.9K

-49.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$55.3 BAM 96.4

3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$25.69 BAM 44.76

23.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$130 BAM 226

-10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$120 BAM 209

-16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$248 BAM 433

321.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$167 BAM 291

301.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$348 BAM 606

435.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$289 BAM 504

386.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

$1,798 BAM 3,132

34.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$1,350 BAM 2,352

16.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$742 BAM 1,293

119.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

81.50%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bijeljina: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Bijeljina

$167 18.1% 75.1% $502

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Bijeljina

$230 25% 2.9% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Bijeljina

$179 19.5% 1.6% $3

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Bijeljina

$123 13.3% 29.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Bijeljina

$149 16.2% 8.1% $11

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Bijeljina

$32 3.5% 54.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Bijeljina

$40 4.4% 42.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $248 in Bijeljina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cape Town are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $35 in Bijeljina. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Cape Town vs $230 in Bijeljina – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇧🇦 Bijeljina

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

18:56 6:56 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

42,278

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Bijeljina 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Bijeljina

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

Cape Town vs Bijeljina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,527 in Cape Town, $919 in Bijeljina – Bijeljina comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $1,379 in Bijeljina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bijeljina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $919 in Bijeljina. That makes Bijeljina about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Bijeljina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bijeljina, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Bijeljina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Bijeljina. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.