Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Bijeljina

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijeljina: $905 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bijeljina
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Bijeljina Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai 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 Dubai and in Bijeljina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,854 per month in Dubai vs $905 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Dubai $2,854
Bijeljina $905

A couple spends around $4,321 per month in Dubai vs $1,424 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Dubai $4,321
Bijeljina $1,424

A family of three spends $5,788 per month in Dubai vs $1,943 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Dubai $5,788
Bijeljina $1,943

Dubai costs about 215% more than Bijeljina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubai sits 113% above the global median, while Bijeljina is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$8.65 BAM 15.10

50.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$34.77 BAM 60.7

134.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$4.45 BAM 7.77

109.44%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$1.45 BAM 2.52

311.72%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$1.69 BAM 2.96

-3.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$1.01 BAM 1.77

-19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$1.69 BAM 2.95

707.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$2.27 BAM 3.96

489.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.52 BAM 2.66

19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$1.21 BAM 2.11

29.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$1.71 BAM 2.98

45.61%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$3.04 BAM 5.31

7.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$7.42 BAM 12.94

70.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$7.75 BAM 13.53

25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$11.47 BAM 20.01

14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$1.57 BAM 2.74

66.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.81 BAM 3.15

6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$1.79 BAM 3.12

7.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$2.59 BAM 4.52

-47.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.59 BAM 2.77

-26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.40 BAM 2.45

-27.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$1.09 BAM 1.90

38.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.60 BAM 1.05

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$3.72 BAM 6.49

57.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$8.54 BAM 14.89

88.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$0.88 BAM 1.54

201.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$1.46 BAM 2.54

102.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$2.24 BAM 3.91

-26.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$16.86 BAM 29.41

336.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$1.40 BAM 2.45

126.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$0.59 BAM 1.03

20.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$10.26 BAM 17.90

-22.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.41 BAM 2.46

-29.79%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$31.0K BAM 54.0K

-11.58%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$19.0K BAM 33.1K

18.69%

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

$250 AED 920

$138 BAM 240

82.03%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$18.44 BAM 32.17

194.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$24.10 BAM 42.04

280.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$30.31 BAM 52.9

225.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$8.73 BAM 15.23

388.09%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$4.94 BAM 8.61

224.49%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$203 BAM 354

315.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$3,914 BAM 6,829

366.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$56.2 BAM 98.0

21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$26.09 BAM 45.52

121.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$129 BAM 224

-21.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$120 BAM 209

-15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$253 BAM 441

841.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$166 BAM 290

805.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$358 BAM 625

1139.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$286 BAM 498

953.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$1,811 BAM 3,159

293.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$1,369 BAM 2,388

202.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$739 BAM 1,290

358.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

-24.33%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bijeljina: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Bijeljina

$166 18.2% 89% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Bijeljina

$180 19.7% 54.6% $216

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Bijeljina

$124 13.6% 59.9% $185

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Bijeljina

$224 24.6% 23.4% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Bijeljina

$149 16.3% 0.9% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Bijeljina

$40 4.4% 69.3% $91

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Bijeljina

$30 3.3% 65.3% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,380 in Dubai versus $253 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 run about 359% higher in Dubai, 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 $81.0 in Dubai versus $35.00 in Bijeljina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $224 – making Bijeljina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇦 Bijeljina

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

14:11 2:11 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

42,278

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 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 AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Bijeljina 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

Dubai vs Bijeljina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,854 in Dubai, $905 in Bijeljina – roughly 215% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,281 per month in Dubai and $1,357 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,854 in Dubai and $905 in Bijeljina. That's a gap of about 215%.

Public transport costs about 337% less in Bijeljina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bijeljina, where all-in costs run around $905, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Bijeljina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dubai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $905 in Bijeljina to $2,854 in Dubai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bijeljina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.