Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $897 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $897 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Dubai $2,896
Istočno Sarajevo $897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,364 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Dubai $4,384
Istočno Sarajevo $1,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,830 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Dubai $5,872
Istočno Sarajevo $1,830

Living in Dubai is roughly 223% more expensive than in Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Istočno Sarajevo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$8.61 BAM 15.02

47.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$37.53 BAM 65.5

117.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$6.83 BAM 11.92

36.75%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.74 BAM 3.05

238.51%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.02 BAM 3.53

-16.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.47 BAM 2.57

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.30 BAM 4.02

493.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.25 BAM 3.92

499.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.45 BAM 2.54

26.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.30 BAM 2.27

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.14 BAM 3.73

20.09%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.16 BAM 5.51

5.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$10.31 BAM 18.00

22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.76 BAM 13.54

24.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$14.34 BAM 25.03

-10.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.48 BAM 2.58

75.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.59 BAM 2.78

19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.56 BAM 2.72

22.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.72 BAM 3.00

-20.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.99 BAM 1.74

14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.10 BAM 1.93

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.08 BAM 1.88

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.91 BAM 1.58

-26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.86 BAM 6.74

52.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$7.86 BAM 13.72

105.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$0.89 BAM 1.56

205.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.54 BAM 2.69

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.47 BAM 2.57

8.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.39 BAM 2.43

133.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.17 BAM 2.04

-39.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$8.32 BAM 14.53

-4.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.58 BAM 2.76

-37.97%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$29.3K BAM 51.2K

-6.62%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$21.8K BAM 38.1K

0.89%

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

$249 AED 913

$91.6 BAM 160

171.32%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$18.17 BAM 31.71

199.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$28.32 BAM 49.44

222.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$33.17 BAM 57.9

211.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$13.57 BAM 23.68

211.86%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$5.70 BAM 9.95

185.79%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$133 BAM 232

535.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$3,916 BAM 6,835

366.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$87.7 BAM 153

-23.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$32.35 BAM 56.5

79.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$89.7 BAM 157

13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$99.2 BAM 173

-0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$213 BAM 372

1022.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$185 BAM 323

728.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$261 BAM 455

1660.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$210 BAM 367

1297.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,747 BAM 3,050

303.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,393 BAM 2,432

202.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$717 BAM 1,252

382.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.08

11.27%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.6% 87.9% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.4% 65% $256

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$140 15.6% 54% $165

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Istočno Sarajevo

$237 26.4% 18.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.5% 5.2% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 67.2% $91

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Istočno Sarajevo

$13 * 1.5% 85.3% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $213 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 383% 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: $82.0 in Dubai vs $38.00 in Istočno Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $237 per month, with Istočno Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

10,642

💱 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.11 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 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 Istočno Sarajevo 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

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

Istočno Sarajevo is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 223% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 383% higher in Dubai, 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: $2,393 in Dubai versus $213 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $897 in Istočno Sarajevo – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $897 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Istočno Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Istočno Sarajevo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Istočno 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 Istočno Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 223% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.