Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Mostar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostar: $899 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 Mostar
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Mostar Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Mostar

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Mostar

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 Mostar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $899 in Mostar.

Dubai $2,896
Mostar $899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,402 in Mostar.

Dubai $4,384
Mostar $1,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,904 in Mostar.

Dubai $5,872
Mostar $1,904

Living in Dubai is roughly 222% more expensive than in Mostar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Mostar is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$6.85 BAM 11.91

84.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$31.14 BAM 54.2

162.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.67 BAM 9.86

64.73%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.65 BAM 2.86

256.97%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.83 BAM 3.18

-7.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.18 BAM 2.05

-33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.34 BAM 4.07

483.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.09 BAM 3.64

545.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.16 BAM 2.01

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.91 BAM 1.58

64.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.97 BAM 3.43

30.46%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.63 BAM 4.58

26.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.77 BAM 13.52

62.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.40 BAM 12.87

30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$10.58 BAM 18.39

20.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.10 BAM 1.91

136.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.65 BAM 2.87

15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.35 BAM 2.35

41.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.15 BAM 1.99

19.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.04 BAM 1.80

8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.97 BAM 1.69

4.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.71 BAM 1.24

102.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.71 BAM 1.23

-5.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.92 BAM 6.82

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$4.04 BAM 7.02

299.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$0.80 BAM 1.39

240.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$0.89 BAM 1.54

246.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.11 BAM 1.94

44.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$36.85 BAM 64.1

106.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.73 BAM 3.00

87.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.55 BAM 0.96

29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.77 BAM 10.03

37.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.51 BAM 2.63

-35.10%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$29.9K BAM 52.0K

-8.36%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$21.3K BAM 37.0K

3.60%

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

$249 AED 913

$90.6 BAM 158

174.25%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$17.70 BAM 30.77

207.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$26.06 BAM 45.31

251.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$35.45 BAM 61.6

191.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$10.08 BAM 17.54

319.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$5.77 BAM 10.04

182.32%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$135 BAM 235

524.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$18.5K BAM 32.2K

-1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$57.9 BAM 101

15.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$32.01 BAM 55.7

81.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$87.0 BAM 151

17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$81.3 BAM 141

21.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$432 BAM 752

453.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$249 BAM 433

516.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$663 BAM 1,153

592.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$459 BAM 798

540.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,305 BAM 4,008

205.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,582 BAM 2,751

166.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$860 BAM 1,495

302.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.3

5.58%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mostar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Mostar

$249 27.7% 83.8% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Mostar

$134 14.9% 65.9% $260

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Mostar

$119 13.3% 60.9% $186

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Mostar

$188 20.9% 35.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Mostar

$116 12.9% 20.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Mostar

$47 5.2% 65.4% $89

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Mostar

$46 5.1% 48.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $432 in Mostar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 303% 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 $31.00 in Mostar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $188 per month, with Mostar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇦 Mostar

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

18:41 6:41 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

60,195

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Mostar 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Mostar

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 Mostar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mostar is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 222% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 303% 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 $432 in Mostar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mostar runs roughly 106% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $135 in Mostar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $899 in Mostar versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mostar but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Mostar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mostar 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 Mostar 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 Mostar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 222% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.