Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,204 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
Learn more

Sarajevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $1,204 in Sarajevo.

Dubai $2,854
Sarajevo $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $1,807 in Sarajevo.

Dubai $4,321
Sarajevo $1,807

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $2,410 in Sarajevo.

Dubai $5,788
Sarajevo $2,410

Living in Dubai is roughly 137% more expensive than in Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Sarajevo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$8.60 BAM 15.01

51.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$39.59 BAM 69.1

105.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$8.48 BAM 14.79

9.91%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$2.33 BAM 4.06

156.22%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$2.23 BAM 3.88

-26.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$1.41 BAM 2.47

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$2.94 BAM 5.12

364.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$2.91 BAM 5.08

359.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.16 BAM 2.02

56.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$1.17 BAM 2.05

34.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$2.22 BAM 3.87

12.16%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$3.08 BAM 5.37

6.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$10.33 BAM 18.02

22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$7.73 BAM 13.49

26.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$14.14 BAM 24.67

-6.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$1.42 BAM 2.48

83.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.70 BAM 2.96

13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$1.57 BAM 2.74

22.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$1.98 BAM 3.46

-31.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$0.98 BAM 1.71

19.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.14 BAM 1.99

-11.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$1.07 BAM 1.86

41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.71 BAM 1.24

-12.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$4.02 BAM 7.01

45.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$8.02 BAM 13.98

101.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$0.89 BAM 1.56

197.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$1.42 BAM 2.47

107.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$1.24 BAM 2.17

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$35.01 BAM 61.1

110.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$1.47 BAM 2.56

115.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$1.12 BAM 1.96

-36.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$8.61 BAM 15.02

-7.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.74 BAM 3.03

-43.10%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$29.9K BAM 52.2K

-8.56%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$23.2K BAM 40.5K

-2.85%

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

$250 AED 920

$220 BAM 384

13.66%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$14.25 BAM 24.86

280.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$28.24 BAM 49.28

225.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$40.15 BAM 70.1

145.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$19.66 BAM 34.30

116.73%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$6.68 BAM 11.66

139.97%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$206 BAM 359

310.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$3,856 BAM 6,727

373.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$88.6 BAM 155

-23.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$37.30 BAM 65.1

55.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$89.4 BAM 156

12.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$99.4 BAM 173

1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$449 BAM 783

430.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$305 BAM 533

393.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$997 BAM 1,740

344.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$587 BAM 1,024

412.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$3,243 BAM 5,658

119.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$2,384 BAM 4,159

73.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$1,023 BAM 1,785

231.38%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Sarajevo

$305 25.5% 79.7% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Sarajevo

$263 21.9% 33.7% $134

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Sarajevo

$157 13.1% 49.1% $151

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Sarajevo

$231 19.3% 21% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Sarajevo

$142 11.8% 3.9% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Sarajevo

$54 4.5% 59% $77

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Sarajevo

$47 3.9% 45.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $449 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 231% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $40.00 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $231 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

271,194 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Dubai Sarajevo 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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 Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 231% 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: $2,380 in Dubai versus $449 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarajevo runs roughly 110% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $206 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Sarajevo versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, 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 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 Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.