Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Tesanj

For one person, living is cheaper in Tesanj: $880 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Tesanj
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Tesanj Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Tesanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Tesanj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $880 in Tesanj.

Dubai $2,896
Tesanj $880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,288 in Tesanj.

Dubai $4,384
Tesanj $1,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,696 in Tesanj.

Dubai $5,872
Tesanj $1,696

Living in Dubai is roughly 229% more expensive than in Tesanj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Tesanj is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$3.38 BAM 5.87

274.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$16.14 BAM 28.07

406.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$2.82 BAM 4.91

231.21%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$0.84 BAM 1.46

601.19%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.39 BAM 2.42

21.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.83 BAM 1.44

-6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.97 BAM 3.42

593.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$1.70 BAM 2.95

693.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$0.83 BAM 1.44

121.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.83 BAM 1.44

80.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.47 BAM 4.30

4.05%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.07 BAM 5.34

8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$10.03 BAM 17.44

25.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.09 BAM 12.33

36.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$14.12 BAM 24.56

-9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$0.99 BAM 1.72

162.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.60 BAM 2.79

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.22 BAM 2.12

56.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.76 BAM 3.06

-22.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.05 BAM 1.82

7.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.09 BAM 1.89

-7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.15 BAM 2.00

25.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.97 BAM 1.69

-30.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.79 BAM 6.59

55.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$8.67 BAM 15.07

86.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.11 BAM 1.94

145.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.33 BAM 2.31

131.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.48 BAM 2.57

8.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.16 BAM 2.02

179.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.59 BAM 1.03

20.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$10.46 BAM 18.18

-23.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.58 BAM 2.75

-37.97%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$30.2K BAM 52.6K

-9.44%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$22.0K BAM 38.3K

0.00%

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

$249 AED 913

$93.1 BAM 162

167.03%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$18.33 BAM 31.87

196.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$28.91 BAM 50.3

216.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$33.13 BAM 57.6

212.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$28.53 BAM 49.62

48.34%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$2.79 BAM 4.86

483.87%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$135 BAM 235

523.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$3,835 BAM 6,668

376.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$58.2 BAM 101

15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$32.70 BAM 56.9

77.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$95.7 BAM 166

6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$128 BAM 222

-22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$318 BAM 554

651.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$260 BAM 452

489.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$470 BAM 817

877.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$367 BAM 638

701.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,412 BAM 4,195

192.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,780 BAM 3,096

137.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$685 BAM 1,191

405.31%

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 Tesanj: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Tesanj

$260 29.5% 83% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Tesanj

$140 15.9% 64.4% $254

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Tesanj

$68 7.7% 77.8% $238

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Tesanj

$222 25.2% 23.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Tesanj

$142 16.1% 3.5% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Tesanj

$39 4.4% 71.5% $97

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Tesanj

$10 * 1.1% 88.7% $79

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 $318 in Tesanj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 405% 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 $16.00 in Tesanj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $222 per month, with Tesanj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇦 Tesanj

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

5,500

💱 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 Tesanj 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Tesanj

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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tesanj is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 229% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 405% 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 $318 in Tesanj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% 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 $880 in Tesanj – a 229% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $880 in Tesanj versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tesanj but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Tesanj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tesanj 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 Tesanj 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 Tesanj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 229% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.