Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $897 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $897 in Istočno Sarajevo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Istočno Sarajevo $897

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,364 in Istočno Sarajevo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Istočno Sarajevo $1,364

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,830 in Istočno Sarajevo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Istočno Sarajevo $1,830

Istanbul costs about 73% more than Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Istočno Sarajevo is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺607

$8.61 BAM 15.02

42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,700

$37.53 BAM 65.5

45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

$6.83 BAM 11.92

34.99%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺217

$1.74 BAM 3.05

152.87%

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

$1.68 ₺82.8

$2.02 BAM 3.53

-16.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.47 BAM 2.57

-59.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

$2.30 BAM 4.02

104.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.25 BAM 3.92

162.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.8

$1.45 BAM 2.54

-16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺43.97

$1.30 BAM 2.27

-31.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.14 BAM 3.73

2.34%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.16 BAM 5.51

-25.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺514

$10.31 BAM 18.00

1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

$7.76 BAM 13.54

-27.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,033

$14.34 BAM 25.03

46.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.8

$1.48 BAM 2.58

28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.59 BAM 2.78

45.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.0

$1.56 BAM 2.72

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.7

$1.72 BAM 3.00

4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.07

$0.99 BAM 1.74

-34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.82

$1.10 BAM 1.93

-41.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺61.9

$1.08 BAM 1.88

15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.50

$0.91 BAM 1.58

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

$3.86 BAM 6.74

-38.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺662

$7.86 BAM 13.72

70.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.89 BAM 1.56

169.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.54 BAM 2.69

125.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.70

$1.47 BAM 2.57

-39.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.9

$1.39 BAM 2.43

-7.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.56

$1.17 BAM 2.04

-21.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺541

$8.32 BAM 14.53

31.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.7

$1.58 BAM 2.76

-6.96%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.3K BAM 51.2K

73.17%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$21.8K BAM 38.1K

103.93%

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

$88.6 ₺4,374

$91.6 BAM 160

-3.25%

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

$11.59 ₺572

$18.17 BAM 31.71

-36.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺781

$28.32 BAM 49.44

-44.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,809

$33.17 BAM 57.9

132.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,122

$13.57 BAM 23.68

67.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

$5.70 BAM 9.95

42.81%

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

$1,008 ₺49.8K

$133 BAM 232

659.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,916 BAM 6,835

552.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,663

$87.7 BAM 153

-38.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,015

$32.35 BAM 56.5

26.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,881

$89.7 BAM 157

10.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,768

$99.2 BAM 173

-2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

$213 BAM 372

361.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.1K

$185 BAM 323

251.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺97.9K

$261 BAM 455

660.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.2K

$210 BAM 367

461.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺154.9K

$1,747 BAM 3,050

79.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.9K

$1,393 BAM 2,432

27.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.5K

$717 BAM 1,252

68.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.08

902.94%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.6% 71.5% $465

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Istočno Sarajevo

$237 26.4% 8.8% $23

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Istočno Sarajevo

$140 15.6% 37.2% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.5% 6.4% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.4% 19% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 52.3% $49

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$13 * 1.5% 82.9% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $213 in Istočno Sarajevo. 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 68% higher in Istanbul, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $38.00 in Istočno Sarajevo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $237 – making Istočno Sarajevo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

11:50 11:50 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

10,642

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.31 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 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 TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Istočno Sarajevo 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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

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

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,345 in Istočno Sarajevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $38.00 in Istočno Sarajevo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Istočno Sarajevo, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Istočno Sarajevo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istočno Sarajevo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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