Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,204 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
Learn more

Sarajevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,204 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Sarajevo $1,204

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,807 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Sarajevo $1,807

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,410 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Sarajevo $2,410

Istanbul costs about 27% more than Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Sarajevo is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$8.60 BAM 15.01

38.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$39.59 BAM 69.1

39.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$8.48 BAM 14.79

7.78%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.33 BAM 4.06

81.97%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.23 BAM 3.88

-21.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.41 BAM 2.47

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.94 BAM 5.12

59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.91 BAM 5.08

105.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.16 BAM 2.02

8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.17 BAM 2.05

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.22 BAM 3.87

4.05%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.08 BAM 5.37

-19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$10.33 BAM 18.02

2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$7.73 BAM 13.49

-27.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.14 BAM 24.67

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.42 BAM 2.48

35.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.70 BAM 2.96

34.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.57 BAM 2.74

-18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.98 BAM 3.46

-7.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.98 BAM 1.71

-31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.14 BAM 1.99

-48.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.07 BAM 1.86

24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.71 BAM 1.24

-16.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$4.02 BAM 7.01

-41.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$8.02 BAM 13.98

67.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$0.89 BAM 1.56

171.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.42 BAM 2.47

149.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.24 BAM 2.17

-33.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$35.01 BAM 61.1

89.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.47 BAM 2.56

-8.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.12 BAM 1.96

-24.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$8.61 BAM 15.02

26.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.74 BAM 3.03

-15.52%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$29.9K BAM 52.2K

72.47%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$23.2K BAM 40.5K

91.58%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$220 BAM 384

-59.50%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$14.25 BAM 24.86

-18.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$28.24 BAM 49.28

-42.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$40.15 BAM 70.1

92.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$19.66 BAM 34.30

15.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$6.68 BAM 11.66

24.85%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$206 BAM 359

373.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$3,856 BAM 6,727

568.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$88.6 BAM 155

-40.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$37.30 BAM 65.1

4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$89.4 BAM 156

15.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$99.4 BAM 173

-2.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$449 BAM 783

121.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$305 BAM 533

106.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$997 BAM 1,740

102.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$587 BAM 1,024

96.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$3,243 BAM 5,658

-2.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,384 BAM 4,159

-22.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,023 BAM 1,785

17.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.08

907.11%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Sarajevo

$305 25.5% 51.5% $324

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Sarajevo

$231 19.3% 12.3% $33

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Sarajevo

$157 13.1% 27.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Sarajevo

$142 11.8% 7.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Sarajevo

$263 21.9% 125% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Sarajevo

$54 4.5% 43% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Sarajevo

$47 3.9% 37.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $449 in 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 18% 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 $40.00 in Sarajevo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $231 – making Sarajevo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

10:17 10:17 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

271,194 Capital

💱 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 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 TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sarajevo 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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 Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,806 in Sarajevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $206 in Sarajevo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarajevo, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Sarajevo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward 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 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.