Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istočno Sarajevo and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $891 a month against $1,202 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$891

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $891 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,202 in Sarajevo.

Istočno Sarajevo $891
Sarajevo $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,356 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,833 in Sarajevo.

Istočno Sarajevo $1,356
Sarajevo $1,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $2,464 in Sarajevo.

Istočno Sarajevo $1,821
Sarajevo $2,464

Living in Istočno Sarajevo costs roughly 26% less than in Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Istočno Sarajevo 34% lower, Sarajevo 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 BAM 14.99

$8.80 BAM 15.36

-2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.38 BAM 65.2

$40.97 BAM 71.5

-8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 BAM 11.92

$8.86 BAM 15.45

-22.91%

Cappuccino

$1.70 BAM 2.96

$2.36 BAM 4.11

-27.97%

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

$1.98 BAM 3.45

$2.21 BAM 3.86

-10.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BAM 2.45

$1.47 BAM 2.56

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 BAM 4.06

$2.84 BAM 4.95

-17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 BAM 3.91

$2.81 BAM 4.90

-20.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 BAM 2.55

$1.16 BAM 2.02

25.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 BAM 2.29

$1.18 BAM 2.06

11.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 BAM 3.69

$2.14 BAM 3.73

-0.93%

Eggs

$3.15 BAM 5.49

$3.02 BAM 5.27

4.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 BAM 17.85

$10.22 BAM 17.83

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 BAM 13.37

$7.71 BAM 13.45

-0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 BAM 24.48

$14.23 BAM 24.82

-1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 BAM 2.46

$1.45 BAM 2.53

-2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 BAM 2.75

$1.71 BAM 2.98

-7.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 BAM 2.63

$1.58 BAM 2.76

-4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 BAM 2.92

$1.99 BAM 3.48

-16.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 BAM 1.60

$0.95 BAM 1.65

-3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 BAM 1.93

$1.08 BAM 1.88

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 BAM 1.87

$1.09 BAM 1.91

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 BAM 1.72

$0.73 BAM 1.28

34.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 BAM 6.82

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 BAM 14.31

$7.00 BAM 12.21

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 BAM 1.52

$0.88 BAM 1.53

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BAM 2.71

$1.56 BAM 2.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 BAM 2.27

$1.28 BAM 2.23

1.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.18 BAM 59.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$1.48 BAM 2.58

-4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$1.16 BAM 2.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 BAM 15.35

$8.69 BAM 15.16

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BAM 2.76

$1.65 BAM 2.89

-4.24%

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

$29.8K BAM 52.0K

$30.2K BAM 52.7K

-1.41%

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

$21.6K BAM 37.7K

$21.9K BAM 38.2K

-1.30%

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

$90.8 BAM 158

$215 BAM 375

-57.77%

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

$18.16 BAM 31.68

$14.04 BAM 24.50

29.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 BAM 47.91

$27.73 BAM 48.38

-0.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.45 BAM 58.4

$40.56 BAM 70.8

-17.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 BAM 24.25

$19.58 BAM 34.15

-29.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 BAM 9.83

$6.86 BAM 11.97

-17.78%

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

$134 BAM 233

$210 BAM 367

-36.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,824 BAM 6,671

$3,887 BAM 6,781

-1.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 BAM 153

$89.7 BAM 156

-1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.68 BAM 55.3

$38.21 BAM 66.7

-17.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 BAM 155

$89.8 BAM 157

-0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 BAM 171

$98.5 BAM 172

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 BAM 375

$451 BAM 787

-52.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 BAM 322

$313 BAM 546

-41.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 BAM 442

$996 BAM 1,737

-74.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 BAM 372

$592 BAM 1,033

-64.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,722 BAM 3,003

$3,302 BAM 5,760

-47.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 BAM 2,365

$2,322 BAM 4,050

-41.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 BAM 1,243

$1,054 BAM 1,839

-32.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Istočno Sarajevo

$236 26.5%

Sarajevo

$229 19.1% 2.7% $6.4

Accommodation & Living

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.7%

Sarajevo

$313 26% 69.6% $128

Eating Out

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.6%

Sarajevo

$160 13.3% 14.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.5%

Sarajevo

$142 11.8% 3.1% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istočno Sarajevo

$136 15.3%

Sarajevo

$257 21.4% 88.3% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5%

Sarajevo

$54 4.5% 21.4% $9.6

Getting Around

Istočno Sarajevo

$12 * 1.4%

Sarajevo

$47 3.9% 275% $34

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 $215 in Istočno Sarajevo and $451 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Istočno Sarajevo vs $41 in Sarajevo. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $229, with Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

Same time as Istočno Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,642

271,194 Capital

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istočno Sarajevo Sarajevo 6 km

From you

Istočno Sarajevo
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

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

Istočno Sarajevo and Sarajevo differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($891 vs $1,202 including rent). Istočno Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Istočno Sarajevo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $215 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $451 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $134 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $210 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo – a meal for two runs $37 versus $41 in Sarajevo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $891 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,202 in Sarajevo, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Sarajevo. The gap between the two cities makes Istočno Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istočno Sarajevo 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.

It comes down to priorities – Istočno Sarajevo wins on affordability, Sarajevo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.