Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Istočno Sarajevo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Istočno Sarajevo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $968 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,431 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,894 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 70% more expensive than in Istočno Sarajevo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Istočno Sarajevo is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.9K

$8.74 BAM 14.67

-8.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.7K

$38.25 BAM 64.2

26.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.2K

$6.92 BAM 11.62

36.13%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,105

$1.80 BAM 3.02

63.33%

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

$1.86 COP 5,776

$2.13 BAM 3.57

-12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,511

$1.46 BAM 2.45

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,953

$2.31 BAM 3.87

38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.39 BAM 4.01

138.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,460

$1.50 BAM 2.52

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,442

$1.41 BAM 2.37

70.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,265

$2.27 BAM 3.82

-25.11%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,960

$3.24 BAM 5.44

-10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$10.18 BAM 17.10

-1.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.9K

$7.62 BAM 12.79

30.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.0K

$13.47 BAM 22.62

5.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.51 BAM 2.53

163.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$1.76 BAM 2.95

-10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,671

$1.74 BAM 2.92

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,129

$1.74 BAM 2.93

32.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,213

$1.05 BAM 1.76

90.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,679

$1.20 BAM 2.01

25.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,727

$0.94 BAM 1.59

27.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,974

$0.97 BAM 1.63

31.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$4.08 BAM 6.85

-5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.4K

$8.17 BAM 13.72

71.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,294

$0.97 BAM 1.62

76.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,500

$1.55 BAM 2.60

76.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,861

$1.31 BAM 2.20

-4.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,045

$1.51 BAM 2.54

-13.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,728

$1.10 BAM 1.85

97.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.7K

$10.53 BAM 17.68

-21.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,202

$1.59 BAM 2.66

-14.47%

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

$27.5K COP 85.2M

$30.6K BAM 51.4K

-10.23%

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

$36.5K COP 113.2M

$22.4K BAM 37.6K

63.13%

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

$169 COP 523.0K

$125 BAM 209

35.37%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$19.02 BAM 31.94

-28.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.8K

$28.31 BAM 47.55

0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.7K

$33.64 BAM 56.5

35.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

$14.33 BAM 24.07

20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.49 BAM 9.22

21.13%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$155 BAM 260

418.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$4,013 BAM 6,740

129.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 270.8K

$90.1 BAM 151

-3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.0K

$35.37 BAM 59.4

67.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 430.5K

$92.1 BAM 155

50.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.3K

$105 BAM 176

-2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$218 BAM 367

390.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$195 BAM 328

234.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$271 BAM 455

611.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$221 BAM 371

374.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$1,798 BAM 3,020

129.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,408 BAM 2,364

20.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$735 BAM 1,235

-10.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.08

168.14%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $218 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istočno Sarajevo pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Istočno Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $239 per month, with Istočno Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

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

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

Medellin and Istočno Sarajevo differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $968 including rent). Istočno Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $218 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $155 in Istočno 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 $38.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $968 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. 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, Medellin and Istočno 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 Istočno Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.