Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sarajevo Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sarajevo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,206 in Sarajevo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,811 in Sarajevo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,416 in Sarajevo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than Sarajevo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sarajevo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.21 BAM 12.15

82.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$35.65 BAM 60.1

51.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.96 BAM 15.10

5.13%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.04 BAM 3.43

74.02%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.01 BAM 3.39

-19.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.42 BAM 2.39

-21.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.69 BAM 4.54

15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.32 BAM 3.91

99.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.43 BAM 2.40

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.21 BAM 2.04

124.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.08 BAM 3.51

-8.17%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.24 BAM 5.47

-21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.29 BAM 17.34

-2.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.86 BAM 14.92

-8.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.44 BAM 22.64

-13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.55 BAM 2.60

91.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.87 BAM 3.15

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.05 BAM 3.45

-1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.29 BAM 3.86

-11.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.12 BAM 1.88

89.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.20 BAM 2.02

89.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.22 BAM 2.06

14.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.76 BAM 1.28

48.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.76 BAM 6.34

13.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$8.33 BAM 14.03

86.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.04 BAM 1.76

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.31 BAM 2.21

174.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.08 BAM 1.82

-64.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$31.31 BAM 52.7

-38.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.44 BAM 2.42

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.78 BAM 1.32

-64.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$9.08 BAM 15.29

-39.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.52 BAM 2.55

-14.47%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$26.7K BAM 45.1K

-30.13%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$25.9K BAM 43.7K

-10.75%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$197 BAM 332

-79.24%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$19.00 BAM 32.01

41.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.37 BAM 56.2

-10.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$35.64 BAM 60.1

45.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$16.44 BAM 27.70

63.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.94 BAM 11.70

-9.22%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$255 BAM 429

71.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,323 BAM 5,599

213.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$91.3 BAM 154

-37.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$36.66 BAM 61.8

21.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$108 BAM 183

-5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$99.9 BAM 168

5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$432 BAM 728

136.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$313 BAM 527

101.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$877 BAM 1,478

143.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$600 BAM 1,011

107.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$3,430 BAM 5,779

13.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,383 BAM 4,014

-13.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,064 BAM 1,793

4.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.8

198.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $432 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 5% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $246 per month, with 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

Mexico City vs Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sarajevo differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,206 including rent). Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 5% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $432 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarajevo runs roughly 63% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $255 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes 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, Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.