Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,212 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,212 in Sarajevo.

Mexico City $1,608
Sarajevo $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,843 in Sarajevo.

Mexico City $2,549
Sarajevo $1,843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,473 in Sarajevo.

Mexico City $3,490
Sarajevo $2,473

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Sarajevo is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$8.52 BAM 14.92

24.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$40.08 BAM 70.2

20.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$8.42 BAM 14.76

22.92%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.26 BAM 3.95

63.27%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$2.17 BAM 3.80

-23.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$1.41 BAM 2.47

-9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$2.93 BAM 5.12

8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$2.80 BAM 4.90

89.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.18 BAM 2.06

45.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.20 BAM 2.11

153.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$2.12 BAM 3.72

-8.49%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.96 BAM 5.19

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$10.37 BAM 18.16

5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$7.43 BAM 13.02

24.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$14.64 BAM 25.65

3.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$1.49 BAM 2.60

104.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.61 BAM 2.83

20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.48 BAM 2.60

37.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$2.06 BAM 3.61

12.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$0.99 BAM 1.73

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.10 BAM 1.93

63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.13 BAM 1.98

30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.67 BAM 1.18

89.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$3.85 BAM 6.75

37.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$7.18 BAM 12.58

124.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$0.92 BAM 1.62

115.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$1.48 BAM 2.60

187.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$1.25 BAM 2.19

-75.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$33.99 BAM 59.5

-41.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.46 BAM 2.55

26.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$1.13 BAM 1.98

-53.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$8.39 BAM 14.70

-36.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.73 BAM 3.04

-12.72%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$29.6K BAM 51.9K

-26.51%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$21.9K BAM 38.4K

9.47%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$221 BAM 387

-71.52%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$14.49 BAM 25.39

89.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$27.50 BAM 48.18

29.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$41.77 BAM 73.2

41.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$19.37 BAM 33.94

22.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$7.06 BAM 12.37

-9.35%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$206 BAM 361

109.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$3,810 BAM 6,674

199.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$87.5 BAM 153

-22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$37.82 BAM 66.3

40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$92.2 BAM 162

16.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$99.2 BAM 174

18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$434 BAM 761

156.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$320 BAM 561

121.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$965 BAM 1,691

168.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$606 BAM 1,062

131.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$3,150 BAM 5,519

15.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$2,429 BAM 4,256

-12.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$1,042 BAM 1,825

-9.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.08

178.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Sarajevo

$320 26.4% 54.9% $390

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Sarajevo

$229 18.9% 28.2% $90

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Sarajevo

$155 12.8% 22% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Sarajevo

$143 11.8% 8.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sarajevo

$263 21.7% 109% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Sarajevo

$56 4.6% 22.1% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Sarajevo

$46 3.8% 81% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $434 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $40 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $229 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

05:09 5:09 AM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

271,194 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Sarajevo 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,212 in Sarajevo, so Sarajevo is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $434 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 42% less than in Sarajevo. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $206 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Sarajevo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.