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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,176 in Sarajevo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,784 in Sarajevo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,393 in Sarajevo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than in Sarajevo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sarajevo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.14 BAM 12.22

83.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$35.96 BAM 61.6

49.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$8.80 BAM 15.07

10.00%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.07 BAM 3.55

80.68%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$2.02 BAM 3.46

-19.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.39 BAM 2.38

-16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.73 BAM 4.67

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.39 BAM 4.10

98.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.41 BAM 2.41

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.21 BAM 2.08

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.04 BAM 3.50

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.25 BAM 5.57

-23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.46 BAM 17.92

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.84 BAM 15.14

-6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$13.24 BAM 22.67

-10.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.55 BAM 2.65

94.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.86 BAM 3.18

-2.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.08 BAM 3.55

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.30 BAM 3.95

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.12 BAM 1.92

85.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.21 BAM 2.08

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.27 BAM 2.18

14.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.81 BAM 1.38

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.77 BAM 6.45

15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$8.00 BAM 13.70

112.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.05 BAM 1.80

64.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.28 BAM 2.19

179.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.03 BAM 1.77

-62.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$31.73 BAM 54.4

-41.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.49 BAM 2.56

-10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.77 BAM 1.32

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$8.63 BAM 14.78

-39.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.49 BAM 2.55

-10.07%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$26.6K BAM 45.5K

-26.98%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$25.8K BAM 44.3K

-7.78%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$202 BAM 346

-79.86%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$19.03 BAM 32.60

41.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$32.94 BAM 56.4

-7.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$35.14 BAM 60.2

50.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$16.26 BAM 27.85

63.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.20 BAM 12.33

-9.58%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$258 BAM 442

65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$3,394 BAM 5,813

209.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$91.6 BAM 157

-37.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$37.77 BAM 64.7

20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$108 BAM 184

-3.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$101 BAM 172

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$436 BAM 747

130.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$303 BAM 519

105.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$892 BAM 1,527

136.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$580 BAM 994

109.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,245 BAM 5,559

19.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,315 BAM 3,965

-12.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,042 BAM 1,784

-0.36%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $436 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,176 including rent). Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $436 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 70% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $258 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,176 in Sarajevo versus $1,456 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.