Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mostar and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostar: $899 a month against $1,206 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Mostar
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Mostar Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index

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Mostar

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$899

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $899 per month in Mostar vs $1,206 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Mostar $899
Sarajevo $1,206

A couple spends around $1,402 per month in Mostar vs $1,834 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Mostar $1,402
Sarajevo $1,834

A family of three spends $1,904 per month in Mostar vs $2,461 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Mostar $1,904
Sarajevo $2,461

Mostar is about 25% cheaper than Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mostar and Sarajevo are more affordable than the global median – Mostar 33% lower, Sarajevo 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.85 BAM 11.91

$8.61 BAM 14.97

-20.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.14 BAM 54.2

$39.25 BAM 68.3

-20.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 BAM 9.86

$8.40 BAM 14.60

-32.50%

Cappuccino

$1.65 BAM 2.86

$2.34 BAM 4.07

-29.49%

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

$1.83 BAM 3.18

$2.17 BAM 3.77

-15.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 BAM 2.05

$1.42 BAM 2.47

-16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 BAM 4.07

$2.94 BAM 5.11

-20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 BAM 3.64

$2.93 BAM 5.10

-28.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 BAM 2.01

$1.21 BAM 2.11

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 BAM 1.58

$1.17 BAM 2.04

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 BAM 3.43

$2.10 BAM 3.65

-6.19%

Eggs

$2.63 BAM 4.58

$3.10 BAM 5.39

-15.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 BAM 13.52

$10.27 BAM 17.86

-24.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 BAM 12.87

$7.46 BAM 12.96

-0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 BAM 18.39

$14.45 BAM 25.13

-26.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 BAM 1.91

$1.41 BAM 2.45

-21.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BAM 2.87

$1.67 BAM 2.91

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 BAM 2.35

$1.50 BAM 2.61

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 BAM 1.99

$2.05 BAM 3.56

-43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BAM 1.80

$0.94 BAM 1.64

10.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 BAM 1.69

$1.11 BAM 1.93

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 BAM 1.24

$1.12 BAM 1.94

-36.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BAM 1.23

$0.73 BAM 1.27

-2.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 BAM 6.82

$3.89 BAM 6.76

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.04 BAM 7.02

$7.25 BAM 12.61

-44.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 BAM 1.39

$0.88 BAM 1.53

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 BAM 1.54

$1.55 BAM 2.69

-42.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 BAM 1.94

$1.27 BAM 2.21

-12.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.85 BAM 64.1

$34.16 BAM 59.4

7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 BAM 3.00

$1.45 BAM 2.52

19.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 BAM 0.96

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-52.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 BAM 10.03

$8.38 BAM 14.58

-31.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 BAM 2.63

$1.73 BAM 3.01

-12.72%

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

$29.9K BAM 52.0K

$30.2K BAM 52.5K

-1.02%

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

$21.3K BAM 37.0K

$23.3K BAM 40.5K

-8.68%

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

$90.6 BAM 158

$222 BAM 386

-59.23%

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

$17.70 BAM 30.77

$14.05 BAM 24.44

25.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.06 BAM 45.31

$27.44 BAM 47.72

-5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.45 BAM 61.6

$40.33 BAM 70.1

-12.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.08 BAM 17.54

$19.64 BAM 34.16

-48.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 BAM 10.04

$6.90 BAM 12.01

-16.38%

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

$135 BAM 235

$203 BAM 352

-33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K BAM 32.2K

$3,817 BAM 6,638

384.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 BAM 101

$88.7 BAM 154

-34.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.01 BAM 55.7

$37.24 BAM 64.8

-14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 BAM 151

$90.5 BAM 157

-3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 BAM 141

$99.4 BAM 173

-18.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 BAM 752

$457 BAM 794

-5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 BAM 433

$313 BAM 544

-20.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 BAM 1,153

$1,014 BAM 1,762

-34.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 BAM 798

$596 BAM 1,037

-23.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,305 BAM 4,008

$3,278 BAM 5,700

-29.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,582 BAM 2,751

$2,341 BAM 4,070

-32.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$860 BAM 1,495

$1,041 BAM 1,811

-17.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

4.08

5.39%

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

Last update for Mostar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mostar

$249 27.7%

Sarajevo

$313 26% 25.8% $64

Groceries & Markets

Mostar

$188 20.9%

Sarajevo

$230 19% 22.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mostar

$134 14.9%

Sarajevo

$264 21.9% 96.3% $129

Eating Out

Mostar

$119 13.3%

Sarajevo

$157 13% 31.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Mostar

$116 12.9%

Sarajevo

$142 11.8% 22.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mostar

$47 5.2%

Sarajevo

$54 4.5% 15.2% $7.1

Getting Around

Mostar

$46 5.1%

Sarajevo

$47 3.9% 1.6% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Mostar versus $457 in Sarajevo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Sarajevo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Mostar versus $39.00 in Sarajevo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $230 – making Mostar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Mostar

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Mostar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,195

271,194 Capital

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mostar Sarajevo 73 km

From you

Mostar
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

Mostar vs Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $899 in Mostar, $1,206 in Sarajevo – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Mostar and $1,809 in Sarajevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mostar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Mostar and $203 in Sarajevo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Sarajevo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mostar, where all-in costs run around $899, than in Sarajevo at $1,206. In Mostar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarajevo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sarajevo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $899 in Mostar to $1,206 in Sarajevo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mostar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sarajevo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.