Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $891 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
Learn more

Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istočno Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Istočno Sarajevo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Istočno Sarajevo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $891 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Phuket $1,208
Istočno Sarajevo $891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,356 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Phuket $2,027
Istočno Sarajevo $1,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,821 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Phuket $2,845
Istočno Sarajevo $1,821

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Istočno Sarajevo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿148

$8.59 BAM 14.99

-48.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,089

$37.38 BAM 65.2

-13.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿296

$6.83 BAM 11.92

28.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.70 BAM 2.96

66.47%

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

$0.90 ฿30.43

$1.98 BAM 3.45

-54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.71

$1.40 BAM 2.45

-66.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿86.0

$2.33 BAM 4.06

9.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$2.24 BAM 3.91

70.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿58.2

$1.46 BAM 2.55

18.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.58

$1.32 BAM 2.29

11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.1

$2.12 BAM 3.69

-28.77%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$3.15 BAM 5.49

-31.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿665

$10.23 BAM 17.85

92.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿113

$7.66 BAM 13.37

-56.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿377

$14.03 BAM 24.48

-20.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿96.0

$1.41 BAM 2.46

102.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿57.5

$1.58 BAM 2.75

7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.51 BAM 2.63

45.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿69.0

$1.67 BAM 2.92

22.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.92 BAM 1.60

57.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.60

$1.11 BAM 1.93

24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿36.04

$1.07 BAM 1.87

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.07

$0.98 BAM 1.72

-47.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$3.91 BAM 6.82

8.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿627

$8.20 BAM 14.31

126.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿60.2

$0.87 BAM 1.52

104.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.1

$1.56 BAM 2.71

82.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿76.3

$1.30 BAM 2.27

73.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿102

$1.42 BAM 2.47

111.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.68

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-8.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿130

$8.80 BAM 15.35

-56.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.91

$1.58 BAM 2.76

-8.23%

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

$26.3K ฿888.3K

$29.8K BAM 52.0K

-11.64%

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

$26.9K ฿909.1K

$21.6K BAM 37.7K

24.67%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$90.8 BAM 158

6.10%

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

$11.04 ฿372

$18.16 BAM 31.68

-39.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿578

$27.46 BAM 47.91

-37.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,760

$33.45 BAM 58.4

55.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿376

$13.90 BAM 24.25

-19.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿263

$5.64 BAM 9.83

38.48%

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

$556 ฿18.8K

$134 BAM 233

316.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿390.7K

$3,824 BAM 6,671

202.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,166

$87.9 BAM 153

-26.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿968

$31.68 BAM 55.3

-9.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,217

$89.0 BAM 155

7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,968

$98.1 BAM 171

-10.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.9K

$215 BAM 375

242.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.6K

$185 BAM 322

150.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.7K

$253 BAM 442

727.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.5K

$213 BAM 372

463.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿117.7K

$1,722 BAM 3,003

102.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿85.1K

$1,356 BAM 2,365

86.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.9K

$712 BAM 1,243

-29.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.08

36.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.7% 60.1% $278

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Istočno Sarajevo

$236 26.5% 12.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$136 15.3% 9.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.5% 11% $14

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.6% 14.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 34% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$12 * 1.4% 68.5% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $215 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istočno Sarajevo pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $37 in Istočno Sarajevo. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $236, with Istočno Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

23:48 11:48 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

10,642

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Istočno Sarajevo 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Istočno 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

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

Phuket and Istočno Sarajevo differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,208 vs $891 including rent). Istočno Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Phuket. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $215 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $134 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $37 in Istočno Sarajevo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $891 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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, Phuket 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.