Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarajevo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarajevo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,241 in Sarajevo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,920 in Sarajevo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,598 in Sarajevo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in Sarajevo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sarajevo 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.74 BAM 14.73

-46.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$40.93 BAM 69.0

-21.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.77 BAM 14.77

-1.03%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.36 BAM 3.98

22.88%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.25 BAM 3.79

-62.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.53 BAM 2.58

-67.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.98 BAM 5.03

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.93 BAM 4.93

27.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.22 BAM 2.05

54.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.23 BAM 2.08

14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.29 BAM 3.86

-29.26%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.28 BAM 5.53

-31.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.06 BAM 18.64

79.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.97 BAM 13.42

-56.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$15.17 BAM 25.56

-25.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.57 BAM 2.64

84.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.76 BAM 2.97

-2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.85 BAM 3.12

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.11 BAM 3.55

0.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.00 BAM 1.68

47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.23 BAM 2.06

15.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.15 BAM 1.94

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.71 BAM 1.20

-15.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.06 BAM 6.83

6.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.39 BAM 14.14

121.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.92 BAM 1.55

95.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.55 BAM 2.61

91.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.28 BAM 2.16

75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$36.13 BAM 60.9

-34.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.46 BAM 2.46

112.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.21 BAM 2.04

-10.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$9.17 BAM 15.44

-57.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.71 BAM 2.88

-16.37%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$31.1K BAM 52.4K

-10.60%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$24.5K BAM 41.3K

10.20%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$226 BAM 381

-53.65%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$14.70 BAM 24.77

-22.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$28.66 BAM 48.29

-38.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$41.96 BAM 70.7

29.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$20.15 BAM 33.96

-43.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.92 BAM 11.66

12.43%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$218 BAM 368

163.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,055 BAM 6,833

185.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$91.7 BAM 154

-30.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$38.97 BAM 65.7

-25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$95.0 BAM 160

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$104 BAM 175

-13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$467 BAM 787

56.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$328 BAM 553

52.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,083 BAM 1,825

96.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$600 BAM 1,011

108.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,438 BAM 5,793

2.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,422 BAM 4,081

8.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,085 BAM 1,829

-53.23%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $467 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Sarajevo. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $245, with Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 114% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $467 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $218 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,241 in Sarajevo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sarajevo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.