Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,204 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sarajevo
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$1,204
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Sarajevo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

  • Sarajevo $1,204
  • Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,807 in Sarajevo versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Sarajevo $1,807
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,410 in Sarajevo versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

  • Sarajevo $2,410
  • Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 55% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarajevo is 10% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.60 BAM 15.01
$20.22 $20.22
-57.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.59 BAM 69.1
$85.0 $85.0
-53.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.48 BAM 14.79
$12.35 $12.35
-31.34%
Cappuccino
$2.33 BAM 4.06
$5.47 $5.47
-57.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 BAM 3.88
$3.82 $3.82
-41.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 BAM 2.47
$2.50 $2.50
-43.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.94 BAM 5.12
$8.06 $8.06
-63.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 BAM 5.08
$8.99 $8.99
-67.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 BAM 2.02
$1.13 $1.13
2.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 BAM 2.05
$3.78 $3.78
-69.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 BAM 3.87
$3.25 $3.25
-31.69%
Eggs
$3.08 BAM 5.37
$4.14 $4.14
-25.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.33 BAM 18.02
$13.08 $13.08
-21.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.73 BAM 13.49
$14.31 $14.31
-45.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.14 BAM 24.67
$15.96 $15.96
-11.40%
Apples (1kg)
$1.42 BAM 2.48
$4.38 $4.38
-67.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 BAM 2.96
$1.45 $1.45
17.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 BAM 2.74
$4.54 $4.54
-65.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 BAM 3.46
$4.19 $4.19
-52.74%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 BAM 1.71
$2.63 $2.63
-62.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 BAM 1.99
$2.36 $2.36
-51.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 BAM 1.86
$1.76 $1.76
-39.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 BAM 1.24
$2.16 $2.16
-67.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.02 BAM 7.01
$9.81 $9.81
-59.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.02 BAM 13.98
$14.72 $14.72
-45.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 BAM 1.56
$2.78 $2.78
-67.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 BAM 2.47
$3.48 $3.48
-59.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 BAM 2.17
$1.49 $1.49
-16.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.01 BAM 61.1
$40.51 $40.51
-13.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 BAM 2.56
$2.67 $2.67
-44.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 BAM 1.96
$1.58 $1.58
-29.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.61 BAM 15.02
$35.29 $35.29
-75.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 BAM 3.03
$0.99 $0.99
75.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K BAM 52.2K
$35.8K $35.8K
-16.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.2K BAM 40.5K
$27.2K $27.2K
-14.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 BAM 384
$219 $219
0.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.25 BAM 24.86
$58.0 $58.0
-75.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.24 BAM 49.28
$68.4 $68.4
-58.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.15 BAM 70.1
$57.9 $57.9
-30.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 BAM 34.30
$14.82 $14.82
32.66%
Cinema Ticket
$6.68 BAM 11.66
$14.13 $14.13
-52.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$206 BAM 359
$1,509 $1,509
-86.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,856 BAM 6,727
$21.5K $21.5K
-82.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.6 BAM 155
$51.7 $51.7
71.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.30 BAM 65.1
$44.05 $44.05
-15.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.4 BAM 156
$85.1 $85.1
5.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.4 BAM 173
$105 $105
-5.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$449 BAM 783
$1,932 $1,932
-76.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 BAM 533
$1,272 $1,272
-76.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$997 BAM 1,740
$3,670 $3,670
-72.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$587 BAM 1,024
$2,525 $2,525
-76.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,243 BAM 5,658
$7,617 $7,617
-57.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,384 BAM 4,159
$3,199 $3,199
-25.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sarajevo
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,023 BAM 1,785
$5,105 $5,105
-79.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
6.79
-39.91%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sarajevo
$305
Austin, TX
$1.3K 317% $967
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarajevo
$263
Austin, TX
$346 31.5% $83
Groceries & Markets
Sarajevo
$231
Austin, TX
$403 74.1% $171
Eating Out
Sarajevo
$157
Austin, TX
$348 121% $191
Clothing & Footwear
Sarajevo
$142
Austin, TX
$129 9.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Sarajevo
$54
Austin, TX
$86 61% $33
Getting Around
Sarajevo
$47
Austin, TX
$57 21.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Sarajevo and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 399% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Sarajevo vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $403 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇦 Sarajevo
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
12:21 12:21 PM
05:21 5:21 AM
7 h behind Sarajevo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
271,194 Capital
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sarajevo Austin, TX 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sarajevo
  • Austin, TX

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
Sarajevo vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sarajevo or Austin, TX?
Sarajevo wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sarajevo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Sarajevo or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 399% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Sarajevo compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $449 in Sarajevo versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Sarajevo compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Sarajevo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Sarajevo compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Sarajevo runs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Sarajevo or in Austin, TX?
At $1,204 in Sarajevo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sarajevo or Austin, TX?
Both work as nomad bases, but Sarajevo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sarajevo hard to pass up.
How safe is Sarajevo compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Sarajevo and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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