Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Bijeljina

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijeljina: $910 a month against $1,206 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bijeljina
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Bijeljina Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,206

/mo nomad

Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Bijeljina

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 Bijeljina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Sarajevo vs $910 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,206
Bijeljina $910

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,411 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,834
Bijeljina $1,411

A family of three spends $2,461 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,911 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Sarajevo $2,461
Bijeljina $1,911

Sarajevo costs about 32% more than Bijeljina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 BAM 14.97

$8.33 BAM 14.49

3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.25 BAM 68.3

$33.75 BAM 58.7

16.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.40 BAM 14.60

$4.70 BAM 8.17

78.72%

Cappuccino

$2.34 BAM 4.07

$1.46 BAM 2.55

60.27%

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

$2.17 BAM 3.77

$1.74 BAM 3.03

24.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$1.05 BAM 1.83

35.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 BAM 5.11

$1.74 BAM 3.03

68.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 BAM 5.10

$2.32 BAM 4.03

26.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 BAM 2.11

$1.49 BAM 2.60

-18.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 2.04

$1.16 BAM 2.02

0.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 BAM 3.65

$1.64 BAM 2.85

28.05%

Eggs

$3.10 BAM 5.39

$3.14 BAM 5.47

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 BAM 17.86

$7.66 BAM 13.32

34.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 BAM 12.96

$7.99 BAM 13.89

-6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 BAM 25.13

$11.56 BAM 20.11

25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 BAM 2.45

$1.61 BAM 2.80

-12.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 BAM 2.91

$1.84 BAM 3.21

-9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 BAM 2.61

$1.77 BAM 3.07

-15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.56

$2.70 BAM 4.69

-24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$1.53 BAM 2.66

-38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 BAM 1.93

$1.41 BAM 2.45

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 BAM 1.94

$1.14 BAM 1.98

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.27

$0.61 BAM 1.07

19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 BAM 6.76

$3.85 BAM 6.69

1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 BAM 12.61

$8.45 BAM 14.70

-14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.53

$0.82 BAM 1.43

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BAM 2.69

$1.46 BAM 2.54

6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 BAM 2.21

$2.26 BAM 3.93

-43.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.16 BAM 59.4

$17.43 BAM 30.31

95.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 BAM 2.52

$1.45 BAM 2.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$0.54 BAM 0.95

114.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 BAM 14.58

$10.45 BAM 18.17

-19.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BAM 3.01

$1.48 BAM 2.58

16.89%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.5K

$27.1K BAM 47.2K

11.30%

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

$23.3K BAM 40.5K

$20.5K BAM 35.6K

13.81%

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

$222 BAM 386

$139 BAM 242

59.70%

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

$14.05 BAM 24.44

$18.30 BAM 31.82

-23.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.44 BAM 47.72

$23.35 BAM 40.60

17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 BAM 70.1

$29.77 BAM 51.8

35.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.64 BAM 34.16

$8.45 BAM 14.70

132.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 BAM 12.01

$4.80 BAM 8.35

43.75%

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

$203 BAM 352

$201 BAM 349

0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,817 BAM 6,638

$4,009 BAM 6,972

-4.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 BAM 154

$57.0 BAM 99.1

55.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 BAM 64.8

$26.07 BAM 45.33

42.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 BAM 157

$127 BAM 221

-28.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 BAM 173

$118 BAM 206

-15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 BAM 794

$250 BAM 435

82.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 544

$163 BAM 283

92.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 BAM 1,762

$349 BAM 607

190.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 BAM 1,037

$281 BAM 488

112.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,278 BAM 5,700

$1,803 BAM 3,135

81.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 BAM 4,070

$1,339 BAM 2,329

74.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,041 BAM 1,811

$750 BAM 1,304

38.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-32.00%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bijeljina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$313 26%

Bijeljina

$163 17.9% 48% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$264 21.9%

Bijeljina

$181 19.9% 31.4% $83

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$230 19%

Bijeljina

$226 24.9% 1.5% $3.5

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$157 13%

Bijeljina

$123 13.5% 21.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$142 11.8%

Bijeljina

$148 16.2% 3.9% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$54 4.5%

Bijeljina

$39 4.3% 27.3% $15

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$47 3.9%

Bijeljina

$31 3.4% 34.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $457 in Sarajevo versus $250 in Bijeljina. 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 39% 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 $39.00 in Sarajevo versus $34.00 in Bijeljina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $226 – making Bijeljina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bijeljina

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

Same time as Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

42,278

💱 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 →

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Sarajevo Bijeljina 120 km

From you

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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 Bijeljina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,206 in Sarajevo, $910 in Bijeljina – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Sarajevo and $1,366 in Bijeljina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,206 in Sarajevo and $910 in Bijeljina. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 96% less in Bijeljina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bijeljina, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Sarajevo at $1,206. In Bijeljina 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 $910 in Bijeljina 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 Bijeljina. 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.