Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,811 in Sarajevo versus $2,123 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Sarajevo versus $2,860 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 13% less than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarajevo is 10% below, Cluj-Napoca is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.21 BAM 12.11

$11.53 RON 52.1

-37.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 BAM 59.9

$58.1 RON 263

-38.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 BAM 15.05

$8.21 RON 37.10

9.14%

Cappuccino

$2.04 BAM 3.42

$3.37 RON 15.25

-39.47%

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

$2.01 BAM 3.38

$2.42 RON 10.93

-16.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.38

$2.19 RON 9.90

-35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BAM 4.52

$3.25 RON 14.70

-17.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BAM 3.90

$3.90 RON 17.61

-40.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.40

$1.74 RON 7.85

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BAM 2.03

$1.33 RON 6.03

-9.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 BAM 3.50

$1.84 RON 8.31

13.04%

Eggs

$3.24 BAM 5.45

$3.24 RON 14.64

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 BAM 17.29

$10.15 RON 45.88

1.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 BAM 14.88

$6.89 RON 31.15

28.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 BAM 22.58

$12.08 RON 54.6

11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.60

$1.23 RON 5.57

26.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BAM 3.15

$1.73 RON 7.81

8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.44

$1.55 RON 7.02

32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 BAM 3.84

$2.33 RON 10.51

-1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BAM 1.88

$1.02 RON 4.60

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 BAM 2.02

$0.97 RON 4.38

23.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BAM 2.06

$1.04 RON 4.70

17.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BAM 1.27

$0.88 RON 3.98

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 BAM 6.33

$6.53 RON 29.52

-42.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 BAM 13.99

$7.94 RON 35.87

4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BAM 1.75

$1.13 RON 5.10

-7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 BAM 2.21

$2.05 RON 9.26

-36.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 BAM 1.82

$0.70 RON 3.18

54.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.31 BAM 52.6

$23.33 RON 105

34.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 BAM 2.42

$1.00 RON 4.52

44.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 BAM 1.31

$0.89 RON 4.02

-12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 BAM 15.25

$9.45 RON 42.70

-3.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BAM 2.55

$1.69 RON 7.63

-10.06%

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

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

$28.4K RON 128.6K

-5.99%

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

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

$27.1K RON 122.3K

-4.24%

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

$197 BAM 331

$161 RON 730

21.98%

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

$19.00 BAM 31.92

$9.19 RON 41.52

106.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.37 BAM 56.1

$9.66 RON 43.65

245.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.64 BAM 59.9

$44.75 RON 202

-20.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 BAM 27.62

$19.86 RON 89.8

-17.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 BAM 11.67

$8.25 RON 37.30

-15.88%

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

$255 BAM 428

$491 RON 2,220

-48.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,323 BAM 5,583

$10.8K RON 49.0K

-69.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 BAM 153

$70.9 RON 320

28.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.66 BAM 61.6

$39.43 RON 178

-7.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BAM 182

$84.2 RON 380

28.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 BAM 168

$99.5 RON 450

0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 BAM 726

$692 RON 3,129

-37.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 526

$550 RON 2,485

-43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 BAM 1,474

$1,244 RON 5,625

-29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 BAM 1,008

$923 RON 4,174

-35.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 BAM 5,762

$4,494 RON 20.3K

-23.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 BAM 4,003

$3,328 RON 15.0K

-28.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 BAM 1,788

$1,378 RON 6,231

-22.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.85

-35.04%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Sarajevo and $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cluj-Napoca pays 30% 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: $36.00 in Sarajevo vs $58.0 in Cluj-Napoca. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $232, with Cluj-Napoca 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

Sarajevo vs Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cluj-Napoca earns 30% less. 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: $432 in Sarajevo versus $692 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarajevo runs roughly 34% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $255 in Sarajevo versus $491 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $1,387 in Cluj-Napoca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Cluj-Napoca. 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 Cluj-Napoca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sarajevo and Cluj-Napoca 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 15% less than in Cluj-Napoca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.