Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Foca Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Foca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $946 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,811 in Sarajevo versus $1,406 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Sarajevo versus $1,866 in Foca.

Living in Sarajevo is roughly 27% more expensive than Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 10% lower, Foca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.21 BAM 12.11

$7.04 BAM 11.83

2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 BAM 59.9

$16.61 BAM 27.90

114.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 BAM 15.05

$8.86 BAM 14.89

1.13%

Cappuccino

$2.04 BAM 3.42

$1.66 BAM 2.80

22.89%

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

$2.01 BAM 3.38

$1.02 BAM 1.72

97.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.38

$0.55 BAM 0.93

158.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BAM 4.52

$2.08 BAM 3.49

29.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BAM 3.90

$2.88 BAM 4.84

-19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.40

$1.16 BAM 1.95

23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BAM 2.03

$1.16 BAM 1.96

4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 BAM 3.50

$1.63 BAM 2.74

27.61%

Eggs

$3.24 BAM 5.45

$3.03 BAM 5.08

6.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 BAM 17.29

$9.38 BAM 15.76

9.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 BAM 14.88

$5.37 BAM 9.03

64.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 BAM 22.58

$12.23 BAM 20.55

9.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.60

$0.91 BAM 1.54

70.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BAM 3.15

$1.59 BAM 2.66

17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.44

$1.95 BAM 3.27

5.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 BAM 3.84

$1.95 BAM 3.27

17.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BAM 1.88

$1.19 BAM 1.99

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 BAM 2.02

$1.25 BAM 2.10

-4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BAM 2.06

$1.22 BAM 2.05

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BAM 1.27

$0.72 BAM 1.21

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 BAM 6.33

$3.71 BAM 6.24

1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 BAM 13.99

$8.28 BAM 13.91

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BAM 1.75

$0.72 BAM 1.20

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 BAM 2.21

$1.12 BAM 1.89

16.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 BAM 1.82

$1.75 BAM 2.94

-38.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.31 BAM 52.6

$34.84 BAM 58.5

-10.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 BAM 2.42

$1.46 BAM 2.45

-1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 BAM 1.31

$0.56 BAM 0.94

39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 BAM 15.25

$9.08 BAM 15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BAM 2.55

$1.54 BAM 2.59

-1.30%

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

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

$29.1K BAM 48.8K

-7.95%

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

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

$27.1K BAM 45.6K

-4.54%

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

$197 BAM 331

$174 BAM 292

13.24%

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

$19.00 BAM 31.92

$18.69 BAM 31.41

1.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.37 BAM 56.1

$23.44 BAM 39.39

42.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.64 BAM 59.9

$29.75 BAM 49.98

19.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 BAM 27.62

$11.01 BAM 18.49

49.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 BAM 11.67

$4.69 BAM 7.88

47.97%

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

$255 BAM 428

$238 BAM 400

7.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,323 BAM 5,583

$3,653 BAM 6,137

-9.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 BAM 153

$75.4 BAM 127

21.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.66 BAM 61.6

$36.88 BAM 62.0

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BAM 182

$71.9 BAM 121

50.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 BAM 168

$123 BAM 207

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 BAM 726

$158 BAM 265

173.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 526

$171 BAM 287

83.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 BAM 1,474

$364 BAM 612

140.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 BAM 1,008

$316 BAM 531

89.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 BAM 5,762

$2,551 BAM 4,286

34.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 BAM 4,003

$1,858 BAM 3,122

28.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 BAM 1,788

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.02

-24.30%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Foca: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Sarajevo and $158 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Sarajevo vs $17.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $207 per month, with Foca cheaper across the board.

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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,808 in Sarajevo and $1,418 in Foca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $432 in Sarajevo versus $158 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $255 in Sarajevo versus $238 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Sarajevo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Foca versus $1,206 in Sarajevo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foca but tight or insufficient in Sarajevo. The gap between the two cities makes Foca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Sarajevo and Foca 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 Foca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Sarajevo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.