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: $1,176 in Sarajevo versus $921 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,784 in Sarajevo versus $1,387 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,393 in Sarajevo versus $1,853 in Foca.

Living in Sarajevo is roughly 28% more expensive than in Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 12% lower, Foca 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.14 BAM 12.22

$6.98 BAM 11.96

2.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.96 BAM 61.6

$16.76 BAM 28.70

114.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 BAM 15.07

$8.97 BAM 15.37

-1.90%

Cappuccino

$2.07 BAM 3.55

$1.57 BAM 2.70

31.85%

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

$2.02 BAM 3.46

$0.98 BAM 1.68

106.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 BAM 2.38

$0.57 BAM 0.97

143.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 BAM 4.67

$2.01 BAM 3.44

35.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BAM 4.10

$2.79 BAM 4.77

-14.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 BAM 2.41

$1.20 BAM 2.05

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BAM 2.08

$1.19 BAM 2.04

1.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 BAM 3.50

$1.57 BAM 2.69

29.94%

Eggs

$3.25 BAM 5.57

$2.96 BAM 5.06

9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 BAM 17.92

$9.60 BAM 16.44

8.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 BAM 15.14

$5.24 BAM 8.97

68.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 BAM 22.67

$11.92 BAM 20.42

11.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.65

$0.84 BAM 1.43

84.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 BAM 3.18

$1.65 BAM 2.83

12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 BAM 3.55

$1.86 BAM 3.18

11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 BAM 3.95

$1.95 BAM 3.34

17.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BAM 1.92

$1.19 BAM 2.04

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 BAM 2.08

$1.31 BAM 2.24

-7.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 BAM 2.18

$1.22 BAM 2.09

4.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 BAM 1.38

$0.76 BAM 1.31

6.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 BAM 6.45

$3.68 BAM 6.30

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 BAM 13.70

$8.47 BAM 14.51

-5.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 BAM 1.80

$0.70 BAM 1.19

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 BAM 2.19

$1.08 BAM 1.85

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 BAM 1.77

$1.85 BAM 3.16

-44.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.73 BAM 54.4

$35.83 BAM 61.4

-11.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 BAM 2.56

$1.48 BAM 2.54

0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 BAM 1.32

$0.52 BAM 0.90

48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 BAM 14.78

$9.06 BAM 15.52

-4.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 BAM 2.55

$1.52 BAM 2.60

-1.97%

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

$26.6K BAM 45.5K

$28.3K BAM 48.4K

-5.95%

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

$25.8K BAM 44.3K

$27.0K BAM 46.2K

-4.16%

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

$202 BAM 346

$169 BAM 289

19.67%

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

$19.03 BAM 32.60

$19.25 BAM 32.98

-1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.94 BAM 56.4

$23.25 BAM 39.82

41.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.14 BAM 60.2

$29.29 BAM 50.2

19.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 BAM 27.85

$10.84 BAM 18.56

50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 BAM 12.33

$4.59 BAM 7.87

56.86%

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

$258 BAM 442

$237 BAM 405

9.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,394 BAM 5,813

$3,714 BAM 6,360

-8.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 BAM 157

$75.5 BAM 129

21.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.77 BAM 64.7

$37.18 BAM 63.7

1.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BAM 184

$69.5 BAM 119

54.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 BAM 172

$122 BAM 208

-17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 BAM 747

$157 BAM 269

177.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 BAM 519

$172 BAM 295

76.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 BAM 1,527

$361 BAM 617

147.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 BAM 994

$320 BAM 547

81.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,245 BAM 5,559

$2,544 BAM 4,358

27.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,315 BAM 3,965

$1,760 BAM 3,014

31.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,042 BAM 1,784

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Foca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Sarajevo and $157 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,764 in Sarajevo and $1,382 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: $436 in Sarajevo versus $157 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $258 in Sarajevo versus $237 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 $921 in Foca versus $1,176 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 28% less than in Sarajevo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.