Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Foca

For one person, living is cheaper in Foca: $949 a month against $1,202 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Foca
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Foca Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,202

/mo nomad

Foca

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Foca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Sarajevo versus $949 in Foca.

Sarajevo $1,202
Foca $949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Sarajevo versus $1,367 in Foca.

Sarajevo $1,833
Foca $1,367

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Sarajevo versus $1,786 in Foca.

Sarajevo $2,464
Foca $1,786

Living in Sarajevo is roughly 27% more expensive than in Foca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 11% lower, Foca 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 BAM 15.37

$5.31 BAM 9.27

65.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.97 BAM 71.5

$22.24 BAM 38.82

84.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 BAM 15.46

$4.61 BAM 8.05

92.19%

Cappuccino

$2.36 BAM 4.11

$1.49 BAM 2.60

58.39%

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

$2.21 BAM 3.86

$1.35 BAM 2.36

63.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BAM 2.56

$0.84 BAM 1.46

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 BAM 4.96

$1.69 BAM 2.95

68.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 BAM 4.90

$2.31 BAM 4.04

21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$1.18 BAM 2.06

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$1.12 BAM 1.96

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 BAM 3.74

$1.59 BAM 2.77

34.59%

Eggs

$3.02 BAM 5.28

$2.01 BAM 3.50

50.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 BAM 17.84

$6.93 BAM 12.11

47.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 BAM 13.46

$6.41 BAM 11.19

20.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 BAM 24.84

$10.18 BAM 17.77

39.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 BAM 2.53

$0.83 BAM 1.45

74.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BAM 2.98

$1.75 BAM 3.06

-2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 BAM 2.76

$2.14 BAM 3.74

-26.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 BAM 3.48

$1.68 BAM 2.94

18.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BAM 1.65

$0.99 BAM 1.72

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BAM 1.88

$1.36 BAM 2.38

-20.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BAM 1.91

$1.13 BAM 1.98

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.28

$0.91 BAM 1.59

-19.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 BAM 6.82

$3.39 BAM 5.92

15.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 BAM 12.22

$8.39 BAM 14.65

-16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.53

$0.84 BAM 1.46

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BAM 2.73

$1.16 BAM 2.03

34.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 BAM 2.24

$1.27 BAM 2.21

0.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.18 BAM 59.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 BAM 2.58

$1.75 BAM 3.06

-15.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.03

$0.59 BAM 1.04

96.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 BAM 15.17

$17.31 BAM 30.22

-49.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BAM 2.89

$1.52 BAM 2.66

8.55%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.8K

$30.6K BAM 53.5K

-1.30%

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

$21.9K BAM 38.2K

$21.8K BAM 38.1K

0.38%

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

$215 BAM 376

$156 BAM 273

37.47%

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

$14.04 BAM 24.52

$16.28 BAM 28.43

-13.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.73 BAM 48.41

$33.80 BAM 59.0

-17.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 BAM 70.8

$33.52 BAM 58.5

21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 BAM 34.18

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 BAM 11.98

$5.83 BAM 10.17

17.67%

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

$210 BAM 367

$286 BAM 500

-26.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,887 BAM 6,786

$3,587 BAM 6,262

8.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BAM 157

$83.2 BAM 145

7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.21 BAM 66.7

$35.42 BAM 61.9

7.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 BAM 157

$68.2 BAM 119

31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 BAM 172

$140 BAM 244

-29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 BAM 787

$154 BAM 269

192.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 547

$248 BAM 433

26.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 BAM 1,738

$516 BAM 901

92.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 BAM 1,034

$366 BAM 640

61.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,302 BAM 5,765

$2,407 BAM 4,202

37.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,322 BAM 4,053

$1,763 BAM 3,078

31.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,054 BAM 1,841

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.44

-8.11%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Foca: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$313 26%

Foca

$248 26.1% 20.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$257 21.4%

Foca

$207 21.8% 19.6% $50

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$229 19.1%

Foca

$197 20.7% 14.2% $33

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$160 13.3%

Foca

$96 10.1% 39.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$142 11.8%

Foca

$147 15.5% 3.3% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$54 4.5%

Foca

$45 4.8% 16.8% $9.1

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$47 3.9%

Foca

$9.8 * 1% 79% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $451 in Sarajevo and $154 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41 in Sarajevo vs $22 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $197 per month, with Foca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Foca

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

12,334

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

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Sarajevo Foca 50 km

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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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,804 in Sarajevo and $1,424 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: $451 in Sarajevo versus $154 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Sarajevo versus $286 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Foca – a meal for two runs $22 versus $41 in Sarajevo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.