Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $891 a month against $1,202 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,202

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Istočno Sarajevo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Sarajevo versus $891 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Sarajevo $1,202
Istočno Sarajevo $891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Sarajevo versus $1,356 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Sarajevo $1,833
Istočno Sarajevo $1,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Sarajevo versus $1,821 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Sarajevo $2,464
Istočno Sarajevo $1,821

Living in Sarajevo is roughly 35% more expensive than in Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 11% lower, Istočno Sarajevo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 BAM 15.36

$8.59 BAM 14.99

2.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.97 BAM 71.5

$37.38 BAM 65.2

9.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 BAM 15.45

$6.83 BAM 11.92

29.72%

Cappuccino

$2.36 BAM 4.11

$1.70 BAM 2.96

38.82%

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

$2.21 BAM 3.86

$1.98 BAM 3.45

11.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BAM 2.56

$1.40 BAM 2.45

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 BAM 4.95

$2.33 BAM 4.06

21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 BAM 4.90

$2.24 BAM 3.91

25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$1.46 BAM 2.55

-20.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$1.32 BAM 2.29

-10.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 BAM 3.73

$2.12 BAM 3.69

0.94%

Eggs

$3.02 BAM 5.27

$3.15 BAM 5.49

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 BAM 17.83

$10.23 BAM 17.85

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 BAM 13.45

$7.66 BAM 13.37

0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 BAM 24.82

$14.03 BAM 24.48

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 BAM 2.53

$1.41 BAM 2.46

2.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BAM 2.98

$1.58 BAM 2.75

8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 BAM 2.76

$1.51 BAM 2.63

4.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 BAM 3.48

$1.67 BAM 2.92

19.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BAM 1.65

$0.92 BAM 1.60

3.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BAM 1.88

$1.11 BAM 1.93

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BAM 1.91

$1.07 BAM 1.87

1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.28

$0.98 BAM 1.72

-25.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 BAM 6.82

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 BAM 12.21

$8.20 BAM 14.31

-14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.53

$0.87 BAM 1.52

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BAM 2.73

$1.56 BAM 2.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 BAM 2.23

$1.30 BAM 2.27

-1.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.18 BAM 59.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 BAM 2.58

$1.42 BAM 2.47

4.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.03

$1.16 BAM 2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 BAM 15.16

$8.80 BAM 15.35

-1.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BAM 2.89

$1.58 BAM 2.76

4.43%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.7K

$29.8K BAM 52.0K

1.43%

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

$21.9K BAM 38.2K

$21.6K BAM 37.7K

1.31%

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

$215 BAM 375

$90.8 BAM 158

136.81%

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

$14.04 BAM 24.50

$18.16 BAM 31.68

-22.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.73 BAM 48.38

$27.46 BAM 47.91

0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 BAM 70.8

$33.45 BAM 58.4

21.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 BAM 34.15

$13.90 BAM 24.25

40.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 BAM 11.97

$5.64 BAM 9.83

21.63%

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

$210 BAM 367

$134 BAM 233

57.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,887 BAM 6,781

$3,824 BAM 6,671

1.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BAM 156

$87.9 BAM 153

2.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.21 BAM 66.7

$31.68 BAM 55.3

20.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 BAM 157

$89.0 BAM 155

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 BAM 172

$98.1 BAM 171

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 BAM 787

$215 BAM 375

109.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 546

$185 BAM 322

69.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 BAM 1,737

$253 BAM 442

293.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 BAM 1,033

$213 BAM 372

177.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,302 BAM 5,760

$1,722 BAM 3,003

91.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,322 BAM 4,050

$1,356 BAM 2,365

71.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,054 BAM 1,839

$712 BAM 1,243

48.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$313 26%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.7% 41% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$257 21.4%

Istočno Sarajevo

$136 15.3% 46.9% $120

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$229 19.1%

Istočno Sarajevo

$236 26.5% 2.8% $6.4

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$160 13.3%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.6% 12.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$142 11.8%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.5% 3% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$54 4.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 17.6% $9.6

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$47 3.9%

Istočno Sarajevo

$12 * 1.4% 73.4% $34

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 $215 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $41 in Sarajevo vs $37 in Istočno Sarajevo. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $236, with Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

Same time as Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

10,642

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sarajevo Istočno Sarajevo 6 km

From you

Sarajevo
Istočno Sarajevo

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 Istočno Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo and Istočno Sarajevo differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,202 vs $891 including rent). Istočno Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Sarajevo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $451 in Sarajevo versus $215 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Sarajevo versus $134 in Istočno Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo – a meal for two runs $37 versus $41 in Sarajevo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $891 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,202 in Sarajevo, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Sarajevo. The gap between the two cities makes Istočno Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Istočno Sarajevo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Istočno Sarajevo wins on affordability, Sarajevo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.