Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Maglaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Maglaj: $904 a month against $1,202 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
Learn more

Sarajevo Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Maglaj
Learn more

Maglaj Living Index

Jump to prices

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,202

/mo nomad

Maglaj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Maglaj

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Sarajevo vs $904 in Maglaj, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,202
Maglaj $904

A couple spends around $1,833 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,369 in Maglaj, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,833
Maglaj $1,369

A family of three spends $2,464 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,835 in Maglaj, rent included.

Sarajevo $2,464
Maglaj $1,835

Sarajevo costs about 33% more than Maglaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sarajevo and Maglaj are more affordable than the global median – Sarajevo 11% lower, Maglaj 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 BAM 15.34

$6.88 BAM 11.98

27.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.97 BAM 71.4

$36.91 BAM 64.3

11.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 BAM 15.43

$6.84 BAM 11.91

29.53%

Cappuccino

$2.36 BAM 4.11

$1.64 BAM 2.86

43.90%

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

$2.21 BAM 3.85

$1.90 BAM 3.31

16.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BAM 2.56

$1.18 BAM 2.05

24.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 BAM 4.95

$2.23 BAM 3.88

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 BAM 4.89

$2.24 BAM 3.90

25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$1.40 BAM 2.44

-17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$0.95 BAM 1.66

24.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 BAM 3.73

$1.75 BAM 3.05

22.29%

Eggs

$3.02 BAM 5.27

$2.77 BAM 4.82

9.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 BAM 17.81

$7.64 BAM 13.31

33.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 BAM 13.43

$6.72 BAM 11.71

14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 BAM 24.79

$9.55 BAM 16.63

49.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 BAM 2.52

$1.12 BAM 1.95

29.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BAM 2.98

$1.59 BAM 2.78

7.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 BAM 2.76

$1.68 BAM 2.92

-5.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 BAM 3.47

$1.67 BAM 2.91

19.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BAM 1.65

$1.11 BAM 1.94

-14.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BAM 1.88

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BAM 1.91

$0.97 BAM 1.69

12.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.28

$0.83 BAM 1.45

-12.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 BAM 6.81

$3.48 BAM 6.06

12.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 BAM 12.19

$6.95 BAM 12.11

0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.53

$1.12 BAM 1.95

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BAM 2.72

$1.13 BAM 1.97

38.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 BAM 2.23

$1.26 BAM 2.19

1.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.18 BAM 59.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 BAM 2.58

$1.76 BAM 3.06

-15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 BAM 15.14

$10.34 BAM 18.02

-15.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BAM 2.88

$1.50 BAM 2.61

10.00%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.7K

$29.9K BAM 52.1K

1.00%

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

$21.9K BAM 38.2K

$21.4K BAM 37.4K

2.11%

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

$215 BAM 375

$90.5 BAM 158

137.83%

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

$14.04 BAM 24.47

$18.20 BAM 31.71

-22.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.73 BAM 48.32

$28.52 BAM 49.69

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 BAM 70.7

$32.80 BAM 57.2

23.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 BAM 34.11

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 BAM 11.96

$4.60 BAM 8.01

49.13%

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

$210 BAM 366

$138 BAM 240

52.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,887 BAM 6,773

$3,929 BAM 6,847

-1.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BAM 156

$57.7 BAM 100

55.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.21 BAM 66.6

$31.56 BAM 55.0

21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 BAM 156

$94.6 BAM 165

-5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 BAM 172

$129 BAM 224

-23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 BAM 786

$348 BAM 607

29.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 546

$251 BAM 437

24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 BAM 1,735

$521 BAM 907

91.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 BAM 1,032

$366 BAM 638

61.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,302 BAM 5,753

$2,397 BAM 4,177

37.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,322 BAM 4,046

$1,755 BAM 3,058

32.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,054 BAM 1,837

$735 BAM 1,280

43.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.3

-5.12%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Maglaj: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$313 26%

Maglaj

$251 27.7% 20% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$257 21.4%

Maglaj

$137 15.2% 46.6% $120

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$229 19.1%

Maglaj

$198 21.9% 13.6% $31

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$160 13.3%

Maglaj

$123 13.6% 22.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$142 11.8%

Maglaj

$141 15.6% 1.2% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$54 4.5%

Maglaj

$42 4.6% 22.6% $12

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$47 3.9%

Maglaj

$13 * 1.4% 73% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Sarajevo versus $348 in Maglaj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 43% higher in Sarajevo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Sarajevo versus $37 in Maglaj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $198 – making Maglaj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Maglaj

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

Same time as Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

7,000

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.574 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sarajevo Maglaj 81 km

From you

Sarajevo
Maglaj

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 Maglaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Sarajevo, $904 in Maglaj – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Sarajevo and $1,356 in Maglaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maglaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $451 in Sarajevo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Sarajevo and $37 in Maglaj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Sarajevo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Maglaj, where all-in costs run around $904, than in Sarajevo at $1,202. In Maglaj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarajevo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maglaj – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Maglaj. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sarajevo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.