Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,212 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,212

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Sarajevo versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Sarajevo $1,212
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,843 in Sarajevo versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Sarajevo $1,843
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,473 in Sarajevo versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Sarajevo $2,473
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarajevo is 11% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 BAM 14.92

$10.62 MX$199

-19.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.08 BAM 70.2

$48.35 MX$908

-17.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 BAM 14.76

$10.35 MX$194

-18.65%

Cappuccino

$2.26 BAM 3.95

$3.69 MX$69.3

-38.75%

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

$2.17 BAM 3.80

$1.67 MX$31.29

29.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.47

$1.27 MX$23.76

11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 BAM 5.12

$3.19 MX$59.9

-8.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BAM 4.90

$5.31 MX$99.6

-47.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$1.72 MX$32.38

-31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 BAM 2.11

$3.04 MX$57.1

-60.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 BAM 3.72

$1.94 MX$36.44

9.28%

Eggs

$2.96 BAM 5.19

$2.89 MX$54.2

2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 BAM 18.15

$10.97 MX$206

-5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 BAM 13.01

$9.25 MX$174

-19.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 BAM 25.65

$15.13 MX$284

-3.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 BAM 2.60

$3.05 MX$57.2

-51.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 BAM 2.83

$1.94 MX$36.45

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 BAM 2.60

$2.03 MX$38.02

-27.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 BAM 3.61

$2.31 MX$43.46

-10.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 BAM 1.73

$2.04 MX$38.21

-51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 BAM 1.93

$1.80 MX$33.79

-38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 BAM 1.98

$1.48 MX$27.77

-23.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 BAM 1.18

$1.27 MX$23.80

-47.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 BAM 6.74

$5.30 MX$99.6

-27.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BAM 12.57

$16.10 MX$302

-55.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BAM 1.62

$1.98 MX$37.23

-53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 BAM 2.59

$4.25 MX$79.8

-65.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 BAM 2.19

$0.31 MX$5.73

303.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.99 BAM 59.5

$19.73 MX$371

72.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 BAM 2.55

$1.84 MX$34.50

-20.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 BAM 1.98

$0.53 MX$10.02

113.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 BAM 14.70

$5.30 MX$99.4

58.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BAM 3.04

$1.51 MX$28.36

14.57%

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

$29.6K BAM 51.8K

$21.8K MX$408.4K

36.07%

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

$21.9K BAM 38.4K

$24.0K MX$450.3K

-8.65%

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

$221 BAM 387

$63.0 MX$1,182

251.10%

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

$14.49 BAM 25.38

$27.39 MX$514

-47.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 BAM 48.17

$35.67 MX$670

-22.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 BAM 73.2

$58.9 MX$1,107

-29.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.37 BAM 33.93

$23.64 MX$444

-18.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 BAM 12.37

$6.40 MX$120

10.31%

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

$206 BAM 361

$432 MX$8,103

-52.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,810 BAM 6,673

$11.4K MX$214.5K

-66.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 BAM 153

$68.2 MX$1,281

28.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.82 BAM 66.3

$53.1 MX$997

-28.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 BAM 162

$108 MX$2,023

-14.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 BAM 174

$117 MX$2,202

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 BAM 761

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 BAM 561

$710 MX$13.3K

-54.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 BAM 1,691

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-62.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 BAM 1,062

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-56.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,150 BAM 5,518

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-13.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,429 BAM 4,255

$2,135 MX$40.1K

13.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,042 BAM 1,825

$946 MX$17.8K

10.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

11.35

-64.05%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$320 26.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 122% $390

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$263 21.7%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 52.1% $137

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$229 18.9%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 39.3% $90

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$155 12.8%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 28.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$143 11.8%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 9.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$56 4.6%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 28.4% $16

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$46 3.8%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 44.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Sarajevo and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Sarajevo vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $320 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

7 h behind Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sarajevo Mexico City 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarajevo
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,212 in Sarajevo and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Sarajevo is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $434 in Sarajevo versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 42% less than in Sarajevo. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $206 in Sarajevo versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Sarajevo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.