Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Mostar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostar: $899 a month against $1,206 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Mostar
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Mostar Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,206

/mo nomad

Mostar

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Mostar

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Sarajevo vs $899 in Mostar, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,206
Mostar $899

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,402 in Mostar, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,834
Mostar $1,402

A family of three spends $2,461 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,904 in Mostar, rent included.

Sarajevo $2,461
Mostar $1,904

Sarajevo costs about 34% more than Mostar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 BAM 14.97

$6.85 BAM 11.91

25.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.25 BAM 68.3

$31.14 BAM 54.2

26.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.40 BAM 14.60

$5.67 BAM 9.86

48.15%

Cappuccino

$2.34 BAM 4.07

$1.65 BAM 2.86

41.82%

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

$2.17 BAM 3.77

$1.83 BAM 3.18

18.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$1.18 BAM 2.05

20.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 BAM 5.11

$2.34 BAM 4.07

25.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 BAM 5.10

$2.09 BAM 3.64

40.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 BAM 2.11

$1.16 BAM 2.01

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 2.04

$0.91 BAM 1.58

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 BAM 3.65

$1.97 BAM 3.43

6.60%

Eggs

$3.10 BAM 5.39

$2.63 BAM 4.58

17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 BAM 17.86

$7.77 BAM 13.52

32.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 BAM 12.96

$7.40 BAM 12.87

0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 BAM 25.13

$10.58 BAM 18.39

36.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 BAM 2.45

$1.10 BAM 1.91

28.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 BAM 2.91

$1.65 BAM 2.87

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 BAM 2.61

$1.35 BAM 2.35

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.56

$1.15 BAM 1.99

78.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$1.04 BAM 1.80

-9.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 BAM 1.93

$0.97 BAM 1.69

14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 BAM 1.94

$0.71 BAM 1.24

57.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.27

$0.71 BAM 1.23

2.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 BAM 6.76

$3.92 BAM 6.82

-0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 BAM 12.61

$4.04 BAM 7.02

79.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.53

$0.80 BAM 1.39

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BAM 2.69

$0.89 BAM 1.54

74.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 BAM 2.21

$1.11 BAM 1.94

14.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.16 BAM 59.4

$36.85 BAM 64.1

-7.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 BAM 2.52

$1.73 BAM 3.00

-16.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$0.55 BAM 0.96

110.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 BAM 14.58

$5.77 BAM 10.03

45.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BAM 3.01

$1.51 BAM 2.63

14.57%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.5K

$29.9K BAM 52.0K

1.03%

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

$23.3K BAM 40.5K

$21.3K BAM 37.0K

9.50%

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

$222 BAM 386

$90.6 BAM 158

145.27%

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

$14.05 BAM 24.44

$17.70 BAM 30.77

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.44 BAM 47.72

$26.06 BAM 45.31

5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 BAM 70.1

$35.45 BAM 61.6

13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.64 BAM 34.16

$10.08 BAM 17.54

94.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 BAM 12.01

$5.77 BAM 10.04

19.58%

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

$203 BAM 352

$135 BAM 235

50.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,817 BAM 6,638

$18.5K BAM 32.2K

-79.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 BAM 154

$57.9 BAM 101

53.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 BAM 64.8

$32.01 BAM 55.7

16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 BAM 157

$87.0 BAM 151

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 BAM 173

$81.3 BAM 141

22.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 BAM 794

$432 BAM 752

5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 544

$249 BAM 433

25.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 BAM 1,762

$663 BAM 1,153

52.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 BAM 1,037

$459 BAM 798

30.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,278 BAM 5,700

$2,305 BAM 4,008

42.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 BAM 4,070

$1,582 BAM 2,751

47.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,041 BAM 1,811

$860 BAM 1,495

21.12%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Mostar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$313 26%

Mostar

$249 27.7% 20.5% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$264 21.9%

Mostar

$134 14.9% 49.1% $129

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$230 19%

Mostar

$188 20.9% 18.2% $42

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$157 13%

Mostar

$119 13.3% 23.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$142 11.8%

Mostar

$116 12.9% 18.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$54 4.5%

Mostar

$47 5.2% 13.2% $7.1

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$47 3.9%

Mostar

$46 5.1% 1.5% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $457 in Sarajevo versus $432 in Mostar. 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 21% higher in Sarajevo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Sarajevo versus $31.00 in Mostar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $188 – making Mostar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Mostar

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

Same time as Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

60,195

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Sarajevo Mostar 73 km

From you

Sarajevo
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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 Mostar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,206 in Sarajevo, $899 in Mostar – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Sarajevo and $1,349 in Mostar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mostar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $203 per month in Sarajevo and $135 in Mostar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mostar, where all-in costs run around $899, than in Sarajevo at $1,206. In Mostar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarajevo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sarajevo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $899 in Mostar to $1,206 in Sarajevo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mostar. 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.