Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Neum

For one person, living is cheaper in Neum: $927 a month against $1,196 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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 Neum
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Neum Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,196

/mo nomad

Neum

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Neum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,196 in Sarajevo versus $927 in Neum.

Sarajevo $1,196
Neum $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,824 in Sarajevo versus $1,395 in Neum.

Sarajevo $1,824
Neum $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,451 in Sarajevo versus $1,863 in Neum.

Sarajevo $2,451
Neum $1,863

Living in Sarajevo is roughly 29% more expensive than in Neum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 12% lower, Neum 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.47 BAM 14.80

$5.13 BAM 8.98

65.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.40 BAM 70.6

$31.22 BAM 54.6

29.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 BAM 15.08

$5.77 BAM 10.09

49.57%

Cappuccino

$2.28 BAM 3.99

$1.89 BAM 3.30

20.63%

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

$2.22 BAM 3.87

$1.92 BAM 3.36

15.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.47

$1.24 BAM 2.17

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 BAM 5.11

$2.56 BAM 4.48

14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 BAM 5.13

$2.20 BAM 3.85

33.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 BAM 2.02

$1.17 BAM 2.04

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 BAM 2.00

$0.96 BAM 1.68

19.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BAM 3.86

$1.99 BAM 3.47

11.06%

Eggs

$3.07 BAM 5.36

$2.56 BAM 4.47

19.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 BAM 18.11

$7.94 BAM 13.87

30.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 BAM 13.19

$7.09 BAM 12.39

6.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 BAM 24.35

$10.69 BAM 18.68

30.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 BAM 2.53

$1.09 BAM 1.91

33.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 BAM 2.85

$1.56 BAM 2.72

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 BAM 2.63

$1.39 BAM 2.43

8.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 BAM 3.46

$1.19 BAM 2.07

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 BAM 1.69

$0.98 BAM 1.72

-1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 BAM 1.93

$1.01 BAM 1.77

8.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BAM 1.91

$0.75 BAM 1.32

45.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 BAM 1.19

$0.66 BAM 1.15

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 BAM 7.00

$3.73 BAM 6.52

7.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 BAM 12.25

$4.02 BAM 7.03

74.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.54

$0.74 BAM 1.29

18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 BAM 2.62

$0.95 BAM 1.66

57.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 BAM 2.23

$1.18 BAM 2.06

8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.53 BAM 60.4

$56.6 BAM 99.0

-39.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 BAM 2.84

$1.68 BAM 2.94

-2.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 BAM 2.26

$0.54 BAM 0.95

138.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.11 BAM 22.91

$5.61 BAM 9.81

133.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BAM 2.96

$1.61 BAM 2.82

4.97%

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

$29.6K BAM 51.7K

$30.3K BAM 52.9K

-2.32%

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

$22.1K BAM 38.6K

$21.3K BAM 37.2K

3.86%

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

$210 BAM 366

$133 BAM 233

57.00%

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

$13.77 BAM 24.06

$17.86 BAM 31.22

-22.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 BAM 46.97

$26.16 BAM 45.72

2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 BAM 72.6

$33.79 BAM 59.1

22.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 BAM 35.19

$12.80 BAM 22.37

57.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 BAM 12.11

$6.79 BAM 11.87

2.06%

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

$209 BAM 365

$195 BAM 341

7.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,035 BAM 8,801

$2,266 BAM 3,961

122.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 BAM 150

$59.3 BAM 104

44.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.97 BAM 66.4

$32.85 BAM 57.4

15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 BAM 155

$86.9 BAM 152

2.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 BAM 175

$83.2 BAM 145

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 BAM 739

$318 BAM 556

32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 BAM 559

$221 BAM 387

44.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 BAM 1,673

$517 BAM 903

85.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BAM 1,052

$351 BAM 613

71.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 BAM 5,523

$2,303 BAM 4,026

37.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,392 BAM 4,181

$1,640 BAM 2,867

45.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,043 BAM 1,823

$869 BAM 1,519

19.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.9

40.69%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Neum: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$320 26.7%

Neum

$221 23.9% 30.8% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$250 20.9%

Neum

$178 19.1% 29.1% $73

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$227 19%

Neum

$187 20.1% 17.7% $40

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$156 13%

Neum

$111 12% 28.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$141 11.8%

Neum

$118 12.7% 16.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$55 4.6%

Neum

$47 5.1% 14.5% $8

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$48 4%

Neum

$66 7.1% 37.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Sarajevo and $318 in Neum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40 in Sarajevo vs $31 in Neum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $187 per month, with Neum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Neum

🕒 Local time

21:30 9:30 PM

Same time as Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

3,200

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.572 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.572 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

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Sarajevo Neum 120 km

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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 Neum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,196 in Sarajevo and $927 in Neum, so Neum is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $423 in Sarajevo versus $318 in Neum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarajevo runs roughly 39% less than in Neum. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $209 in Sarajevo versus $195 in Neum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 Neum are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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