Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,212 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $790 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,212

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Sarajevo versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Sarajevo $1,212
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,843 in Sarajevo versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Sarajevo $1,843
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,473 in Sarajevo versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Sarajevo $2,473
Phuket $3,154

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 11% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 BAM 14.92

$4.47 ฿151

90.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.08 BAM 70.2

$32.41 ฿1,094

23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 BAM 14.76

$8.81 ฿297

-4.43%

Cappuccino

$2.26 BAM 3.95

$2.83 ฿95.4

-20.14%

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

$2.17 BAM 3.80

$0.87 ฿29.42

149.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.47

$0.49 ฿16.66

187.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 BAM 5.12

$2.56 ฿86.3

14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BAM 4.90

$3.68 ฿124

-23.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$1.66 ฿56.0

-28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 BAM 2.11

$1.46 ฿49.32

-17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 BAM 3.72

$1.50 ฿50.5

41.33%

Eggs

$2.96 BAM 5.19

$2.09 ฿70.5

41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 BAM 18.16

$19.07 ฿643

-45.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 BAM 13.02

$3.30 ฿111

125.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 BAM 25.65

$10.91 ฿368

34.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 BAM 2.60

$2.93 ฿98.9

-49.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 BAM 2.83

$1.69 ฿57.0

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 BAM 2.60

$2.25 ฿75.8

-34.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 BAM 3.61

$2.08 ฿70.1

-0.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 BAM 1.73

$1.51 ฿51.0

-34.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 BAM 1.93

$1.38 ฿46.54

-20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 BAM 1.98

$1.07 ฿35.97

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 BAM 1.18

$0.52 ฿17.51

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 BAM 6.75

$4.20 ฿142

-8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BAM 12.58

$18.79 ฿634

-61.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BAM 1.62

$1.82 ฿61.5

-49.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 BAM 2.60

$2.84 ฿95.9

-47.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 BAM 2.19

$1.45 ฿49.00

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.99 BAM 59.5

$56.7 ฿1,912

-40.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 BAM 2.55

$3.02 ฿102

-51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 BAM 1.98

$1.02 ฿34.34

10.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 BAM 14.70

$3.69 ฿125

127.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BAM 3.04

$1.47 ฿49.78

17.69%

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

$29.6K BAM 51.9K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

10.54%

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

$21.9K BAM 38.4K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-17.91%

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

$221 BAM 387

$96.4 ฿3,252

129.50%

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

$14.49 BAM 25.39

$11.26 ฿380

28.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 BAM 48.18

$16.85 ฿569

63.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 BAM 73.2

$67.2 ฿2,269

-37.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.37 BAM 33.94

$10.73 ฿362

80.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 BAM 12.37

$7.50 ฿253

-5.87%

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

$206 BAM 361

$476 ฿16.1K

-56.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,810 BAM 6,674

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-66.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 BAM 153

$62.4 ฿2,105

40.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.82 BAM 66.3

$28.41 ฿959

33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 BAM 162

$94.3 ฿3,182

-2.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 BAM 174

$85.8 ฿2,896

15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 BAM 761

$716 ฿24.2K

-39.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 BAM 561

$491 ฿16.6K

-34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 BAM 1,691

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 BAM 1,062

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-57.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,150 BAM 5,519

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-24.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,429 BAM 4,256

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-20.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,042 BAM 1,825

$502 ฿17.0K

107.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$320 26.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 53.2% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$263 21.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 52.7% $139

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$229 18.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 16.1% $37

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$155 12.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 21.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$143 11.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 14.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$56 4.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 47.1% $26

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$46 3.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 53.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Sarajevo and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays about 2.1 times 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 $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $266, with Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

08:45 8:45 AM

6 h ahead of Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sarajevo Phuket 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarajevo
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Sarajevo is about 2.1 times higher, 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 $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 in Sarajevo versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

For families, Sarajevo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sarajevo and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.