Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,811 in Sarajevo versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Sarajevo versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 10% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.21 BAM 12.11

$4.70 ฿153

53.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 BAM 59.9

$45.37 ฿1,482

-21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 BAM 15.05

$8.43 ฿275

6.29%

Cappuccino

$2.04 BAM 3.42

$2.93 ฿95.6

-30.38%

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

$2.01 BAM 3.38

$0.69 ฿22.40

191.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.38

$0.37 ฿11.99

283.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BAM 4.52

$2.41 ฿78.6

11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BAM 3.90

$3.72 ฿122

-37.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.40

$2.23 ฿72.9

-35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BAM 2.03

$1.83 ฿59.8

-33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 BAM 3.50

$2.17 ฿70.8

-4.15%

Eggs

$3.24 BAM 5.45

$2.21 ฿72.3

46.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 BAM 17.29

$19.74 ฿645

-47.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 BAM 14.88

$3.63 ฿119

144.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 BAM 22.58

$13.53 ฿442

-0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.60

$3.28 ฿107

-52.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BAM 3.15

$1.61 ฿52.6

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.44

$2.41 ฿78.6

-14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 BAM 3.84

$2.08 ฿68.1

10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BAM 1.88

$1.53 ฿49.93

-26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 BAM 2.02

$1.48 ฿48.36

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BAM 2.06

$0.99 ฿32.29

23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BAM 1.27

$0.51 ฿16.67

49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 BAM 6.33

$4.41 ฿144

-14.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 BAM 13.99

$19.38 ฿633

-57.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BAM 1.75

$1.78 ฿58.1

-41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 BAM 2.21

$2.71 ฿88.6

-51.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 BAM 1.82

$1.37 ฿44.79

-21.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.31 BAM 52.6

$11.39 ฿372

174.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 BAM 2.42

$3.02 ฿98.6

-52.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 BAM 1.31

$0.99 ฿32.48

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 BAM 15.25

$14.10 ฿461

-35.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BAM 2.55

$1.36 ฿44.51

11.76%

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

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-5.17%

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

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.23%

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

$197 BAM 331

$122 ฿3,975

61.76%

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

$19.00 BAM 31.92

$13.57 ฿443

40.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.37 BAM 56.1

$18.31 ฿598

82.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.64 BAM 59.9

$60.2 ฿1,967

-40.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 BAM 27.62

$17.14 ฿560

-4.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 BAM 11.67

$8.69 ฿284

-20.14%

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

$255 BAM 428

$693 ฿22.6K

-63.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,323 BAM 5,583

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-78.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 BAM 153

$59.5 ฿1,944

53.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.66 BAM 61.6

$34.77 ฿1,136

5.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BAM 182

$115 ฿3,743

-5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 BAM 168

$83.3 ฿2,720

19.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 BAM 726

$613 ฿20.0K

-29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 526

$437 ฿14.3K

-28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 BAM 1,474

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 BAM 1,008

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-60.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 BAM 5,762

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-8.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 BAM 4,003

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-8.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 BAM 1,788

$508 ฿16.6K

109.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.33

-28.71%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Sarajevo and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Sarajevo vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $293 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sarajevo pays 109% more on average, 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: $432 in Sarajevo versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $255 in Sarajevo versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.