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: $1,241 in Sarajevo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Sarajevo versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,598 in Sarajevo versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 10% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 BAM 14.73

$4.66 ฿154

87.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.93 BAM 69.0

$32.22 ฿1,065

27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 BAM 14.77

$8.68 ฿287

1.04%

Cappuccino

$2.36 BAM 3.98

$2.90 ฿95.8

-18.62%

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

$2.25 BAM 3.79

$0.84 ฿27.89

167.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 BAM 2.58

$0.49 ฿16.16

212.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 BAM 5.03

$2.48 ฿82.0

20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 BAM 4.93

$3.73 ฿123

-21.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 BAM 2.05

$1.89 ฿62.3

-35.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 BAM 2.08

$1.41 ฿46.54

-12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 BAM 3.86

$1.62 ฿53.6

41.36%

Eggs

$3.28 BAM 5.53

$2.24 ฿74.1

46.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 BAM 18.64

$19.84 ฿656

-44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 BAM 13.42

$3.48 ฿115

129.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 BAM 25.56

$11.37 ฿376

33.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 BAM 2.64

$2.90 ฿95.8

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 BAM 2.97

$1.72 ฿57.0

2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 BAM 3.12

$2.27 ฿75.1

-18.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 BAM 3.55

$2.13 ฿70.4

-0.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 BAM 1.68

$1.47 ฿48.72

-31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 BAM 2.06

$1.42 ฿46.92

-13.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BAM 1.94

$1.10 ฿36.25

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BAM 1.20

$0.60 ฿19.76

18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 BAM 6.83

$4.31 ฿142

-5.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 BAM 14.14

$18.60 ฿615

-54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BAM 1.55

$1.80 ฿59.5

-48.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BAM 2.61

$2.97 ฿98.0

-47.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 BAM 2.16

$2.25 ฿74.2

-43.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.13 BAM 60.9

$23.49 ฿776

53.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 BAM 2.46

$3.10 ฿102

-52.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 BAM 2.04

$1.08 ฿35.56

12.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 BAM 15.44

$3.87 ฿128

136.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 BAM 2.88

$1.43 ฿47.16

19.58%

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

$31.1K BAM 52.4K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

11.86%

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

$24.5K BAM 41.3K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-9.26%

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

$226 BAM 381

$105 ฿3,462

115.75%

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

$14.70 BAM 24.77

$11.39 ฿376

29.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 BAM 48.29

$17.54 ฿580

63.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 BAM 70.7

$54.3 ฿1,795

-22.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 BAM 33.96

$11.44 ฿378

76.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.92 BAM 11.66

$7.78 ฿257

-11.05%

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

$218 BAM 368

$576 ฿19.0K

-62.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,055 BAM 6,833

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-64.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 BAM 154

$63.6 ฿2,103

44.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 BAM 65.7

$29.10 ฿961

33.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 BAM 160

$96.2 ฿3,179

-1.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 BAM 175

$90.0 ฿2,974

15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 BAM 787

$733 ฿24.2K

-36.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 BAM 553

$501 ฿16.5K

-34.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 BAM 1,825

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-49.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 BAM 1,011

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-52.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,438 BAM 5,793

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-2.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 BAM 4,081

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-7.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 BAM 1,829

$508 ฿16.8K

113.81%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Sarajevo and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Sarajevo vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $275, with Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $467 in Sarajevo versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Sarajevo versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,241 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.