Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,196 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tbilisi, Georgia
Sarajevo
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$1,196
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Tbilisi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,196 in Sarajevo versus $1,278 in Tbilisi.

  • Sarajevo $1,196
  • Tbilisi $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,824 in Sarajevo versus $2,017 in Tbilisi.

  • Sarajevo $1,824
  • Tbilisi $2,017

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,451 in Sarajevo versus $2,755 in Tbilisi.

  • Sarajevo $2,451
  • Tbilisi $2,755

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 6% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 12% lower, Tbilisi 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.47 BAM 14.74
$11.62 ₾30.06
-27.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.40 BAM 70.4
$38.41 ₾99.3
5.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.63 BAM 15.03
$9.74 ₾25.18
-11.40%
Cappuccino
$2.28 BAM 3.98
$3.56 ₾9.21
-35.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 BAM 3.86
$1.08 ₾2.79
105.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 BAM 2.46
$0.56 ₾1.46
151.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.93 BAM 5.09
$2.73 ₾7.05
7.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 BAM 5.11
$3.13 ₾8.08
-6.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 BAM 2.01
$2.14 ₾5.54
-46.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.15 BAM 2.00
$0.75 ₾1.95
53.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 BAM 3.85
$1.80 ₾4.66
22.78%
Eggs
$3.07 BAM 5.34
$2.80 ₾7.25
9.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.36 BAM 18.04
$9.43 ₾24.39
9.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.54 BAM 13.14
$7.00 ₾18.09
7.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.93 BAM 24.26
$12.69 ₾32.82
9.77%
Apples (1kg)
$1.45 BAM 2.52
$1.63 ₾4.21
-11.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 BAM 2.84
$1.84 ₾4.77
-11.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 BAM 2.62
$1.97 ₾5.09
-23.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 BAM 3.45
$2.47 ₾6.38
-19.84%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 BAM 1.69
$0.75 ₾1.95
29.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 BAM 1.92
$0.67 ₾1.74
64.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 BAM 1.90
$1.41 ₾3.66
-22.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 BAM 1.19
$0.72 ₾1.86
-5.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00 BAM 6.97
$3.51 ₾9.08
13.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.01 BAM 12.20
$7.89 ₾20.39
-11.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 BAM 1.53
$1.70 ₾4.41
-48.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 BAM 2.62
$2.37 ₾6.12
-36.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.28 BAM 2.22
$0.38 ₾0.98
236.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.53 BAM 60.1
$15.29 ₾39.54
125.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.63 BAM 2.83
$1.19 ₾3.08
36.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.29 BAM 2.25
$0.74 ₾1.91
74.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.11 BAM 22.83
$11.89 ₾30.75
10.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 BAM 2.95
$1.46 ₾3.77
15.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K BAM 51.5K
$25.0K ₾64.6K
18.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1K BAM 38.4K
$22.8K ₾59.0K
-3.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 BAM 365
$88.1 ₾228
137.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.77 BAM 23.97
$12.71 ₾32.85
8.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.87 BAM 46.80
$19.79 ₾51.2
35.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.54 BAM 72.4
$64.3 ₾166
-35.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.13 BAM 35.06
$19.17 ₾49.57
5.01%
Cinema Ticket
$6.93 BAM 12.06
$6.65 ₾17.19
4.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$209 BAM 364
$371 ₾960
-43.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,035 BAM 8,769
$9,163 ₾23.7K
-45.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.8 BAM 149
$102 ₾264
-16.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.97 BAM 66.1
$39.65 ₾103
-4.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.8 BAM 155
$118 ₾305
-24.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 BAM 174
$120 ₾310
-16.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$423 BAM 736
$690 ₾1,784
-38.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$320 BAM 557
$461 ₾1,193
-30.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$957 BAM 1,667
$1,362 ₾3,522
-29.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$602 BAM 1,049
$897 ₾2,320
-32.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,160 BAM 5,503
$2,277 ₾5,888
38.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,392 BAM 4,166
$1,378 ₾3,562
73.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sarajevo
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,043 BAM 1,816
$710 ₾1,836
46.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
12.53
-67.44%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sarajevo
$320
Tbilisi
$461 44.3% $142
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarajevo
$250
Tbilisi
$121 51.8% $130
Groceries & Markets
Sarajevo
$227
Tbilisi
$235 3.7% $8.4
Eating Out
Sarajevo
$156
Tbilisi
$191 22.7% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Sarajevo
$141
Tbilisi
$171 21.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Sarajevo
$55
Tbilisi
$78 40.1% $22
Getting Around
Sarajevo
$48
Tbilisi
$22 54.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Sarajevo and $690 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 47% 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 $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $235, with Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇧🇦 Sarajevo
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
19:12 7:12 PM
22:12 10:12 PM
3 h ahead of Sarajevo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
271,194 Capital
1,241,700 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sarajevo Tbilisi 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sarajevo
  • Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sarajevo or Tbilisi?
Sarajevo wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sarajevo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Sarajevo or in Tbilisi?
Average pay runs 47% higher in Sarajevo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Sarajevo compared to Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $423 in Sarajevo versus $690 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Sarajevo compared to Tbilisi?
A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 56% less than in Sarajevo. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Sarajevo and in Tbilisi?
Childcare runs $209 in Sarajevo versus $371 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Sarajevo or in Tbilisi?
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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sarajevo or Tbilisi?
Both work as nomad bases, but Sarajevo delivers better value at $1,196 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sarajevo hard to pass up.
How safe is Sarajevo compared to Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Sarajevo and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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