Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,811 in Sarajevo versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Sarajevo versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs are close between Sarajevo and Tbilisi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.21 BAM 12.11

$10.80 ₾28.71

-33.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 BAM 59.9

$43.18 ₾115

-17.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 BAM 15.05

$8.29 ₾22.04

8.08%

Cappuccino

$2.04 BAM 3.42

$3.00 ₾7.97

-32.00%

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

$2.01 BAM 3.38

$0.82 ₾2.17

145.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.38

$0.46 ₾1.21

208.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BAM 4.52

$2.23 ₾5.93

20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BAM 3.90

$2.92 ₾7.75

-20.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.40

$1.93 ₾5.12

-25.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BAM 2.03

$0.68 ₾1.81

77.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 BAM 3.50

$1.88 ₾5.00

10.64%

Eggs

$3.24 BAM 5.45

$2.54 ₾6.74

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 BAM 17.29

$7.42 ₾19.70

38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 BAM 14.88

$6.19 ₾16.44

43.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 BAM 22.58

$9.36 ₾24.87

43.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.60

$1.22 ₾3.25

27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BAM 3.15

$1.66 ₾4.40

12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.44

$1.80 ₾4.78

13.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 BAM 3.84

$2.24 ₾5.96

2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BAM 1.88

$0.71 ₾1.89

57.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 BAM 2.02

$0.67 ₾1.79

79.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BAM 2.06

$1.18 ₾3.13

3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BAM 1.27

$0.66 ₾1.76

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 BAM 6.33

$2.98 ₾7.91

26.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 BAM 13.99

$7.61 ₾20.22

9.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BAM 1.75

$1.54 ₾4.08

-32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 BAM 2.21

$2.25 ₾5.99

-41.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 BAM 1.82

$0.36 ₾0.95

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.31 BAM 52.6

$14.44 ₾38.38

116.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 BAM 2.42

$1.49 ₾3.97

-3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 BAM 1.31

$0.68 ₾1.82

14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 BAM 15.25

$7.23 ₾19.20

25.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BAM 2.55

$1.14 ₾3.04

33.33%

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

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

$18.5K ₾49.1K

44.89%

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

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

$20.0K ₾53.1K

29.80%

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

$197 BAM 331

$73.7 ₾196

167.18%

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

$19.00 BAM 31.92

$11.64 ₾30.92

63.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.37 BAM 56.1

$17.84 ₾47.41

87.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.64 BAM 59.9

$60.1 ₾160

-40.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 BAM 27.62

$16.80 ₾44.65

-2.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 BAM 11.67

$6.60 ₾17.55

5.15%

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

$255 BAM 428

$266 ₾708

-4.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,323 BAM 5,583

$5,191 ₾13.8K

-35.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 BAM 153

$77.7 ₾206

17.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.66 BAM 61.6

$44.75 ₾119

-18.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BAM 182

$117 ₾310

-7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 BAM 168

$113 ₾300

-11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 BAM 726

$693 ₾1,840

-37.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 526

$462 ₾1,227

-32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 BAM 1,474

$1,320 ₾3,507

-33.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 BAM 1,008

$774 ₾2,057

-22.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 BAM 5,762

$2,430 ₾6,458

41.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 BAM 4,003

$1,446 ₾3,842

64.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 BAM 1,788

$673 ₾1,788

58.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

11.89

-68.04%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Sarajevo and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36.00 in Sarajevo vs $43.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $203, with Tbilisi 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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo pays 58% 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 $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarajevo runs roughly 117% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $1,209 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sarajevo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,206 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sarajevo hard to pass up.

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

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