Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Trebinje

For one person, living is cheaper in Trebinje: $852 a month against $1,202 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Trebinje
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Trebinje Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,202

/mo nomad

Trebinje

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo and in Trebinje

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Sarajevo versus $852 in Trebinje.

Sarajevo $1,202
Trebinje $852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Sarajevo versus $1,342 in Trebinje.

Sarajevo $1,833
Trebinje $1,342

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Sarajevo versus $1,833 in Trebinje.

Sarajevo $2,464
Trebinje $1,833

Living in Sarajevo is roughly 41% more expensive than in Trebinje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarajevo 11% lower, Trebinje 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 BAM 15.31

$9.11 BAM 15.84

-3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.97 BAM 71.2

$31.46 BAM 54.7

30.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 BAM 15.40

$10.72 BAM 18.64

-17.35%

Cappuccino

$2.36 BAM 4.10

$1.24 BAM 2.16

90.32%

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

$2.21 BAM 3.85

$1.86 BAM 3.23

18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BAM 2.55

$1.35 BAM 2.35

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 BAM 4.94

$2.33 BAM 4.05

21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 BAM 4.88

$2.32 BAM 4.03

21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 BAM 2.01

$1.13 BAM 1.97

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BAM 2.05

$1.03 BAM 1.79

14.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 BAM 3.72

$1.60 BAM 2.78

33.75%

Eggs

$3.02 BAM 5.26

$2.38 BAM 4.13

26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 BAM 17.77

$9.51 BAM 16.54

7.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 BAM 13.41

$6.67 BAM 11.60

15.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 BAM 24.74

$11.12 BAM 19.34

27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 BAM 2.52

$1.23 BAM 2.14

17.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BAM 2.97

$1.65 BAM 2.87

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 BAM 2.75

$1.21 BAM 2.11

30.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 BAM 3.47

$1.69 BAM 2.94

17.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BAM 1.64

$0.91 BAM 1.58

4.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BAM 1.87

$1.25 BAM 2.17

-13.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BAM 1.90

$0.90 BAM 1.56

21.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.28

$0.60 BAM 1.04

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 BAM 6.80

$3.58 BAM 6.23

9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 BAM 12.17

$5.63 BAM 9.79

24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.53

$0.69 BAM 1.20

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 BAM 2.72

$1.28 BAM 2.22

21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 BAM 2.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.18 BAM 59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 BAM 2.57

$1.12 BAM 1.95

32.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$0.60 BAM 1.04

93.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 BAM 15.11

$17.27 BAM 30.03

-49.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BAM 2.88

$1.57 BAM 2.74

5.10%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.6K

$30.4K BAM 52.9K

-0.75%

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

$21.9K BAM 38.1K

$20.8K BAM 36.1K

5.33%

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

$215 BAM 374

$83.6 BAM 145

157.20%

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

$14.04 BAM 24.42

$16.64 BAM 28.94

-15.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.73 BAM 48.22

$26.97 BAM 46.89

2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 BAM 70.5

$33.21 BAM 57.7

22.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 BAM 34.04

$14.42 BAM 25.08

35.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 BAM 11.93

$2.83 BAM 4.92

142.40%

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

$210 BAM 365

$155 BAM 269

35.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,887 BAM 6,759

$3,565 BAM 6,198

9.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BAM 156

$82.3 BAM 143

8.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.21 BAM 66.4

$36.61 BAM 63.7

4.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 BAM 156

$96.2 BAM 167

-6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 BAM 171

$101 BAM 175

-2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 BAM 784

$282 BAM 490

59.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 545

$195 BAM 339

60.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 BAM 1,731

$508 BAM 883

96.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 BAM 1,030

$360 BAM 625

64.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,302 BAM 5,741

$2,524 BAM 4,389

30.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,322 BAM 4,037

$1,770 BAM 3,077

31.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,054 BAM 1,833

$850 BAM 1,479

23.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.44

-8.11%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Trebinje: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$313 26%

Trebinje

$195 22.9% 37.8% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$257 21.4%

Trebinje

$127 14.9% 50.5% $130

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$229 19.1%

Trebinje

$195 23% 14.8% $34

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$160 13.3%

Trebinje

$149 17.5% 6.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$142 11.8%

Trebinje

$142 16.7% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$54 4.5%

Trebinje

$39 4.6% 28.4% $15

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$47 3.9%

Trebinje

$4.1 * 0.5% 91.2% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $451 in Sarajevo and $282 in Trebinje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Sarajevo vs $31.00 in Trebinje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $195 per month, with Trebinje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Trebinje

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

25,589

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sarajevo Trebinje 130 km

From you

Sarajevo
Trebinje

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 Trebinje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trebinje wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Sarajevo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Trebinje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $451 in Sarajevo versus $282 in Trebinje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Sarajevo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,202 per month in Sarajevo versus $852 in Trebinje – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Trebinje versus $1,202 in Sarajevo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Trebinje but tight or insufficient in Sarajevo. The gap between the two cities makes Trebinje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Trebinje delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Trebinje hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sarajevo and Trebinje 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 Trebinje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Sarajevo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.