Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sarajevo

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.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Sarajevo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tbilisi and in Sarajevo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Tbilisi $1,278
Sarajevo $1,196

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

Tbilisi $2,017
Sarajevo $1,824

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

Tbilisi $2,755
Sarajevo $2,451

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 7% more expensive than in Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.06

$8.47 BAM 14.74

37.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.3

$40.40 BAM 70.4

-4.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.18

$8.63 BAM 15.03

12.86%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.28 BAM 3.98

56.14%

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

$1.08 ₾2.79

$2.22 BAM 3.86

-51.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$1.41 BAM 2.46

-60.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$2.93 BAM 5.09

-6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.08

$2.93 BAM 5.11

6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.54

$1.15 BAM 2.01

86.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.15 BAM 2.00

-34.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$2.21 BAM 3.85

-18.55%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$3.07 BAM 5.34

-8.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.39

$10.36 BAM 18.04

-8.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.09

$7.54 BAM 13.14

-7.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.82

$13.93 BAM 24.26

-8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.45 BAM 2.52

12.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.63 BAM 2.84

12.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.51 BAM 2.62

30.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.38

$1.98 BAM 3.45

24.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.97 BAM 1.69

-22.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$1.10 BAM 1.92

-39.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$1.09 BAM 1.90

29.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.68 BAM 1.19

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$4.00 BAM 6.97

-12.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.39

$7.01 BAM 12.20

12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$0.88 BAM 1.53

93.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$1.50 BAM 2.62

58.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$1.28 BAM 2.22

-70.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.54

$34.53 BAM 60.1

-55.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.63 BAM 2.83

-26.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.29 BAM 2.25

-42.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.75

$13.11 BAM 22.83

-9.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.69 BAM 2.95

-13.61%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$29.6K BAM 51.5K

-15.46%

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

$22.8K ₾59.0K

$22.1K BAM 38.4K

3.40%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$210 BAM 365

-57.95%

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

$12.71 ₾32.85

$13.77 BAM 23.97

-7.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$26.87 BAM 46.80

-26.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$41.54 BAM 72.4

54.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.57

$20.13 BAM 35.06

-4.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.19

$6.93 BAM 12.06

-4.04%

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

$371 ₾960

$209 BAM 364

77.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$5,035 BAM 8,769

81.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$85.8 BAM 149

19.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$37.97 BAM 66.1

4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$88.8 BAM 155

32.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$100 BAM 174

19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$423 BAM 736

63.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$320 BAM 557

44.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,522

$957 BAM 1,667

42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,320

$602 BAM 1,049

48.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,888

$3,160 BAM 5,503

-27.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,562

$2,392 BAM 4,166

-42.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$1,043 BAM 1,816

-31.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

4.08

207.11%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Sarajevo

$320 26.7% 30.7% $142

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Sarajevo

$227 19% 3.6% $8.4

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Sarajevo

$156 13% 18.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Sarajevo

$141 11.8% 17.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Sarajevo

$250 20.9% 107% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Sarajevo

$55 4.6% 28.6% $22

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Sarajevo

$48 4% 120% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $423 in Sarajevo. 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: $38 in Tbilisi vs $40 in Sarajevo. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $227, with Sarajevo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

01:42 1:42 AM

3 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

271,194 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Sarajevo 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Sarajevo

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

Tbilisi vs Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $690 in Tbilisi versus $423 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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.

Childcare runs $371 in Tbilisi versus $209 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Sarajevo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.