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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $1,241 in Sarajevo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,011 in Tbilisi versus $1,920 in Sarajevo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Tbilisi versus $2,598 in Sarajevo.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 3% more expensive than in Sarajevo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Sarajevo 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 ₾29.72

$8.74 BAM 14.73

30.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.16 ₾99.2

$40.93 BAM 69.0

-6.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 ₾24.45

$8.77 BAM 14.77

7.18%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ₾8.78

$2.36 BAM 3.98

43.22%

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

$1.04 ₾2.70

$2.25 BAM 3.79

-53.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₾1.56

$1.53 BAM 2.58

-60.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 ₾7.05

$2.98 BAM 5.03

-9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.90

$2.93 BAM 4.93

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 ₾5.90

$1.22 BAM 2.05

86.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₾2.04

$1.23 BAM 2.08

-35.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₾4.21

$2.29 BAM 3.86

-29.26%

Eggs

$2.74 ₾7.13

$3.28 BAM 5.53

-16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 ₾24.19

$11.06 BAM 18.64

-15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 ₾17.65

$7.97 BAM 13.42

-14.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 ₾33.84

$15.17 BAM 25.56

-14.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.27

$1.57 BAM 2.64

4.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₾4.77

$1.76 BAM 2.97

3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₾4.94

$1.85 BAM 3.12

2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ₾6.68

$2.11 BAM 3.55

21.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.19

$1.00 BAM 1.68

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.70

$1.23 BAM 2.06

-47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₾3.54

$1.15 BAM 1.94

18.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$0.71 BAM 1.20

12.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₾8.85

$4.06 BAM 6.83

-16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.94

$8.39 BAM 14.14

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₾4.36

$0.92 BAM 1.55

82.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.18

$1.55 BAM 2.61

53.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₾1.02

$1.28 BAM 2.16

-69.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₾40.44

$36.13 BAM 60.9

-56.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.96

$1.46 BAM 2.46

-21.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$1.21 BAM 2.04

-38.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.32 ₾29.42

$9.17 BAM 15.44

23.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₾3.60

$1.71 BAM 2.88

-19.30%

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

$24.6K ₾63.9K

$31.1K BAM 52.4K

-20.93%

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

$22.0K ₾57.2K

$24.5K BAM 41.3K

-10.17%

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

$88.7 ₾231

$226 BAM 381

-60.76%

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

$13.18 ₾34.26

$14.70 BAM 24.77

-10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.68 ₾51.2

$28.66 BAM 48.29

-31.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ₾177

$41.96 BAM 70.7

62.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 ₾46.65

$20.15 BAM 33.96

-10.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₾16.70

$6.92 BAM 11.66

-7.23%

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

$372 ₾967

$218 BAM 368

70.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾28.1K

$4,055 BAM 6,833

166.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₾272

$91.7 BAM 154

13.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 ₾101

$38.97 BAM 65.7

-0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₾299

$95.0 BAM 160

20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾318

$104 BAM 175

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 ₾1,770

$467 BAM 787

45.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,185

$328 BAM 553

38.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 ₾3,410

$1,083 BAM 1,825

21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 ₾2,321

$600 BAM 1,011

48.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 ₾6,216

$3,438 BAM 5,793

-30.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,425 ₾3,704

$2,422 BAM 4,081

-41.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 ₾1,663

$1,085 BAM 1,829

-41.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.08

209.31%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Tbilisi and $467 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarajevo pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $41.00 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $245 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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 3% 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 70% lower in Sarajevo. 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: $681 in Tbilisi versus $467 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarajevo runs roughly 132% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $372 in Tbilisi versus $218 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,241 in Sarajevo versus $1,279 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 $1,241 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 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 3% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.