Cost of Living in Sarajevo
Summary of cost of living in Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 108,669.0TL (4,319.2KM), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 31,342.6TL (1,245.8KM), excluding rent.
- Sarajevo is 38.5% less expensive than Columbus (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Sarajevo is, on average, 69.2% lower than in Columbus.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 377.39 TL | |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) | 1,509.57 TL | |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) | 377.39 TL | |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) | 125.80 TL | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 125.80 TL | |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) | 90.79 TL | |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) | 92.25 TL | |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) | 61.70 TL | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) | 57.73 TL | |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) | 47.80 TL | |
| White Rice (1 lb) | 41.82 TL | |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) | 125.18 TL | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 213.03 TL | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 167.15 TL | |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) | 274.71 TL | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 31.08 TL | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | 35.21 TL | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 39.42 TL | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | 43.15 TL | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | 21.47 TL | |
| Onions (1 lb) | 23.73 TL | |
| Lettuce (1 Head) | 46.19 TL | |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) | 33.04 TL | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 352.23 TL | |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) | 43.19 TL | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 59.38 TL | |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) | 163.54 TL | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 50.32 TL | |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) | 1,459.25 TL | |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) | 62.90 TL | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) | 60.74 TL | |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) | 377.39 TL | |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) | 62.98 TL | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) | 1,257,972.33 TL | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) | 1,095,693.90 TL | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 8,968.34 TL | |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) | 760.77 TL | |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) | 1,331.97 TL | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership | 1,603.91 TL | |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) | 855.42 TL | |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) | 301.91 TL | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child | 10,158.13 TL | |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child | 163,536.40 TL | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) | 3,793.27 TL | |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) | 1,749.55 TL | |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 4,218.40 TL | |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes | 4,517.26 TL | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 19,995.05 TL | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 13,903.90 TL | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 40,784.79 TL | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 25,424.28 TL | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 13,798.33 TL | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 9,080.68 TL | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 40,767.45 TL | |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 4.41 |
Prices in Sarajevo
This city had 1252 entries in the past 12 months by 112 different contributors.
Last update: 27 November 2025
Last update: 27 November 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Sarajevo? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| Cost of Living in Pale | 13.79 miles |
| Cost of Living in Vlasenica | 58.04 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sekovici | 65.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tuzla | 80.35 miles |
| Cost of Living in Doboj | 97.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Teslic | 104.04 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bijeljina | 120.65 miles |
| Cost of Living in Livno | 126.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Banja Luka | 140.42 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sanski Most | 156.21 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Sarajevo
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Sarajevo
|
 ItalianoCosto della vita a Sarajevo
|
 FrançaisCoût de la vie à Sarajevo
|
 EspañolCoste de vida en Sarajevo
|
Salary Calculator:Got a job offer in Sarajevo? Estimate your take-home pay with our Salary Calculator for Sarajevo.
In suburbs you might get lower prices and that's how average is calculated. Price of property that nobody wants plus price that everyone wants divided by 2. That's average. In real life you cant buy anything for average than you need to calculate at least 1000 more and if you find consider your self very lucky.
If you are "rich" and spoiled your average expectations are much higher, if you are poor even modest service looks as its best in world. You traveled the world - very few things excite you, its your first trip abroad - you will be ecstatic. Get my point?
Same goes for money - person having 2000 usd does not feel 100% better than person having 1000 USD avg salary. Its all in perception. Those with more money spend more, those with less spend less. I been on both sides of coin. Having too little and also having more than enough and I did not see HUGE increase in quality of life. I do same things, buy same things only now I'm not stressed as when i had to spend very carefully.
Now as for Sarajevo - I love it with all of my heart BUT for some it might be boring, for some small and for some - wonderful.
Again and as with everything else its all personal preference and how high they have their expectations. You cant come to Sarajevo or any other city expecting to see Vienna or Istanbul or Paris or London or Zagreb or Belgrade .... why than you try to compare - go to Paris instead and do not compare. Point of visiting some new places is to experience something new.
Best way to actually experience is to come and see. Do not believe what we (residents) say - of course its our city and we love it so we will wear pink glasses and without doubts say it's most beautiful in the world, dont believe those that comment but never actually came. Go check what people that visit it from your city/country say - for you that will be the truth. Most likely your expectations are close to theirs, your standard of living is similar so your experience of the city will be similar. Not one opinion than average - from all that came.
So please - Vienna citizens chill out. Those poised with nationalism - go cure your self and all others ---- If you wanna come to be our guests and experience how we live welcome, if not happy life. We ppl from Sarajevo will continue our life and will continue to love our city either way.
And we expect you to do the same. Love your city, live your life, enjoy life and maybe I will be coming to visit your city too :)
I personally know people that earn both very high and very low wages. I've known people who worked third shifts to earn a living while studying at university; and people whose parents earned well beyond the 1.400KM listed here. I agree that Sarajevo cannot come close to Vienna, both in regards to its economic and political situation, and culturally as well. Fact of the matter is, Bosnia and Hercegovina has a big issue with our politicians being corrupt (granted, not all politicians), earning 3 times as much as an average working Joe. That means, while my father works for 1.000KM a month, a politician will earn as high as 3.000KM (and higher). There's a huge gap between the highest and lowest wage in Sarajevo, the lowest being 400KM (which is absolutely puny and almost worthless in comparison to the actual costs of living) and the highest going as high to 3.000KM and over.
When it comes to the "cultural" aspect of Sarajevo - while I do agree that it does hold some beautiful scenery and architecture, the government does not (or rather doesn't want to) invest into anything other than lavish villas and weekend retreats of aforementioned politicians. The old Austro-Hungarian buildings look dishevelled, and some of them (around the area of the SCC mall) are downright in ruin. Comparing it to Vienna or any other European city is a joke, since we do not come close to any of them.
I can go on about the bad in my country, but at the end of the day, tourists don't really care about these things. It's easy to deem a city "beautiful" and "breath taking" if you visit its absolute best parts. But what about neighbourhoods such as Donji and Gonji Velešići, Dobrinja 1, Doglodi etc. And the saddest part about this is - Sarajevo is a relatively small city, these neighbourhoods aren't miles and miles away from the centre. This town can be as beautiful and astonishing as many people say - and yet, as of now, I see its potential but potential is wasted unless its acted upon.
Lifetime Vienna Citizen