Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo

Country Full Name: Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina are in South Eastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia.

Country Climate: Hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast.

Country Terrain: Mountains and valleys.

Major Languages: Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.

Major Religions: Christianity, Islam.

Population: 0.664 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina faces the dual problem of rebuilding a war-torn country and introducing market reforms to its formerly centrally-planned economy. Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are generally small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry is mostly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia.

Currency: Bosnian Mark (BAM). Make an international currency transfer to Bosnia.

Inflation: 3.6% (2011 est.).

Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The economy of Sarajevo has been subject to reconstruction and rehabilitation programs after years of war. Amongst other economic landmarks, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina opened in Sarajevo in 1997 and the Sarajevo Stock Exchange began trading in 2002. The city's large manufacturing, administration, and tourism base, combined with a large informal market, makes it one of the strongest economic regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The cost of living in Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina is low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently ranked 572 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are average compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 395 places that are more expensive, and 384 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are average compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 321 places that are more expensive, and 458 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 357 places that are more expensive, and 422 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 739 places that are more expensive, and 40 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are low compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 565 places that are more expensive, and 214 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 692 places that are more expensive, and 87 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 578 places that are more expensive, and 201 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 399 places that are more expensive, and 380 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 50 places that are more expensive, and 729 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are average compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 312 places that are more expensive, and 467 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 588 places that are more expensive, and 191 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 636 places that are more expensive, and 143 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 540 places that are more expensive, and 239 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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