Cost of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, prices and what it is like to live for an Expat, quality of life / hardship, and compare cost of living for Expatriates as at October 2023.

What is it like to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Climate: The climate is hot in summer and cold in winter. Areas of higher altitude have short, cool summers and long, severe winters, while lower down along the coast, the winters are mild and rainy.

Language: The official language is Serbo-Croat but has been replaced by Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. The most commonly spoken west-European languages are English and German. Before the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks), Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs were considered to speak variants of the same language, Serbo-Croat. Following the 1992-95 war, the ethnic communities have tended to emphasise their own national language by stressing slight linguistic differences. Croats and Bosnians use the Latin alphabet, while Serbs use the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. Embassies can recommend reputable Serbo-Croat translators.

Religion: Christianity and Islam.

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.

Inflation: 4.7% for Bosnia and Herzegovina as at August 2023.

Money: The currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Bosnian Mark (BAM). Most transactions are in cash. ATMs are generally available in the larger cities.

Tax: In Bosnia and Herzegovina is based on the current personal income tax rate for (FBiH) which is a flat rate of 10%.

Population: 3.3 Million (2022 est.)

Expat Life: Bosnia and Herzegovina is characterised by its ethnic and religious diversity. Expatriates should be sensitive to all the various customs and traditions. Business meetings are often relatively informal. Expatriate dress code is generally formal and conservative, particularly for women in Muslim areas of the country. The safety risk for expatriates in Bosnia and Herzegovina is low. Risks include sporadic incidents of ethnically-motivated violence, petty and opportunistic crimes, especially in the capital Sarajevo.

Health Care: Health care facilities, particularly outside Sarajevo and major towns are limited.

Bosnia and Herzegovina covers all areas within the country other than Sarajevo.

Cost Of Living

What is the cost of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The cost of living for expatriates in Bosnia and Herzegovina as at October 2023 is very low in comparison to other places in the world, with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 42.94 (New York =100). We have collected prices for the same items, world wide, based on Expat spending norms, in or closest to the location, and converted them to $USD so that we can compare the cost of 13 different baskets in 780 global locations. For each basket, compared to New York, the equivalent cost in Bosnia and Herzegovina is as follows:

1) Alcohol and/or Tobacco: Cost is low for items such as beer, spirits, wine and tobacco related products such as cigarettes. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$530. Average price in a store for a midrange bottle of wine is USD$7.20, domestic/local beer (500ml) USD$2.16, imported/international beer (330ml) USD$1.46 and a pack of 20 cigarettes is USD$4.32.

2) Clothing: Cost is average for items such as business, casual and children's clothing and footwear. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$810. Average price for an international brand of mens jeans is USD$66, a quality international brand of running shoes USD$81, mens leather shoes suitable for office wear USD$91 while a medium size international summer dress from a global chain store is USD$32.

3) Communication: Cost is low for various communication costs such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff and data costs. A basket costing USD$200 in New York costs USD$110. Average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is USD$24, while the benchmark mobile tariff is USD$18.28 per minute.

4) Education: Cost is low for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. A basket costing USD$30,000 in New York costs USD$18000. Average annual private international school fee (excluding extras) USD$11,627 for Primary School, and USD$12,939 for High School.

5) Furniture & Appliances: Cost is low for items such as dining table and chairs, home entertainment, kitchen appliances, and sofas. A basket costing USD$2,500 in New York costs USD$1350. Average price for a 6kg front loader Washing Machine is USD$588, and USD$505 for a 46+'' LED UHD TV.

6) Groceries: Cost is very low for items such as consumables, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruit & vegetables, general food products, snacks, soft drinks. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$470. Average grocery prices in a major international retail store for 1 kg apples is USD$0.65, 1 kg oranges USD$0.86, 1 head lettuce USD$1.20, 1 kg potatos USD$0.48, 1 kg boneless, skinless, chicken breast USD$4.02, 1 kg cheddar cheese USD$4.32, 1 dozen large eggs USD$2.89, 500g loaf white bread USD$1.03, 1 L full cream milk USD$5.46, and 1.5 L water USD$0.82.

7) Healthcare: Cost is very low for general heath care, doctor visits, hospital stays, non-prescription medicine, and medical insurance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$440. Average healthcare cost for a private practice Doctor visit for an uninsured patient is USD$36, and a private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is USD$1,099.

8) Household Accommodation: Cost is very low for items such as apartment rent, house rent, property purchase, mortgage rate, and utilities. A basket costing USD$5,000 in New York costs USD$950. Average expatriate house / apartment rent for a secure upmarket unfurnished apartment (3 bedrooms) is USD$1,250 in a central location, and USD$729 in a suburban location, per month, excluding utilities.

9) Miscellaneous: Cost is average for items such as dry cleaning, linen, magazines, newspapers, office supplies, and postage stamps. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$380. Average price for dry cleaning (1 mens 2 pc suit) is USD$7.43, while an international newspaper is USD$2.29.

10) Personal Care: Cost is very low for items such as cosmetics, hair care, and toiletries. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$185. Average cost for a mens haircut and blow dry is USD$15, while a womens hair colour, cut and blow dry - medium length is USD$74.

11) Recreation & Culture: Cost is low for items such as books, cinema, sport and theatre tickets. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$250. Average price for a latest release international cinema ticket (average of on and off peak where applicable) for one adult is USD$5.76, and an international fitness, recreation or sports club membership cost for one adult is USD$33 per month.

12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Cost is low for items such as hotel daily room rates, meals and beverages in a restaurant, and take away food and beverages. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$390. Average cappuccino price (regular, medium) is USD$1.68, coke/pepsi (330ml) USD$1.90, burger meal (international franchise or similar) USD$6.49, and a mid-range international restaurant meal for 2 USD$33.49.

13) Transport: Cost is low for items such as fuel (petrol/gasoline), car hire, public transport, vehicle purchase and maintenance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$570. Average average price over the last year for highest available octane petrol / gasoline (1L) is USD$5.91, while the benchmark car sedan purchase price including taxes/duties for a compact / small / economy vehicle (1.4 L) is USD$22,160.

How does the cost of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina compare?

Bosnia and Herzegovina is -41% cheaper than USA for groceries, -67.8% cheaper for household costs than UK, and 11.7% more expensive for transport costs than India.

What is the quality of life / hardship in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Bosnia and Herzegovina is ranked as a high degree of hardship location.The hardship premium for Bosnia and Herzegovina for an expat from Australia, is for example 20%, i.e. host location (Bosnia and Herzegovina) premium of 30% minus home (Australia) location premium of 10%.

Want to know more about cost of living, hardship (quality of living) or expat salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Register subscribe to your home location and Bosnia and Herzegovina and run your personalised reports.