Cost Of Living For a Student in Sarajevo 2025
Average Monthly Expenditure
Currency: BAM
Average monthly spending for students in Sarajevo
How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Sarajevo?
Students in Sarajevo spend around 1,200 BAM per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 180 BAM or as high as 7,900 BAM. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Sarajevo
Dining, food, and beverages costs
Fast food combo meal
Restaurant meal for one
Fine dining meal for one
Cappuccino or latte
Grocery and market costs
Milk large bottle
12 eggs
Fresh whole chicken
Pack of beef
Medium bag of rice
Bag of tomatos
| 0.44 BAM | 0.59 BAM | 1.1 BAM |
Bag of apples
Commute, travel, and transportation costs
20 minutes taxi ride
Average car full tank
Average car 1-day rental
Average car price
| 5,500 BAM | 11,000 BAM | 15,000 BAM |
Bus ticket one way
| 0.41 BAM | 0.61 BAM | 1.2 BAM |
Car Service
Utility cost (monthly)
Utility Bill - Student
Internet and cable
Mobile phone charges
Leisure and activities costs
Movie ticket
One month gym membership
Cloths and accessories costs
Pair of jeans or pants
Woman dress
Woman shoes
Men's shoes
Men suit
Regular t-shirt
Housing costs / monthly rent
Studio apartment
1-bedroom apartment
| 300 BAM | 490 BAM | 1,200 BAM |
2-bedroom apartment
| 410 BAM | 610 BAM | 1,600 BAM |
Housing costs / Buying
Studio apartment
| 41,000 BAM | 61,000 BAM | 120,000 BAM |
1-bedroom apartment
| 49,000 BAM | 81,000 BAM | 300,000 BAM |
2-bedroom apartment
| 81,000 BAM | 240,000 BAM | 490,000 BAM |
| $45,000 | $130,000 | $270,000 |
Furniture Costs
King Size Bed
Double Bed
Single Bed
Living Room
| 240 BAM | 310 BAM | 1,100 BAM |
Dining Table
Sofa or Couch
Electronics and House Appliance Costs
TV Set
Fridge or Freezer
Washing Machine
Stove or Cooker
Mobile Phone
Laptop or Computer
How do students spend their money in Sarajevo?
We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.
Housing and accomodation expenditure for students
Accomodation Cost18%
18% of total expenses on average (13% to 24%)
| LOW | $24 43 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $160 280 BAM |
| HIGH | $1,000 1,900 BAM |
| Per Month |
Students in Sarajevo typically spend from 13% to 24% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 18% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 280 BAM with expenditure ranging from 43 BAM to 1,900 BAM. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.
Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students
Cost of utilities6%
6% of total expenses on average (4% to 10%)
| LOW | $4 7.2 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $26 47 BAM |
| HIGH | $170 320 BAM |
| Per Month |
Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Sarajevo ranges from 4% to 10% of total expenses with 6% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 47 BAM with 7.2 BAM and 320 BAM being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.
Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students
Cost of transport and fuel4%
4% of total expenses on average (4% to 10%)
| LOW | $7 13 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $46 83 BAM |
| HIGH | $310 550 BAM |
| Per Month |
Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 13 BAM to 550 BAM in a month on commuting with 83 BAM being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 4% of total spending on average but can go as low as 4% or as high as 10%.
Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students
Food and Groceries Cost23%
23% of total expenses on average (17% to 27%)
| LOW | $20 36 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $130 240 BAM |
| HIGH | $870 1,600 BAM |
| Per Month |
The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Sarajevo is 240 BAM. The cost of groceries can range between 36 BAM to 1,600 BAM. Students spend on average about 23% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 17% and 27% respectively.
Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students
Cost of healthcare9%
9% of total expenses on average (6% to 12%)
| LOW | $6 11 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $39 71 BAM |
| HIGH | $260 470 BAM |
| Per Month |
Students in Sarajevo allocate 6% to 12% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 9%. The range of medical expenses range from 11 BAM to 470 BAM with 71 BAM being the norm for most students.
Leisure and shopping expenditure for students
Cost of leisure and shopping3%
3% of total expenses on average (2% to 7%)
| LOW | $5 9 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $33 59 BAM |
| HIGH | $220 390 BAM |
| Per Month |
This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 9 BAM to 390 BAM with 59 BAM being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 7% of total expenses with an average of 3% for most students.
Education and schooling expenditure for students
Cost of education and schooling18%
18% of total expenses on average (11% to 23%)
| LOW | $19 34 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $120 220 BAM |
| HIGH | $830 1,500 BAM |
| Per Month |
Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 18% of the monthly expenditure of students with 11% and 23% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 220 BAM per month with 34 BAM being the minimum spent amount and 1,500 BAM being the maximum.
Other Expenses19%
19% of total expenses on average (13% to 25%)
| LOW | $15 27 BAM |
| AVERAGE | $98 180 BAM |
| HIGH | $660 1,200 BAM |
| Per Month |
A typical and healthy budgeting structure
The 50/30/20 rule
Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle,
location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule,
which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.
50% for needs and financial obligations
This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.
30% for wants and discretionary spending
This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.
20% for savings and emergency fund
This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.
About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting
The 50/30/20 rule is used as a general guideline but may not be the best choice for all people. There are in fact many budgeting plans out there like the 70/20/10 and the 60/20/20 rules, all claiming to be the best. More important than all of this is to establish financial discipline by creating a budget tailored to your specific financial goals and situation. It is very important that your financial outflow be less than your income to maintain a healthy cash flow.
Affordable living in Sarajevo
Income and cost of living compatibility
We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.
Is it affordable or economical to live in Sarajevo?
Around 68% of surveyed students think that living in Sarajevo is affordable with proper budgeting while 33% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.
Low-cost alternatives in Sarajevo
People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:
Plenty of low-cost options62%
Few low-cost options38%
Based on the survey, 62% of the students living in Sarajevo have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 38% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.
Emergency Funds For Students
An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Sarajevo whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.
Yes65%
No35%
Based on the survey, 35% of the students living in Sarajevo said that they don't have an emergency fund while 65% said that they do.
Financial Literacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.
Financial Leteracy59%
We asked student guardians and parents in Sarajevo whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 41% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 59% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.
Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning
We wanted to understand whether students of Bosnia and Herzegovina have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 36% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 64% said that they have everything under control.
Struggles with finance36%
Easily manages finances64%
Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Sarajevo
Rental costs and house/apartment prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Rent Cost in Sarajevo
Monthly Rent Prices
Studio apartment monthly rent cost
1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 300 BAM | 490 BAM | 1,200 BAM |
2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 410 BAM | 610 BAM | 1,600 BAM |
3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 490 BAM | 810 BAM | 2,200 BAM |
Furnished apartment monthly rent cost
| 970 BAM | 2,400 BAM | 4,900 BAM |
Townhouse monthly rent cost
| 810 BAM | 1,200 BAM | 3,500 BAM |
House monthly rent cost
| 970 BAM | 2,400 BAM | 4,900 BAM |
Villa monthly rent cost
| 1,200 BAM | 3,000 BAM | 4,900 BAM |
The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Sarajevo ranges between 200 BAM and 810 BAM, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 300 BAM to 1,200 BAM. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 410 BAM and 1,600 BAM per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 490 BAM to 2,200 BAM. The average rent of a townhouse in Sarajevo is around 1,200 BAM while house rental costs can be as high as 2,400 BAM per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 1,200 BAM to 4,900 BAM per month.
Apartment and house prices in Sarajevo
Cost of buying a property
Studio apartment price
| 41,000 BAM | 61,000 BAM | 120,000 BAM |
1-bedroom apartment price
| 49,000 BAM | 81,000 BAM | 300,000 BAM |
2-bedroom apartment price
| 81,000 BAM | 240,000 BAM | 490,000 BAM |
| $45,000 | $130,000 | $270,000 |
3-bedroom apartment price
| 270,000 BAM | 410,000 BAM | 1.2M BAM |
| $150,000 | $220,000 | $670,000 |
Townhouse price
| 350,000 BAM | 810,000 BAM | 3M BAM |
House price
| 410,000 BAM | 2.4M BAM | 3.5M BAM |
Villa price
| 490,000 BAM | 2.7M BAM | 4.1M BAM |
The average price of a studio apartment in Sarajevo can range from 41,000 BAM to 120,000 BAM depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 49,000 BAM to 300,000 BAM. A villa can cost you 2.7M BAM on average with prices ranging from 490,000 BAM to 4.1M BAM.
If you're leasing or purchasing, housing costs in Sarajevo will probably constitute your biggest expenditure, yet it's an area where you wield considerable influence. This is due to the substantial variance in housing prices across communities. Keep in mind the location of your workplace and the accessibility of essential amenities to prevent negating the savings from lower rental rates with increased transportation expenses.
House / apartment prices to income ratio
Property price to income ratio
( average property price / average monthly income ) x 100
| 36 | x102 monthly income | 209 |
Property prices in Sarajevo can be x102 to x209 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x102 multiples of the average monthly salary in Sarajevo.
Rent to income ratio
Rent to income ratio
( monthly rental / monthly income ) x 100
The average rent-to-income ratio in Sarajevo is around 32%. This means that people pay 32% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 21% to 42% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.
The housing-to-income ratio is a very important metric to evaluate and measure how affordable living is in a particular area, city, or country since housing comprises the biggest chunk of expenditure. A higher housing to income ratio means that the place is relatively expensive. The figure by itself does tell much. It only starts to make sense when comparing the housing to income ratio across different locations.
Housing affordability index
The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.
Housing Affordability Index
29% Property Taxes
Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.
Home Maintenance Costs
Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.
Urban vs. rural living costs
Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.
Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Sarajevo
Utilities expenditure can vary slightly between different areas and locations.
Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Sarajevo
Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student
Internet and cable cost
Mobile phone bill and charges
Because most utility bills club electricity, water, and gas costs in one bill, we can't provide a breakup for each type of utility and will display electricity, gas, and water as single cost.
The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 47 BAM. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 11 BAM to 29 BAM with 22 BAM being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 15 BAM but can range between 8.8 BAM and 44 BAM depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.
Energy / Utility expense to income ratio
( monthly utility expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average utility-to-income ratio in Sarajevo is around 6.3%. This means that people pay 6.3% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 3.2% to 11% depending on salary and location.
Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Sarajevo
Grocery / Food expenditure and prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Sarajevo
Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.
Fast food combo meal price
The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Sarajevo is approximatly 4.4 BAM with meal cost ranging from 2.2 BAM to 7.3 BAM. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.
Restaurant meal for one price
If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 7.7 BAM and 23 BAM with 12 BAM being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Sarajevo.
Fine dining meal for one price
The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 15 BAM to 93 BAM with the average cost being 23 BAM for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Sarajevo.
Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..
The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Sarajevo is around 2.9 BAM. Price ranges between 1.8 BAM and 4.4 BAM depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.
Grocery and market costs
Large bottle of milk price
The average price of a large bottle of milk in Sarajevo is 1.8 BAM. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 2.2 BAM and the minimum being 1.5 BAM depending on the brand of milk and other properties.
12 eggs price
A dozen eggs costs around 1.5 BAM on average with 1.1 BAM and 2.2 BAM being the lower and upper limits respectively.
Fresh whole chicken price
The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Sarajevo is between 2.5 BAM and 4.6 BAM depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 3.2 BAM.
Pack of beef price
The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 4.4 BAM. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.
Medium bag of rice price
A bag of rice in Sarajevo costs around 1.6 BAM on average with prices rangeing between 1.2 BAM and 2.3 BAM depending on the brand and quality.
Bag of tomatos price
| 0.44 BAM | 0.59 BAM | 1.1 BAM |
A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 0.44 BAM to 1.1 BAM. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Bag of apples price
A bag of apples costs 1 BAM on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio
( monthly grocery expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average grocery-to-income ratio in Sarajevo is around 29%. This means that students spend 29% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 20% to 35% depending on salary and location.
Expenditure on food and grocery for students
Students' spending on grocery ranges from 36 BAM to 1,600 BAM with the location, income, and size of the student being the most determinite factors.
