3.56/5
331 reviews
Photo by Natalya Letunova via Unsplash

Cost of Living in Sarajevo

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food

amazing

great

war

mountain

friendly

small

cheap

mountains

open

town

stayed

week

pretty

restaurants

history

plenty

coworking

spaces

Sarajevo is considered very safe by multiple visitors, with people frequently noting they felt secure even at night. Locals are reported to be friendly and often speak English, although sometimes translation tools are necessary. The city is affordable, and there’s a good mix of activities like hiking, sightseeing, and visiting historical spots. The city’s small size means it’s easy to get around, aided by cheap public transport like trams. It has a lot of character and is noted for its war museums and historical context, though this history is still very visually present in the streets, which some find emotionally heavy or depressing.

Food quality receives mixed reviews—while affordable and meat-heavy, several users describe it as bland or lacking variety. International options are limited. Social life may be difficult to tap into, with few meetups and limited activity on social apps. Internet access is mostly fine, but can become unreliable during storms or late at night, which could be an issue for remote workers in non-local time zones.

Overall, Sarajevo is a unique, historically rich, and safe destination with friendly locals and a laid-back vibe, but may fall short for digital nomads wanting a vibrant social scene and diverse cuisine.

AI-generated summary of reviews
1 year ago

I stayed a week, but after 3 days I was out of things to do outside of working. It's difficult to socialize here, there are almost no meetups, people don't use dating apps etc. But the thing that put me off was the food, sadly Bosnian food is pretty bland (the famous cevapi is just meet with bread!) and few international restaurants exists to diversify. So I'd say it's interesting to visit as a tourist interested in war history, but not as a DN.

1 year ago

Plenty of co-working spaces. Arguably the best food in Europe. Welcoming people. You can take the tram across the city and get anywhere you want for a single Euro.

1 year ago

Found it to be quite a depressing place unfortunately; there's nowhere you can turn or look in the main part of the city that isn't a reminder that there was a terrible conflict there in the 90s - bulletholes still in the walls, monuments to the dead everywhere, graffiti saying "never forget" etc - other places i've been that suffered tragedies (like Phnom Penh) didn;t have this heaviness hanging over it. The vibe of the place was that it hadn't moved on from that time at all. Mostar was far nicer, albeit smaller.

1 year ago

I visited for about 3 weeks for a business trip in Ilidza, so I stayed in Ilidza. People were very kind. I always felt safe, even in the middle of the night. Local men never made me feel uncomfortable. Lots of people speak English, but not all. Google translate served the purpose for when they don't speak English. There are lots of stray cats, and I never saw a single stray dog. The Internet was ok, except when there was a thunderstorm or occasionally it shut off around midnight (which might be an issue if you work US time zones) at the same time as the cell phone signals. The city has a lot of character to it. I checked out a few war museums and took the cable car up the mountain, which was pretty cool. Local food was also good if you like meat and BBQ stuff, but after a while I started wishing I could put salsa verde on the meat.

2 years ago

Sarajevo is a hidden gem. I stayed 2 weeks in the city and I really enjoy the chill vibe. The city is safe and people are very friendly while happy to speak english. The city is small but you can find something new to do everyday. I would 100% recommend Sarajevo for an "exotic" for some days.

3 years ago

Amazing city with plenty of history and character!

Have been here for a month and there are plenty of things to do to keep you occupied, away from work. It's super safe, the food is only OK (but super cheap), the nature/hiking is great (city surrounded by mountains) and nightlife isn't bad at the moment even though clubs still aren't open.

Highly recommend it to other nomads.

5 years ago

A really amazing city, I wouldn't agree that it's small, there's much more to it than just the historical core, 20th century architecture is like 4/5 of the city and there are many vibrant neighbourhoods, restaurants and places where the normie locals hang out.

6 years ago

Nice looking city in the rolling green hills. Quite small. If you're looking for any sort of nightlife you'll be disappointed, there are pretty much just 3 bars in the city center. People and service were more friendly than elsewhere in the Balkans - but that's not staying too much. I'd say it's worth checking out but would not stay for more than a week.

7 years ago

This summer I worked from Sarajevo, and it was great! The city has so much history and character. It's an affordable place to stay and eat, and WiFi was easily accessible at many independent cafes and restaurants. There are public transportation buses and trams (as well as taxis, had a good experience with Crveni taxi - red taxi), but I found walking easier for exploration and getting in 10K steps a day. There are great mountain hikes and parks very close to the city (Trebevic, Skakavac Waterfall, Park Prijateljstva). If you rent a car, historic towns like Mostar, Lukomir village, Konjic and Jablanicko jezero (lake), and the wine country are within ~2 hrs from the city. If you want to take a road trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia, you can go through Sutjeska National Park, which is great for hikes on Via Dinarica trail, mountain biking, and rafting (there are tour groups from Sarajevo as well).

7 years ago

I arrived a couple of days ago in SARAJEVO and first impression was of a ex-comunist capital with a tough/harsh image seen on people's faces. But once you advance and check the Old Town + some pedestrian streets you become astonished about the mix of Austro-Hungarian architecture, Istanbulish streets/markets and so on. Some of the parts of the Center have Orthodox/Catholic + Muslim heritage, so it's a Babel Tower somehow. Fully recommend if you wanna see a city that rised from it's ashes after the 90's war like a Phoenix Bird.

8 years ago

Sarajevo is a fantastic city that offers much to those who visit with an open mind and a willingness to engage with the local people and culture. It compares extremely favourably to other capital cities in the region and more generally, as it open, accessible (it is a small city) and low-cost. It is relatively straightforward to find accommodation (also seek local guidance on this and all other economic interactions) and costs of living are generally low. Local people are friendly and also keen to engage with internationals, which provides a welcome alternative to Croatia, for example, where you are more likely to be treated as tourist fodder. I would be interested to hear more about how Sarajevo is Islamifying, as in my experience this is not definitely not the case. Islam is practised here (along with other religions, as Sarajevo has a long-established tradition of religious tolerance and diversity) by an Islamic community who are clearly distinct from the largely secular society. This applies in Sarajevo to exactly the same extent as it applies in London (my home capital) and any tolerant, open, inclusive city. Setting this aside, Bosnia's Islamic community appear comparatively more 'modernised' and 'progressive' than separate religious communities in the Islamic world or other religious communities within the region. The war, which ended 25 years ago, is still an important part of the city's present: both Sarajevo and the wider country are still struggling to recover and I would encourage readers to take this into account when making judgements/demands about working spaces or the resources available to internationals more generally.

8 years ago

A former progressive beacon of the Balkans, Sarajevo is now Islamifying — fast. Even the locals think so. Otherwise, a beautiful city, jampacked with historical richness, delicious and cheap food, and amazing nature destinations are a day-trip away.

As a non-Yugoslav you'll probably love it. As a progressive Bosnian you'll likely have a love-hate relationship with it.

Coworking spaces are mediocre.

8 years ago

Nestled in a valley surrounded by amazing mountains, the once host city to the 1984 Winter Olympic Games, is a charming and adorable city. It is very friendly to foreigners. The city itself is a wonderful mix of Western and Eastern cultures, and you can sample architecture from the Ottoman period, Austo-Hungarian period, as well as the Yugoslav period. It is a cosmopolitan city, with a mix of Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox and Jewish religions. It has a great caffe culture with many different cafes all across the city. The central and old town areas are the most interesting to both live and work. Amazing mountains, for the outdoorsy types are just minutes away. If you are a fan of hiking, the mountains surrounding Sarajevo and elsewhere across Bosnia will offer you an unforgettable experience. There are several co-working places, with new ones seemingly coming up every year. I've been spending time in Sarajevo for the past three years on and off. I would definitely recommend coming in late spring through summer and early fall. The winters can be harsh, and the city covered in fog and smog which is not fun (sometimes the airport closes due to the density of fog). In August there is a phenomenal film festival - SFF - which lasts for a week and is a Mecca for filmophiles and party animals alike. Should definitely not be missed. The beautiful town of Mostar is a mesmerizing two hour drive from Sarajevo and also has much character and history.
The cost of living is relatively inexpensive and you can find decent accommodation for very reasonable amounts. Eating out is also cheap with many different offerings. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you may find it slightly more challenging as Bosnia and the Balkans in general are very meat intensive in their cuisine.
If you are based in the center or old part of town, walking everywhere is easy and convenient. Taxis are also cheap. There are enough decent gyms for exercise that are relatively inexpensive, as well as trails for jogging. Biking is also popular in the summer months, especially mountain biking and you can easily find people and crews to join in on tours.

8 years ago

✅ Very safe

✅ Friendly people

✅ Affordable

✅ Plenty of things to do

✅ Strong cultural character

✅ Pretty safe

✅ Perfect humidity now

✅ Good air quality on average

✅ Many Nomads.com members have been

✅ Spacious and not crowded

✅ High quality of education

✅ Roads are pretty safe

✅ Freedom of speech

✅ People can speak basic English

✅ Safe for women

✅ Family friendly

❌ Bland food

❌ Difficult to socialize

❌ Heavy post-war atmosphere

❌ Unreliable internet

❌ Not very democratic

❌ Pretty slow internet

❌ Not much to do

❌ Gets cold in the winter

❌ Not many Nomads.com members right now

❌ Difficult to do business

❌ Hospitals are not that great

❌ Hostile towards LGBTQ+

❌ People smoking tobacco a lot

❌ Marijuana is illegal

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

134°
cold

-032°
freezing

541°
cold

846°
cold

1559°
cool

1661°
cool

2272°
mild

2373°
mild

1355°
cool

1152°
cool

439°
cold

236°
cold

Real (median)

133°
very cold

-031°
freezing

541°
very cold

846°
cold

1559°
cool

1661°
cool

2272°
mild

2373°
mild

1356°
cool

1152°
cool

440°
very cold

235°
very cold

Humidity

damp
81%

damp
77%

damp
73%

damp
71%

damp
72%

nice
66%

nice
60%

nice
66%

damp
76%

damp
80%

damp
82%

Most common

☀️ Clear

Rain

rainy
83mm

rainy
95mm

rainy
101mm

rainy
103mm

rainy
56mm

dry
49mm

rainy
91mm

dry
41mm

dry
38mm

rainy
90mm

rainy
99mm

rainy
107mm

Cloud

cloudy
82%

cloudy
71%

cloudy
77%

cloudy
75%

cloudy
72%

pockets
43%

pockets
45%

pockets
40%

pockets
45%

cloudy
58%

cloudy
77%

cloudy
83%

Air quality

bad
154 US AQI

bad
119 US AQI

okay
82 US AQI

okay
84 US AQI

clean
42 US AQI

okay
54 US AQI

okay
56 US AQI

okay
64 US AQI

okay
61 US AQI

okay
83 US AQI

okay
65 US AQI

bad
124 US AQI

Sun

safe
1 UVI

safe
2 UVI

safe
3 UVI

seek shade
4 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

safe
3 UVI

safe
2 UVI

safe
1 UVI

Remote workers

1,200 people

1,425 people

1,260 people

1,680 people

2,031 people

2,057 people

2,529 people

2,100 people

1,855 people

1,250 people

1,050 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Current weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)

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Help pick the best photos for Sarajevo and improve this page's look by tappingclicking on them and the site saves your feedback Vote photos

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74pts

47pts

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167pts

56pts

40pts

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$5,513 / mo

44 Mbps

Belgrade

Serbia

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked bad

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 19° 66° 19° 66° AQI 59 😷

✈️16min

$3,182 / mo

🌇 Also went here215 people

Turkey

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 18° 64° 18° 65° AQI 76 😷

✈️1h

$3,248 / mo

🌇 Also went here199 people

Berlin

Germany

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety good

Tap to open

🌥 Feels 17° 63° 17° 62° AQI 50

✈️1h

$5,135 / mo

🌇 Also went here148 people

Paris

France

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

🌥 Feels 20° 68° 19° 67° AQI 54 😷

✈️2h

$7,010 / mo

🌇 Also went here149 people

Barcelona

Spain

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

🌧 Feels 22° 72° 22° 71° AQI 25

✈️2h

$6,426 / mo

🌇 Also went here165 people

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

🎒 Nomad Score™	3.56/5 (Rank #133) 331 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍7 liked it 👎2 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Okay
🎒 Community score	Okay
🤯 Overcrowding score	0% is nomad here
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $2,314 / mo
📡 Internet	😡 Slow: 8 Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Bad
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥶 A bit cold: 17°C63°F (feels 18°C64°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 63%
💨 Air quality (now)	🌱 Good: 46 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	🌱 Good: 61 US AQI
👌 Safety	Okay
👩 Safe for women	Good
🌈 Safe for LGBTQ+	Bad
🤮 Food safety*	Good
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Good
🎓 Education level*	Mediocre
⚡️ Power grid	Great
💰 Income level*	Poor: $865 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Okay
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Great
🧳 Lost luggage*	Great
🏥 Hospitals	Bad
😄 Happiness*	Good
🍸 Nightlife	Good
📶 Free WiFi in city	Bad
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Bad
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Great
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Good
🎅 Startup Score	Okay

🌍 Continent	Europe
🚩 Country	Bosnia
🗓️ Average trip length	5 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	8 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	☀️ 17°C 63°F + 😊 Comfy (63%) = feels 18°C 64°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👍 46 US AQI 🍃 OK
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👎😷 61 US AQI
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🚕 Best taxi app*	MojTaxi
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
💸 10 BAM in USD	USD 5.77
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	BAM 1,000 = USD 577
💻 Best coworking space	NEST71
🚰 Tap water	👌 Yes, safe to drink
🦷 Fluoride added	🚫 No fluoride added
♻️ Return rate	7% of visitors return
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	250,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$10,382 / year
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 47% 👱‍♀️ 53%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 0% 👱‍♀️ 100%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 83% 👱‍♀️ 17%
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Religious
🏠 Apartment listings	Pik
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Lufthansa
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Etihad Airways

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$2,314 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,187 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$1,746 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$499 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$2,863 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$2,720 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$462 / month
🏠 Median home price	$126,936
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$134 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$89 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$173 / month
🍛 Dinner	$2
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$0.39
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$1
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$1

Cost of Living in Sarajevo

600 remote workers in Sarajevo now, of which 1+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

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