Moving to Austria from Bosnia and Herzegovina

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria, you would find that Austria is 2.2 times more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly €149,000 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria.

What does your salary buy?

BAM130,000 → €149,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Austria

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.2 times more

Groceries

pay 83.8% more

Transportation

pay 35.2% more

Housing

pay 3.4 times more

Childcare

pay 2.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BAM = 0.5115 EUR (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Austria cost about 56% more than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar 34%

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria.

Moved in 2023
4,405 ↑ 7% vs 2022

people moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Austria?

Top countries of origin for Austria's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Austria compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BA
1.2
AT
0.9
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BA
13.7
AT
4.6

Austria performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

BA
$1,989
AT
$8,250
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

BA
25.8
AT
55.1

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BA
55.0
AT
17.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BA
6.5t
AT
6.3t

Austria performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BA
29.4
AT
30.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BA
2.1%
AT
8.7%

Austria generally does better on infrastructure, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BA
11.0%
AT
5.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BA
$10,382
AT
$62,930

Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BA
78.0 yrs
AT
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BA
5.5
AT
2.8

Austria performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Sarajevo Rain: 37.4 in/yr (950 mm)
62° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Vienna Rain: 24.4 in/yr (620 mm)
58° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sarajevo Vienna
Jan–Mar 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 43°/31°F (6°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) 67°/50°F (20°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) 75°/58°F (24°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) 48°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Sarajevo Vienna
Jan 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C)
Feb 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C)
Mar 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C)
May 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C)
Jun 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C)
Jul 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C)
Aug 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C)
Nov 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C)

Data: Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria. To live, work, or study long-term in Austria, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Austria's immigration authority.

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holders can enter Austria without a visa.
Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visa Free
Austria passport holders can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Austria than Bosnia and Herzegovina?

On average Austria is around 123% pricier than Bosnia and Herzegovina, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Austria?

Budget about €37,250 for 3 months in Austria (based on a BAM130,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Austria?

Connectivity is usually fine (Austria: 30.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Austria offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Austria safe for expats?

Austria performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

How is healthcare in Austria compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).

What's the weather like in Austria compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.

What language do they speak in Austria?

The official language in Austria is German. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.

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At a Glance

BA AT
Population 3,140,095 9,208,163
Currency Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM) Euro (€)
Languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +387 +43
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112