Moving to Belgium from Bosnia and Herzegovina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium, you would find that Belgium is 2.2 times more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly €147,000 in Belgium to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch, French and German.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Belgium cheaper than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 59.1% more
Transportation
pay 40.7% more
Housing
pay 3.2 times more
Childcare
pay 3.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.2 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Belgium?
What does your salary buy?
BAM130,000 → €147,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Belgium
Calculate with your salary →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 Belgium cost about 51% more than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Belgium
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Belgium performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on environment, though Belgium leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Belgium generally does better on employment & economy, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Belgium 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), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Belgium vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sarajevo | Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sarajevo | Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) |
| Feb | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) |
| Mar | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) |
| Jun | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) |
| Aug | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) |
| Nov | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) |
| Dec | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) |
Data:
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Institut Royal Météorologique
Can you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium. To live, work, or study long-term in Belgium, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Belgium's immigration authority.
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa Free
Belgium passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Belgium than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Day-to-day costs in Belgium run about 120% higher than Bosnia and Herzegovina on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Belgium?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BAM130,000 comparable salary, that's around €36,750 in Belgium for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Belgium?
With 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium.
Is Belgium safe for expats?
Belgium performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Belgium is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is healthcare in Belgium compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belgium, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Belgium scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).
What's the weather like in Belgium compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The average high temperature in Brussels is 57°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Brussels receives around 32.3 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in Belgium?
The official languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
