Moving to Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia, you would find that Croatia is 59.1% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly HRK797,000 in Croatia to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Croatia cheaper than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 60.9% more
Groceries
pay 20.0% more
Transportation
pay 13.6% more
Housing
pay 2.3 times more
Childcare
pay 34.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 75.4% 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 Croatia?
What does your salary buy?
BAM130,000 → HRK797,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Croatia
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 Croatia cost about 29% more than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia, based on official data.
people born in Bosnia and Herzegovina live in Croatia · UN DESA
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Croatia 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
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Croatia performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all environment metrics.
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
Croatia generally does better on infrastructure, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in internet access.
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
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on employment & economy, though Croatia leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Croatia 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), The World Factbook (2021), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016), Croatia Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Croatia vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sarajevo | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) | 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) | 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sarajevo | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) | 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) |
| Feb | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) | 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) |
| Mar | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) |
| May | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) | 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) | 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) | 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) | 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) |
| Sep | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) | 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) | 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) |
| Nov | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) | 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) | 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) |
Data:
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service
Can you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. To live, work, or study long-term in Croatia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Croatia's immigration authority.
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Croatia
Visa Free
Croatia 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 Croatia than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
No — Croatia is on average about 59% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Croatia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly HRK199,250 in Croatia on a BAM130,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Croatia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Croatia has 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Croatia safe for expats?
Croatia performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Croatia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is healthcare in Croatia compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Croatia, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).
What's the weather like in Croatia compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The average high temperature in Zagreb is 60°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Zagreb receives around 33.7 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in Croatia?
The official language in Croatia is Croatian. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
