Moving to Hungary from Bosnia and Herzegovina

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Hungary — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Hungary, you would find that Hungary is 35.8% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly HUF33,000,000 in Hungary to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Hungarian.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Hungary.

What does your salary buy?

BAM130,000 → HUF33,000,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Hungary

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 31.8% more

Groceries

pay 19.3% more

Transportation

pay 3.1% more

Housing

pay 70.4% more

Childcare

pay 28.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 53.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BAM = 186.67 HUF (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 Hungary cost about 16% more than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar 34%

Hungary

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Hungary, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
132 ↓ 9% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Hungary?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BA
1.2
HU
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BA
13.7
HU
7.4

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

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BA
$1,989
HU
$2,875
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BA
25.8
HU
34.6

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BA
55.0
HU
42.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BA
6.5t
HU
4.5t

Hungary 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
HU
37.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BA
2.1%
HU
8.1%

Hungary 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%
HU
4.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BA
$10,382
HU
$25,907

Hungary 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
HU
76.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BA
5.5
HU
3.1

Hungary generally does better on family life, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in life expectancy.

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), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (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

Budapest Rain: 21.0 in/yr (534 mm)
60° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sarajevo Budapest
Jan–Mar 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) 71°/52°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) 49°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Sarajevo Budapest
Jan 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C)
Feb 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C)
Mar 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C)
May 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C)
Jun 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C)
Jul 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C)
Aug 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C)

Data: Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Hungary

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

Hungary passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visa Free
Hungary 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 Hungary than Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Day-to-day costs in Hungary run about 36% higher than Bosnia and Herzegovina on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Hungary?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BAM130,000 comparable salary, that's around HUF8,250,000 in Hungary for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Hungary?

With 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Hungary 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 Hungary.

Is Hungary safe for expats?

Hungary performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Hungary is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

How is healthcare in Hungary compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 34.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Hungary, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hungary scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).

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

The average high temperature in Budapest is 60°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Budapest receives around 21.0 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.

What language do they speak in Hungary?

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

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At a Glance

BA HU
Population 3,140,095 9,514,251
Currency Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM) Hungarian Forint (HUF)
Languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Hungarian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +387 +36
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112