Moving to Netherlands from Bosnia and Herzegovina
What to Expect
Considering a move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Netherlands? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 2.6 times more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly €174,000 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Netherlands.
What does your salary buy?
BAM130,000 → €174,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.5 times more
Groceries
pay 63.9% more
Transportation
pay 86.4% more
Housing
pay 4.5 times more
Childcare
pay 3.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.5 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.
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 Netherlands cost about 82% more than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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 Netherlands.
people moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Netherlands compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands 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
Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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
Netherlands 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
Netherlands 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
Netherlands 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), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sarajevo | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sarajevo | Amsterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) |
| Feb | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) |
| Mar | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) |
| May | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) |
| Jul | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) |
| Aug | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°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,
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Netherlands. To live, work, or study long-term in Netherlands, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Netherlands's immigration authority.
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa Free
Netherlands 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 Netherlands than Bosnia and Herzegovina?
On average Netherlands is around 162% pricier than Bosnia and Herzegovina, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?
Budget about €43,500 for 3 months in Netherlands (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 Netherlands?
Connectivity is usually fine (Netherlands: 43.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Netherlands offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Netherlands safe for expats?
Netherlands performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).
What's the weather like in Netherlands compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in Netherlands?
The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
