Moving to Washington from Bosnia and Herzegovina

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Washington — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Washington, you would find that Washington is 3.2 times more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM128,216 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly $144,045 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Washington.

What does your salary buy?

BAM128,216 $144,045

To maintain the same standard of living in Washington

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 93.2% more

Groceries

pay 2.1 times more

Transportation

pay 52.8% more

Housing

pay 4.7 times more

Childcare

pay 8.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.9 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BAM = 0.585 USD (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Washington, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
350 ↓ 21% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to United States?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Washington.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

BA
17.9%
WA
31.1%

Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

BA
76.0%
WA
93.1%

Washington performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BA
10.4%
WA
5.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

BA
$19,900
WA
$87,768

Washington performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BA
78.0 yrs
WA
79.2 yrs

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

Data: The World Factbook

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

Olympia Rain: 50.0 in/yr (1270 mm)
60° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sarajevo Olympia
Jan–Mar 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 50°/34°F (10°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) 65°/43°F (18°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) 76°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) 51°/36°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
Month Sarajevo Olympia
Jan 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C)
Feb 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C)
Mar 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C)
May 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C)
Jun 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C)
Jul 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C)
Aug 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C)
Nov 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C)

Data: Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visa Free
United States 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 Washington than Bosnia and Herzegovina?

No — Washington is on average about 92% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Washington?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $36,011 in Washington on a BAM128,216 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Washington?

Usually fine from major cities in Washington. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Washington compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.

What language do they speak in Washington?

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

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At a Glance

BA
Population 3,816,459 6,724,540
Currency Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +387 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911