Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from China

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from China to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 14.3% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly BAM149,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.

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Is Bosnia and Herzegovina cheaper than China?

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

Restaurants

pay 2.1 times more

Groceries

pay 11.5% more

Transportation

pay 49.4% more

Housing

pay 6.5% more

Childcare

pay 58.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CNY = 0.26 BAM (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.

What salary do you need in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

What does your salary buy?

CN¥500,000 → BAM149,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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 Bosnia and Herzegovina cost about 20% more than cities in China.

China

Shanghai 36%
Changchun 35%
Shenzhen 34%
Guangzhou 32%

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar 34%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

CN
0.5
BA
1.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CN
17.4
BA
13.7

China generally does better on safety, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

CN
$1,487
BA
$1,989
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

CN
31.1
BA
25.8

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

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

CN
64.0
BA
55.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CN
9.3t
BA
6.5t

Bosnia and Herzegovina performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CN
47.2
BA
29.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CN
41.5%
BA
2.1%

China 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

CN
4.6%
BA
11.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

CN
$13,862
BA
$10,382

China 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

CN
78.0 yrs
BA
78.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CN
4.1
BA
5.5

China 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), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Weather in Bosnia and Herzegovina vs China

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Shanghai Rain: 43.8 in/yr (1112 mm)
68° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Sarajevo Rain: 37.4 in/yr (950 mm)
62° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Shanghai Sarajevo
Jan–Mar 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) 70°/48°F (21°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) 79°/56°F (26°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) 51°/37°F (11°/3°C)
View all months
Month Shanghai Sarajevo
Jan 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C)
Feb 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C)
Mar 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C)
Apr 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C)
May 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C)
Jun 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C)
Aug 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C)
Sep 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C)
Oct 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C)
Nov 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C)
Dec 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C)

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

Can you move from China to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

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

China passport

China passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting China

Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holders can enter China 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina than China?

No — Bosnia and Herzegovina is on average about 14% more expensive than China. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly BAM37,250 in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a CN¥500,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for expats?

China generally does better on safety, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 1.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China.

How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to China?

China performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 25.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to 31.1 in China. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).

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

The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.

What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

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

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At a Glance

CN BA
Population 1,406,585,000 3,140,095
Currency Chinese Yuan (CN¥) Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM)
Languages Chinese Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +86 +387
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 110 112