Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Bosnia and Herzegovina — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 56.8% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,402,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly BAM41,720 in Bosnia and Herzegovina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sarajevo averages 62°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,402,000 → BAM41,720
To maintain the same standard of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 60.0% less
Groceries
pay 54.2% less
Transportation
pay 52.6% less
Housing
pay 44.0% less
Childcare
pay 66.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 72.2% less
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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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs 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 Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on environment, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Iceland performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Bosnia and Herzegovina than Iceland?
Generally yes: Bosnia and Herzegovina runs about 67% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,402,000 comparable salary, that's around BAM10,430 in Bosnia and Herzegovina for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bosnia and Herzegovina?
With 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Bosnia and Herzegovina can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Is Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Iceland?
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
