Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Macedonia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Macedonia to Bosnia and Herzegovina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Macedonia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 7.9% more expensive than Macedonia overall. A MKD4,100,000 salary in Macedonia would need to be roughly BAM140,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Bosnia and Herzegovina cheaper than Macedonia?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 12.6% more
Groceries
pay 20.7% more
Transportation
pay 7.2% more
Housing
pay 3.7% more
Childcare
pay 18.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.0% 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.
What salary do you need in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
What does your salary buy?
MKD4,100,000 → BAM140,000
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 5% less than cities in Macedonia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Macedonia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on official data.
people born in Macedonia live in Bosnia and Herzegovina · UN DESA
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Macedonia to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Macedonia generally does better on safety, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in homicide rate.
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
Macedonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Macedonia generally does better on environment, though Bosnia and Herzegovina 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
Macedonia 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
Macedonia generally does better on employment & economy, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
Macedonia 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 (2020–2021), Public Revenue Office (2016), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Macedonia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Skopje | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Skopje | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) |
| May | 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) |
| Nov | 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) |
| Dec | 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia,
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Can you move from Macedonia to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Macedonia 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.
Macedonia passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Macedonia
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 Macedonia?
No — Bosnia and Herzegovina is on average about 8% more expensive than Macedonia. 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 BAM35,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a MKD4,100,000 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?
Macedonia generally does better on safety, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 1.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Macedonia.
How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Macedonia?
Macedonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in adult obesity rate. There are 25.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to 29.4 in Macedonia. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Macedonia: 74).
What's the weather like in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Macedonia?
The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 65°F in Skopje. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Skopje gets 19.8 in.
What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. In Macedonia, the official language is Macedonian.
