Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 63.0% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK710,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly BAM48,500 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 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Bosnia and Herzegovina cheaper than Norway?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 62.4% less
Groceries
pay 55.0% less
Transportation
pay 44.4% less
Housing
pay 76.4% less
Childcare
pay 18.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 70.6% 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?
NOK710,000 → BAM48,500
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 47% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway performs 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), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Norway
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Can you move from Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Norway
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 Norway?
Yes — Bosnia and Herzegovina is on average about 63% cheaper than Norway. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly BAM12,125 in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a NOK710,000 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?
Norway performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 1.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
