Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Panama

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Panama to Bosnia and Herzegovina — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Panama to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 17.3% cheaper than Panama overall. A PAB75,000 salary in Panama would need to be roughly BAM95,827 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 93°F in Panama City, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Panama to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What does your salary buy?

PAB75,000 BAM95,827

To maintain the same standard of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 0.6% more

Groceries

pay 27.3% less

Transportation

pay 11.1% more

Housing

pay 38.6% less

Childcare

pay 56.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 28.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PAB = 1.71 BAM (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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Key Indicator Comparison

How Panama and Bosnia and Herzegovina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

PA
11.3
BA
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PA
7.3
BA
13.7

Panama generally does better on safety, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

PA
$3,318
BA
$1,989
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PA
17.3
BA
23.2

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PA
17.0
BA
55.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PA
2.7t
BA
6.4t

Panama performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PA
15.5
BA
27.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PA
0.9%
BA
2.0%

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on infrastructure, though Panama leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PA
6.7%
BA
10.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PA
$35,800
BA
$19,900

Panama generally does better on employment & economy, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PA
77.6 yrs
BA
78.0 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PA
16.4
BA
5.2

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

Data: General Directorate of Revenues, Panama, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Panama City Rain: 75.1 in/yr (1907 mm)
93° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Panama City Sarajevo
Jan–Mar 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) 70°/48°F (21°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) 79°/56°F (26°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) 51°/37°F (11°/3°C)
View all months
Month Panama City Sarajevo
Jan 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C)
Feb 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C)
Mar 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C)
Apr 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C)
May 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C)
Jun 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C)
Aug 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C)
Sep 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C)
Oct 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C)
Nov 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C)
Dec 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C)

Data: IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá, Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Panama 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.

Panama passport

Panama passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Panama

Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holders can enter Panama 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 Panama?

Generally yes: Bosnia and Herzegovina runs about 25% cheaper than Panama 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 PAB75,000 comparable salary, that's around BAM23,957 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 Panama and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Is Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for expats?

Panama generally does better on safety, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.3 in Panama.

How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Panama?

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in health coverage index. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to 17.3 in Panama. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Panama: 78).

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

The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 93°F in Panama City. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Panama City gets 75.1 in.

What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

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

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At a Glance

PA BA
Population 4,337,768 3,816,459
Currency Panamanian Balboa (PAB) Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM)
Languages Spanish Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +507 +387
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 112