Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Poland

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Poland to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 21.0% cheaper than Poland overall. A PLN284,306 salary in Poland would need to be roughly BAM95,946 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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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

PLN284,306 BAM95,946

To maintain the same standard of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 21.8% less

Groceries

pay 4.4% more

Transportation

pay 8.2% less

Housing

pay 28.5% less

Childcare

pay 53.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 36.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PLN = 0.451 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 Poland 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

PL
0.7
BA
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PL
6.5
BA
13.7

Poland performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PL
$3,939
BA
$1,989
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PL
33.9
BA
23.2

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PL
41.0
BA
55.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PL
7.6t
BA
6.4t

Poland generally does better on environment, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PL
23.0
BA
27.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PL
32.1%
BA
2.0%

Poland generally does better on infrastructure, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PL
2.9%
BA
10.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PL
$44,100
BA
$19,900

Poland 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

PL
78.8 yrs
BA
78.0 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PL
4.2
BA
5.2

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

Data: Ministry of Finance, Poland, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Warsaw Sarajevo
Jan–Mar 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) 70°/48°F (21°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) 79°/56°F (26°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) 51°/37°F (11°/3°C)
View all months
Month Warsaw Sarajevo
Jan 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C)
Feb 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C)
Mar 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C)
Apr 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C)
May 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C)
Jun 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C)
Aug 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C)
Sep 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C)
Oct 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C)
Nov 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C)
Dec 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C)

Data: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, 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 Poland 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.

Poland passport

Poland passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Poland

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

Generally yes: Bosnia and Herzegovina runs about 25% cheaper than Poland 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 PLN284,306 comparable salary, that's around BAM23,986 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 Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Is Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for expats?

Poland 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 0.7 in Poland.

How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Poland?

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to 33.9 in Poland. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.

What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

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

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At a Glance

PL BA
Population 38,093,101 3,816,459
Currency Polish Zloty (PLN) Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM)
Languages Polish Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +48 +387
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112