Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Portugal
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Portugal to Bosnia and Herzegovina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Portugal to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 42.6% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly BAM75,200 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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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Portugal to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → BAM75,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 34.1% less
Groceries
pay 19.9% less
Transportation
pay 18.9% less
Housing
pay 65.1% less
Childcare
pay 43.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.1% 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.
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 29% less than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Portugal to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all environment metrics.
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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.
Portugal passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Portugal?
Yes — Bosnia and Herzegovina is on average about 43% cheaper than Portugal. 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 BAM18,800 in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a €67,000 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?
Portugal 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 Portugal.
How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Portugal?
Portugal 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 58.5 in Portugal. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
