Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Bosnia and Herzegovina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 71.3% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly BAM37,500 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 key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 71.2% less
Groceries
pay 55.7% less
Transportation
pay 50.1% less
Housing
pay 82.1% less
Childcare
pay 86.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 73.9% 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?
CHF62,000 → BAM37,500
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 59% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Can you move from Switzerland to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
On average Bosnia and Herzegovina is about 71% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Budget about BAM9,375 for 3 months in Bosnia and Herzegovina (based on a CHF62,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Connectivity is usually fine (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 29.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Bosnia and Herzegovina offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for expats?
Switzerland 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 0.6 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland 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 44.8 in Switzerland. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
