Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United Arab Emirates to Bosnia and Herzegovina — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would find that Bosnia and Herzegovina is 21.7% cheaper than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly BAM70,862 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 Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from United Arab Emirates to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What does your salary buy?
AED275,438 → BAM70,862
To maintain the same standard of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 44.1% more
Groceries
pay 2.7% less
Transportation
pay 6.8% more
Housing
pay 61.0% less
Childcare
pay 61.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 62.8% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How United Arab Emirates and Bosnia and Herzegovina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates 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
Bosnia and Herzegovina performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
United Arab Emirates performs better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all family life metrics.
Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Abu Dhabi | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abu Dhabi | Sarajevo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) |
| Apr | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) |
| May | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) |
| Sep | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) |
| Nov | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) |
| Dec | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates 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.
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
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 United Arab Emirates?
Generally yes: Bosnia and Herzegovina runs about 45% cheaper than United Arab Emirates 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 AED275,438 comparable salary, that's around BAM17,716 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 United Arab Emirates and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Is Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for expats?
United Arab Emirates 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 0.5 in United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to United Arab Emirates?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).
What's the weather like in Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Sarajevo is 62°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Sarajevo receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.
