Many people, even two and a half decades later, are still nostalgic for the former state and its economic system, and they consider life bach then as much better.
They feel that they had more, that they went on holidays with salary back then (without checks) in that system and “still had money left”, wrote Vecernji List. Let’s take a look at the average salaries and prices of the Statistical Yearbook of 1990 that was published by the Media Center.
How much people earned in 1990? Statistics show that the average salary in BiH amounted to 483 DM, in the economy 453, and outside economy (finance, management, oil industry, banks and insurance) 646.4 DM. What our citizens could buy for that money?
A kilogram of Minas crude coffee was 108.34 dinars, a men’s shirt (cotton) was 409 dinars. To make it simple: a kilogram of raw coffee Minas cost 15.47 DM, and men’s shirt (cotton) was 58 DM!
A kilogram of rice was 38.67 dinars or 5.52 DM, semi-white bread was 7.17 dinars or 1.02 DM. The price of potatoes was 7.7 dinars or 1.10 DM, peas 31.75 dinars or 4.53 DM, apples cost 14.77 dinars or 2.11 DM, and lemon was 18.61 dinars or 2.66 DM for a kilogram.
The meat was not any cheaper as well – a kilogram of beef without bones was 56.81 dinars or 8.12 DM, and a kilogram of veal with bones was 69, 80 dinars or 9.97 DM.
Furthermore, a liter of oil was 18.14 dinars or 2.60 DM. A kilogram of raw coffee was 108.34 dinars or 15.47 DM, cigarettes “Drina” were 8.50 dinars or 1.21 DM, men’s shoes (leather) cost 698 dinars or 99.7 DM. For an average stove, you had to allocate a total of 5121 dinars or 731.57 DM, for washing machine 7526 dinars or 1075 DM, while the price of the fridge amounted to 4352 dinars or 621.7 DM…
In comparison to years before, prices of municipal services in 1990 were increased, but they still had the status of social category. Cubic meter of water cost 2.13 dinars or 0.30 DM, garbage (m2) 0.37 dinars or 0.05 DM, heating (m2) 4.73 dinars or 0.67 DM, public transportation (individual ticket) 4.68 dinars or 0.66 DM, electricity per kWh (expensive) 0.84 dinars or 0.12 DM etc. In order to buy a washing machine, stove, and fridge, (these three items cost 2428 DM in total), you had to allocate five average salaries, as reported by Vecernji List.
If we compare today’s purchasing power with the average salary in the FBiH that amounts to 838 BAM, now you need approximately two months’ salary to buy these devices.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba)
