During the war in occupied Sarajevo, the barter system was widely used in markets and on street stalls due to the lack of cash, and cigarettes often served as a currency for purchasing groceries and other necessities.
Money often had little real value, so citizens relied on exchanging goods directly. Cigarettes were frequently traded for other products, and informal price lists for basic groceries emerged.
According to one such price list, a kilogram of raw coffee cost between 100 and 120 DEM (German Marks), while a kilogram of roasted coffee was priced at 160 DEM. Sugar ranged from 70 to 100 DEM per kilogram, marmalade sold for 30 DEM, and a liter of oil reached 80 DEM. A 450-gram package of feta cheese cost 25 DEM, while butter and eggs were so scarce that they had “no set price,” according to web page Sarajevopodopsadom.
The same applied to milk, meat, fish, and certain types of canned goods, which were extremely rare. A can of chicken luncheon meat cost around 25 DEM, while the popular IKAR canned food was priced between 5 and 7 DEM. Bottled Coca-Cola sold for 10 DEM, chocolate for 8 DEM, and a bag of firewood ranged from 15 to 20 DEM.
Vegetables were often available only occasionally. A kilogram of red onions cost about 20 DEM, garlic 90 DEM, and potatoes were especially expensive and rarely appeared on the market. Green vegetables such as yarrow were sold in small heaps for approximately 10 DEM, while beans provided through humanitarian aid, packaged in 1-kilogram bags, cost around 4 DEM.
Fruit was almost impossible to find at times, and the price list noted that it was “not available.” Cigarettes, however, had a clearly established value. Three boxes of Drina cigarettes sold for around 20 DEM, while bulk “WBR” without filters cost roughly 4 DEM. Two boxes of Marlboro cigarettes reached about 25 DEM on the market and were frequently used as a medium of exchange for other goods.
These records illustrate how daily life in occupied Sarajevo had adapted to wartime conditions, where the methods for measuring value and obtaining food and necessities were completely different from normal market circumstances. The value of one DEM at the time can be roughly equated to one euro today.
War profiteers must also be mentioned when discussing prices during the siege. These were individuals or groups who gained significant material advantage by exploiting shortages, chaos, and the suffering of the population. During the siege, Sarajevo was nearly completely cut off, and food, medicine, fuel, electricity, and water were scarce. The resale of basic groceries commanded high prices, and some members of political, military, or paramilitary structures were accused of enriching themselves.
War profiteers also used the Tunnel of Hope under the airport for illegal trade, despite its crucial role in sustaining the city.
