Due to inflation, crises, and food shortages, life in certain cities across Europe has become extremely expensive.
Numbeo is a site that deals with the analysis of daily costs around the world, and one list ranks cities in the Balkans. It is a list of the most expensive and cheapest cities in Europe for 2023, on which the region may not be positioned high, but when you focus only on that part of Europe, you get interesting data. Belgrade is currently the most expensive city to live in the region.
When ranking the cities, they looked at the prices in restaurants and markets, the prices of public transport, rent, and health care.
It was found that in the Western Balkans, the most expensive city to live in is Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and it ranks 186th in Europe, followed by Budva in 188th place, after whichAlbania’s capital, Tirana comes, in 194th place. The cost of living in Belgrade is 42.5 percent compared to the cost of living in New York, and 41 percent in Tirana.
”Although Tirana is considered cheap to live in from the point of view of other Europeans, it is expensive for the local population and income level. Rising costs and inflation have pushed thousands of people to the brink of poverty. Currently, half of the population is either in poverty or at risk of falling into it,” writes Euractiv.
Quality of life moderate
When it comes to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), according to the website Numbeo, the quality of life is moderate. On the site, it is possible to see several divisions that contribute to the quality of life, such as the country’s safety index, which is listed as moderate, while the purchasing power and commuting index is low.
Another thing that can be checked is the level of crime in the country, and according to the website, it is moderate. The problem of corruption is characterized as very high.
A positive thing is that the competencies of the medical staff are moderate, with the index line exceeding the 50 percent mark.
Tuzla as the best option
What this site also shows is which city in BiH is the most suitable for living, or rather the cheapest. According to the data from the website, it is Tuzla, Banja Luka is before it, and Sarajevo is in first place, also as the most expensive city.
When it comes to other cities in Europe, Pristina is in 234th place, followed by Nis in 232nd place.
The capital of BiH, Sarajevo, is ranked 206th in Europe and is more expensive to live in than Podgorica, Novi Sad, Skopje, and Banja Luka, Avaz reports.
E.Dz.