Living in Zenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Zenica is a smaller city in Federation of B&H, Bosnia & Herzegovina (under 250,000 people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 12°C over the year with about 967 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,369 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Bosnia & Herzegovina is possible, with conditions.

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Est. cost: €2,369; a month for a couple
Climate: 12°C; 967 mm rain a year
Size: Smaller; under 250,000 people
Safety: 62/100; country-level
Residency: Possible, with conditions; for most foreigners

Limited data for Bosnia & Herzegovina. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Bosnia & Herzegovina are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Bosnia & Herzegovina, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

Climate

Zenica averages 12°C across the year with about 967 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 20% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,369 a month to live centrally in Zenica, 13% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 77% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Possible, with conditions. No golden visa or passive-income visa exists; the realistic self-funded path is registering a company (d.o.o.) to get a work-linked temporary residence permit, alongside employment, study, family, and property-plus-genuine-connection routes.

For short visits, 99 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 99 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Bosnia & Herzegovina scores 62 out of 100 on safety, safer than 55% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 5.4 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Bosnia & Herzegovina: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2023) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

Bosnia & Herzegovina scores 64 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 45% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Bosnia & Herzegovina: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Zenica

Is Zenica a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Zenica scores well on affordability. Our figures for Bosnia & Herzegovina are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (12°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Zenica and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Zenica?

We estimate about €2,369 a month for a couple living centrally, 13% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Bosnia & Herzegovina, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Bosnia & Herzegovina long term?

Our assessment: possible, with conditions. No golden visa or passive-income visa exists; the realistic self-funded path is registering a company (d.o.o.) to get a work-linked temporary residence permit, alongside employment, study, family, and property-plus-genuine-connection routes.

What is the weather like in Zenica?

Zenica averages 12°C across the year with about 967 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 20% of the cities we track.