Unearth The Voyage
What if your monthly budget could buy not just comfort, but a completely new way of living? Imagine medieval streets, mountain air, and Adriatic sunsets – all for less than your cable bill back home. I traded the familiar for the extraordinary and found a life that feels both richer and simpler. Here’s how $1,800 a month in Bosnia and Herzegovina reshaped everything I thought I knew about retirement.
A New Home in Mostar
I never thought I’d trade the quiet charm of North Carolina for a medieval town halfway across the world. But when I retired and crunched the numbers, my $1,800 monthly income wasn’t going to buy me the kind of peace I’d earned.
Then came Bosnia and Herzegovina — a name that once meant little more to me than a place in the Balkans. Today, it means home.
I live in Mostar, in a sunlit apartment overlooking the emerald Neretva River. My rent is around $400 a month, utilities included.
Living Richly on a Budget
I sip Bosnian coffee each morning while the city wakes beneath me — and for the first time, I feel like I’m living richly, not just surviving frugally.
The Joy of Living Well for Less
Life in Bosnia is beautifully simple — and surprisingly affordable.
Groceries for the month? About $200. A meal with friends at a riverside restaurant? Around $10. Even healthcare feels humane here — a private doctor’s visit costs $30, and prescriptions are affordable.
I’ve learned that comfort isn’t about spending more; it’s about spending where it matters.
Cafe Culture That Slows Time
I no longer think twice about stopping for coffee. In Bosnia, cafés are sacred places, not pit stops. A cappuccino costs a dollar, but the experience — sitting for hours talking, watching the world stroll by — is priceless.
Conversations meander, time softens, and friendships deepen across tiny tables. The waiters remember your order, and neighbors wave as they pass, unhurried. Here, presence is the point, not productivity. I’ve relearned the art of lingering—how a simple cup can anchor a day, soothe the spirit, and connect you to a place that feels like home.
Bosnia’s Window to the Adriatic: Neum
Bosnia’s Secret by the Sea
Here’s something few people in America realize: Bosnia and Herzegovina has a coastline.
The small seaside town of Neum, nestled between Croatia’s coastal borders, is the country’s window to the Adriatic. I often take the short two-hour drive from Mostar to spend weekends there. The water glimmers turquoise, the seafood is fresh, and the prices are a fraction of those in nearby Croatia. Beach days feel effortless and uncrowded, with family-run restaurants serving grilled fish and crisp local wine. It’s a quiet, sunlit reprieve that stretches my budget—and my smile.
Weekends in Dubrovnik
And speaking of Croatia, the legendary Dubrovnik — where Game of Thrones brought King’s Landing to life — is just another hour south. On weekends, I wander through its ancient city walls, lose myself in cobbled alleys, and swim below the fortresses that once guarded an empire.
Going off-season keeps costs down, and a bus from Mostar makes the trip easy. I pack a picnic, stroll the ramparts, and watch the sun sink into the sea. Luxury on a retiree’s budget, one stone at a time.
A Day Trip to Punta Rata
A little farther north, the Dalmatian gem Punta Rata Beach in Brela offers one of the most beautiful stretches of sand in Europe, where the Biokovo mountains rise dramatically from the sea. From my balcony in Mostar, it’s a three-hour drive to paradise.
I go early, swim in water clear as glass, and picnic under wind-bent pines. Compared to trendy hotspots, it’s blissfully calm and kinder on the wallet. The contrast—mountain to coast in a morning—still astonishes me.
Skiing the “Balkan Alps”
Winter in the “Balkan Alps”
When winter descends, Bosnia transforms again. The Olympic mountains Jahorina and Bjelašnica, just outside Sarajevo, come alive with skiers, snowboarders, and mountain lovers.
I grew up skiing in North Carolina’s Appalachians, but these mountains — they’re something else. Wide, scenic slopes that look like the Alps, but without the Alpine price tags. A day pass costs under $40, and mountain lodges serve steaming plates of goulash beside roaring fires. Affordable exhilaration.
Summer Trails and Via Ferrata
When the Snow Melts — Adventure Awaits
Summer in Bosnia is a different kind of paradise. The mountains swap their snowy blankets for green meadows and wildflowers.
One of my favorite adventures has been climbing the Via Ferrata Vulin Potok in Blagaj, just 15 minutes from Mostar. It’s a secured route built into the cliffs above the Buna River valley, allowing even beginners to experience the thrill of mountain climbing safely. The view from the top — limestone peaks, emerald waters, and red rooftops below — is unforgettable.
Neighbors, Pita, and Rakija
Slower Days, Fuller Hearts
Life in Bosnia moves to a different rhythm — one that values presence over productivity.
People stop to talk, to share a story or a cup of strong coffee. My neighbors have become like family; they bring me homemade pita and rakija, and we laugh despite my still-clumsy Bosnian.
It’s a kind of life that feels lost back home — simple, human, and deeply grounded. Community isn’t a calendar event; it’s the air you breathe. Here, kindness arrives unannounced, carrying a warm dish and time to share it.
The Best Decision I Made
The Best Decision I Ever Made
When I left North Carolina, I was chasing affordability. What I found was something much richer: contentment.
For $1,800 a month, I ski on Olympic slopes, swim in the Adriatic, climb mountains, and drink coffee with friends who feel like kin.
I came here to stretch my savings. Instead, I expanded my soul.
If you’re dreaming of retirement abroad, don’t overlook Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s Europe’s best-kept secret — where mountains meet the sea, and every day costs less but gives you more.
