BiH’s cost of living up 4.2 pct in October

SARAJEVO, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — The total cost of living, or trade union consumer basket, for a typical family of four in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) reached 3,080.60 KM (1,664.47 U.S. dollars) in October, rising by 4.2 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the Confederation of Trade Unions of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
The trade union consumer basket includes essential living costs such as food, housing and utilities, hygiene, education, clothing, transportation, and household maintenance. Of these, food expenses make up the largest portion at 44.19 percent, followed by housing and utilities at 13.81 percent.
Food costs are calculated based on prices for 86 items from three major retail centers, while hygiene and health maintenance expenses are based on ten items, and housing costs cover six key categories.
In comparison, the average salary in the Federation of BiH stood at 1,384 KM in August, while the minimum wage was 619 KM. This means the average salary covers just 44.93 percent of the total cost of the consumer basket, while the minimum wage only covers 20.09 percent.
Experts pointed out that these figures underline the financial difficulties many families face due to rising inflation, which continues to strain household budgets. (1 KM = 0.54 U.S. dollar) ■