How Much Does It Cost to Travel in Bosnia & Serbia for (Almost) Two Weeks?

We spent one month traveling through the Balkans from mid-June to mid-July. We considered doing one budget post for the entire region, but Croatia and Montenegro [see spending post here] were significantly more expensive than Bosnia and Serbia, so we’ve decided to split up the budgeting posts to provide a more accurate financial snapshot of traveling in the Balkans.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: $689.44

After taking an overnight bus from Kotor in early July, we spent two full days in Mostar (in the Herzegovina region) before heading to Sarajevo for four days. We also spent two days in the mountain village of Jeleč, at the home of one of our good friends who now lives in the U.S.

Transportation: $215.13

This includes our intercity bus from Mostar to Sarajevo (about $13 USD/person) and a taxi from the bus station to our apartment in Dobrinja, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Sarajevo that was formerly the Olympic Village. Because we stayed on the outskirts, we also took the bus (about $1 USD per ride) into the old city each day. We also rented a car in Sarajevo to travel to Jeleč. Average: $26.89/day.

Lodging: $42.46

We were very fortunate to be able to stay at a friend’s place in both Sarajevo and Jeleč (thanks again, Berber family!), so we only had to pay for our accommodations in Mostar, which were a very reasonable $21.23/night.

Eating out: $185.90

Except for one dinner “at home,” we ate out for every meal in Mostar and Sarajevo. We also treated ourselves to coffee at least once a day in Sarajevo, as well as traditional Bosnian pastries and snacks (yum, burek!). As you can see from our total spending, eating out is very affordable in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Average: $23.24/day.

Groceries/household items: $60.08

In addition to our one dinner “at home” in Sarajevo, we bought groceries for our two days staying in the mountains. Average: $7.51/day.

Entertainment (tours, etc.): $106.66

In Mostar, Jonathan visited the Museum of War and Genocide Victims and we took a free walking tour. In Sarajevo, we joined the “Sarajevo Under Siego” guided tour (25 euros each) to learn more about the Siege of Sarajevo, including a visit to the Tunnel of Hope (how the Bosnians were able to buy and transport goods during the siege). This tour was led by a Bosnian Bosniak (Muslim) who fought during the war, so he had a very interesting perspective and lots of personal stories to share. We also took a free walking tour in Sarajevo and visited Vrelo Bosne (the source of the River Bosna) right outside the city. Average: $13.33/day.

Gifts & souvenirs: $29.69

In addition to our regular postcards and stamps, Megan bought a pair of earrings at a metalworking shop on “Coppersmith Alley” in the Turkish Quarter of Sarajevo, and Jonathan bought a new pair of athletic shorts in Mostar to supplement his travel wardrobe. Average: $3.71/day.

Travel insurance: $49.52

We have travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.19/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.

Total: $86.18/day = $43.09/person* per day

Serbia: $264.97

Excluding travel days, we spent three full days in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Our spending in this city was low on the entertainment and tourism, and high on the food and drinks. I think Belgrade may have one of the best (if not the best) café cultures of any city we’ve visited so far! The cafes in this city were absolutely lovely.

Transportation: $0

We walked everywhere in Belgrade. Except the one time we took a bus to Zemun (the old part of the city across the river), and we didn’t realize you couldn’t buy tickets from the driver, but he waved us on anyway. And then we spent the entire ride terrified that someone was going to come check tickets and we would be fined. So we walked back to our apartment that evening … all 11 kilometers of the journey.

Lodging: $69.68

We found a private apartment on Airbnb in a fabulous location for a great price. Seriously, our free walking tour walked right past our front door. It doesn’t get much more centrally located than that! Average: $23.23/night.

Eating out: $159.10

Eating out is not too expensive in Belgrade, so I blame this relatively high average on all the delicious coffeeshops and cocktail bars! For example, one evening we spent less than $6 on dinner (for the two of us) and then proceeded to spend $14 on (four) cocktails. It happens! Average: $50.03/day.

Groceries/household items: $8.04

You guessed it: Chips and cold drinks. 😉 Average: $2.68/day.

Entertainment (tours, etc.): $9.58

The main tourist attractions we visited in Belgrade were free to enter (Kalmegedan Fortress and wandering around the old town of Zemun), but we did tip our free walking tour guide. Also, I’m embarrassed that this is our only entertainment cost in Belgrade because now you all know we didn’t tip our guide very much. Just so you know, this ($5 USD/person) is the rock-bottom price we tip free walking tour guides; we usually tip closer to $10/person. Average: $3.19/day.

Gifts & souvenirs: $0

We forgot to get postcards in Serbia! Collection fail. (But, the lovely Instagram community came through for us, and it sounds like one is on its way! Yay!) So, our total for Serbian gifts and souvenirs is a whopping zero dollars.

Travel insurance: $18.57

We have travel insurance through World Nomads for $6.19/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.

Total: $88.32/day = $44.16/person* per day

*Did you know we have a new page on the blog completely dedicated to Money & Budgeting? Check it out! We also list our country-specific costs on this page, but those numbers might differ a bit from the numbers shown here. The numbers in our detailed budgeting posts (like this one) are a true reflection of what we personally spent on our trip. The numbers on the Money & Budgeting page are meant to reflect what a typical tourist traveling at our comfort level can expect to spend.

For example, we had free lodging for most of our time in Bosnia & Herzegovina, so I looked up private apartments in Sarajevo and figured a sample cost into the final number you’ll see on our Money & Budgeting page. Also, most tourists probably wouldn’t visit the village of Jeleč, so our daily average only reflects spending in Mostar and Sarajevo.

Of course, you can always spend far less (or far more) than the numbers listed here or on our Money & Budgeting page. These figures are provided as a loose guide to help you plan travels within your budget range.